(sob) I LOVE ALL WHO REVIEWED! AND I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOON (stupid Romeo and Juliet test and my 1st horse show…(in one class I got 7th…out of seven, but hey some of my competitors were like 50 and were trainers: not fair!)
O.M.G. I got THIRTYTWO friggin' reviews for ONE chapter! (dies from review overload) I've never gotten 100 reviews for a story (this story just beat its original by…a lot) I am so HAPPY! THANK YOU! In my appreciation, I've decided to thank each and every reviewer last chapter individually (even though that took me one heck of a long time to do)
Forgive me, if I have to substitute other greek mythology characters for this greek myth. I swear the myth is true, I just don't exactly remember the Princess and her 'Prince's name. (Hey, I was forced to take Latin a year ago, and my memory span is extremely short)
I really hope I didn't make Bakura too sappy, but if it ended up looking that way I'm sorry. I'm a hopeless romanctic.
Disclaimer: No. Own. Two words!
'No no no no no!' Bakura chanted to himself in his head furiously at the sight he had just witnessed. Everything seemed to be playing out like a horror movie in slow motion: Nina's scream, Bakura frozen in horror while he tried to take over, the horrible screams echoing in his mind, and finally silence as a limp body crashed into the water. Nina's body.
The only problem was that this wasn't a fictional horror movie. This was real life.
Bakura stood there in utter shocked stupor until an irked voice whispered in his ear, "Are you just going to stand there you stupid thief, or are you going to save her!" Ra's voice. Normally, Bakura would've retorted something foul and brushed the comment off, but this time he found himself answering in a small voice. "I-I can't. M-my feet won't m-move; something's n-n-not letting m-me" Bakura stuttered for the first time in his life as his throat choked up unwillingly like an invisible hand was gripping it.
His hikari was going to drown.
"So? You have to be her Prince, Bakura," Ra pointed out simply.
"I'm no-" Bakura never got to finish his sentence as a flashback started unwillingly in his mind…
Flashback"So then what happened to the Princess as she was chained up, Mother! Did she die! Did the monster eat her!" a young, eager Bakura pleaded to his mother sitting beside his humble bed.
"Oh calm down Bakura, your mind is so morbid sometimes," Mairi scolded affectionately to her son.
"I get it from you," cheekily replied her son. Mairi fought to hide a proud smirk behind her hand; he reminded her of her younger self.
"Well, then. She died a morbid death, happy? (Bakura looked aghast) I thought not. Well when Princess Andromeda stood in front of the horrible sea monster the sea turned blood red and that's why it's called the Red Sea-"
"I thought you said she didn't die!"
"I did. Have patience, dear. What I meant was that the sea turned bloody from the monster's blood. Prince Mycenae had killed him with one fell swoop from the immortal sword of the Greek Goddess Athena."
"But wait, Mom. I thought you told me in another story where Mycenae killed Medusa that he was a mere peasant?"
"Yes, my little 'Kura I did. The prince even married the princess later on," his mother said gently prodding his button nose, "Where's the problem?"
"But he's POOR. Poor people don't save Princesses, and they certainly can't MARRY them. It's just wrong; he's no Prince" Bakura said what had been drilled into his mind since birth by society. Mairi's face acquired a mysterious smile like she had a special secret.
"Hmmmm, I must disagree. Just because you don't have money doesn't not give you the right to be a Prince. It's what's inside which makes you a Prince." Mairi said gently poking the area over Bakura's heart.
"Do I have it too?" Bakura said, fascinated that this was breaking every code he'd been forced to live by. Mairi smiled at her beautiful, blessed son that was destined to do great things, she was sure of it.
"Of course you do. Everyone has great courage. But the ones who choose to use it, those are the Princes." She took a pause and tilted a still-confused Bakura's head to the stars,
"It doesn't matter if you're a big star or a little star or a white star, or even a purple star…anyone can be a Prince or Princess," she said softly, almost nostalgically into the velvet black sky.
"Even me?" her son asked cutely from his mother's lap. Mairi lovingly kissed his forehead.
"Especially you, my son."
End flashback
Somehow Bakura found himself fighting the invisible binds that held him…and winning. Bakura grunted in pain and bit his lip as step by step, he made his way over to the ocean. It hurt, oh Ra, how it hurt! But the stupid fool…needed…him.
'Finally!' he heard the irritating voice call in his mind. 'I was beginning to fear I'd lose my bet.'
"But there was a flaw in your flashback," Bakura said while running haphazardly (just picture half your body running while the other half fought), his cocky smirk once more graced his perfect features.
'And what's that Bakura?' Ra asked, knowing that Gods just didn't make mistakes. Excluding the whole dinosaur extinction and the sinking of Atlantis. Those were just some bad little "accidents". Totally excusable.
"I'm no Prince," Bakura said devilishly as he picked up his pace through the water losing the kinks in the rebelling half.
'Then what are you Bakura! A woman? (Bakura: TT) Male Nurse? (B: Okay that crossed the line) An insane thief? I thought we just went over this!'
"I'm no Prince, Ra…(dramatic pause)…I'm a King. And you are a puny God. Powerless to my Kingly Kung Fu…" Bakura murmured haughtily as he started to swim frantically into the ocean. Ra thereafter left grumbling about how stupid arrogant thieves, that he couldn't burn to ashes due to a stupid bet, dared to ruin his morning. Great God, now he was going to miss football. Great God, forbid.
Back to more important matters that do not include football…
Bakura was a white torpedo in the water his fluid movements both graceful and powerful as each lean arm and leg showed an utter life-or-death intensity. Bakura was pushing himself to his limits. He didn't even notice that the storm had stopped, its purpose fulfilled.
Bakura lifted his face up to take a gasp of air as he searched, not mindful of the stinging salty water burning his eyes; he was more worried of finding his fish who had gone missing. And indeed it was like finding a little fish in the ocean, a needle in the haystack, that sort of thing; the point being that there was just too much damn ocean. Where could Nina be! Bakura started to despair as his swimming became more labored and careful. Time was running out for both Yami and hikari.
And then he spotted a pale white shimmer in the dark water.
And he knew exactly where his little fish was.
Bakura took a deep breath and dove to the bottom where he'd seen the pale light. Lo and behold, he saw a figure lying in the sand. Bakura immediately swam his way over there…
And felt a rush of alien joy fill him. And then he felt sheer horror let out all the joy.
Nina was absolutely still.
'But,' Bakura reasoned desperately to his flickering hope, 'lightning strikes do that to you…With some fresh air, she'd be back to her cheery annoying self, right?'
Yet the hope nearly died as he got a closer look of his hikari. Her pale skin seemed a fairylike white as her dainty body lay on the sand bed as if resting…if it weren't for the convenient seaweed tying her down. Tendrils of her black hair floated gently above her as her crown while her eyelids remained eerily shut on her mermaid form. Bakura longed for those eyes to magically open and everything to be alright when she said "Oopsies,".
But both her mind and body stayed shut off almost as if she were-
Bakura yanked off the seaweed with his sharp teeth as he kicked off the floor taking the limp girl with him. She would be alright, he assured himself. The brat was too strong to die.
Nonetheless, Bakura broke the surface of the creepily still water and towed Nina to shore as quickly as his straining muscles possibly could. He collapsed on the sand for a moment beside his limp hikari before wearily picking himself up as he dusted off the sand caking both of them.
"Okay, brat, time for you to wake up," Bakura said to her as he gave her shoulders a rough shake. No answer. Bakura frowned as he leaned in closer for a closer clinical inspection. Her lips were tinged blue, her body cold, breathing extremely shallow; these were NOT good signs. (He could just hear Ra faintly saying, 'Well, no kidding Einstein,' Bakura chose to ignore that voice.) The only thing keeping Bakura sane was seeing the erratic, small rise and fall of her chest. And then he saw a sight that madethe great tomb robber, who'd witnessed and caused bloody murders,gasp in fear. A line of blood slowly trickled out of the corner of her bluish mouth and onto her fair skin.
But although that was bad in the fact that it meant internal bleeding, Bakura didn't turn stark white in terror because of that. No, this was much worse.
His skin turned a starker white, and he showed all the signs of a heart attack…because Nina had stopped breathing.
The flickering candle of hope died as cruel reality blew it out.
For what felt the gazillionth time Bakura focused his mediocre healing magics on her…and for the gazillionth time they failed; something was blocking it. Something evil, something familiar…but hell he didn't care if it E.T. coming back home.
Nina was going to die…Well, unless, he did it the old-fashioned way.
This way however, was instilling more apprehension in the tomb robber than he had felt when he had decided to rob Akunakanom's heavily guarded grave.
Some would call it CPR, and others, hoping for a more romantic name, dubbed it the "kiss of life".
Kiss of life? Ra, Bakura would rather kiss a warty toad. Okay maybe not a warty toad, but you got his drift. No way in hell was he going to do this little "kiss of life" on his baka hikari…except that it was Nina's only chance of survival. Damn.
Bakura desperately pumped her stomach as a last ditch effort to avoid the inevitable, but fate was cruel. He merely got more blood trickling down her mouth. Bakura gave a heavy sigh as he looked up at the sky, cursing Gods, CPR, and lightning.
Attention Earth Population, we are experiencing a first. Bakura –yes that tomb robber Bakura– is about to willingly save (you heard right, not kill) his hikari. And not only save, oh-ho yes that's right my swooning angry fangirl mob, he's going to…
Bakura tilted open Nina's mouth as he wiped away the blood with a thumb. He paused for the briefest of moments.
So this was what it had come down to. Bakura, the notorious Thief King of Egypt, had degraded himself to giving the "kiss of life" to a mere little K.O.'d girl.
This was rock bottom.
And then Bakura smirked sneakily; there was no way she'd ever know…it'd all be a complete and utter mystery… He awkwardly gathered his hikari into his warm lean arms.
"Just be thankful you're cute," Bakura said gruffly, saying the phrase that he would never say in Nina's normal presence. But in her veggie state? Sure. Veggies couldn't talk back.
Bakura pressed his lips against their cold match as he breathed life into his hikari, Nina Sky.
Her first thought was that this was an alternate reality.
Her second thought was that it was too dang bright.
Nina got up from the ground in a flowery white dress that was dotted with little pink flowers. She rubbed her watering eyes; it was much too bright.
She stood squinting wondering how in the world she'd gotten here –and in a dress no less! What had happened? Nina's brain was foggy, clouded by the too-green meadow, the too perfect, crystal clear river, and the birds breaking out into merry songs in perfect harmony.
Walt Disney had finally taken over the world? Perhaps.
"Helloooo, anyone here?" Nina called out into the utopia. If there was a soul to be found they were plaintively ignoring the befuddled girl.
Nina frowned; something just wasn't right with this picture…She spotted a stick lying out of place on the pristine grass. Odd it almost looked like a- lightning bolt! Harry Potter?
Suddenly images rushed into Nina's mind; she had been swimming in the water to shore and then –BAM!– memory blast, she had gotten hit by lightning, and then blacked out. And now she was here…in a green meadow? Somehow this didn't add up right unless she was…
"Dead? Am I dead?" Nina asked herself, extremely worried. How would her family and Carla fare? How'd they explain her freakish death? How'd Bakura even take it? Was he back in hell? Did he even care? She held her head feeling a colossal headache coming on from information overload. She looked down at the ground accusatorily at the odd stick.
And then she gulped.
For it wasn't a Harry-Potter-scar-imposter stick any longer.
It was a snake. A hissing I'm-gonna-make-you-fry-in-hell-for-ruining-my-day rattler snake.
"Oh dear," Nina murmured fearfully as the snake coiled itself, ready to attack. If she jumped away, it would strike, and if she didn't it would also strike. Nina was just plumb screwed. "There, there Mr. Snakey, I'm not going to hurt you! You're a little beautie aren't you?" Nina cooed. Obviously she had watched way too many reruns of The Crocodile Hunter with Steve Irwin. Obviously she had never seen the episodes where Steve was bitten and poisoned due to his "persuasive" cooings.
Mr. Snakey in question, in the same response as it had given to Steve's compliments, glared hatefully at the naïve human and tensed its body into striking stance.
Unfortunately unlike the Australian Steve Irwin, Nina did not have antidote on hand.
So long Nina.
Nina whimpered as she saw the snake's body spring into the air as if in slow motion, its deadly fangs proudly displayed to its new victim. She shut her eyes, unable to watch her demise. It would come quickly, and then the poison would consume her and-
Well, nothing happened.
"You're being a wimp," leered a cheery voice from in front of her. Nina peeked from her fingers and gasped in utter surprise. Out of all the sights she had expected, this was not one of them. Especially not in this utopia world. For you see this person just didn't fit in the Disney equation; he was a casting director's worst nightmare; he was…
"B-Bakura!" Nina cried in shock.
For there was Bakura alright, fondly petting the snake that had tried to murder Nina moments before.
"In the flesh," he said and then laughed happily at his words. Whoa. Bakura and the word happy were never meant to be in the same sentence. Something was not right.
"Bakura," Nina asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"
The alien Bakura flashed Nina a sly smile that reflected the familiar arrogant Bakura she knew.
"I am as happy as you make me to be," he whispered to her as his enigmatic eyes were filled with an emotion foreign to Nina.
"Well, that's a funny answer. And you're looking funny as well," Nina talked to herself as she inspected the new Bakura. He still wore the red cape with the silk trousers but his spiky hair was cropped to his ears, his scar was gone, and his dagger was nowhere to be found, replaced by a…cherry-flavored lollipop. Which Bakura was now licking and every now and then, laughing, he let the snake lick as well. (a/n: I dunno about you, but this moment reminds me of Ayame from Fruits Basket)
As soon as she saw the venomous snake licking the lollipop innocently –well, that was the last straw for good little Nina Sky. She wanted answers and she wanted them NOW.
"Snakes THAT JUST TRIED TO KILL ME licking lollipops! You being so…HAPPY? Birds singing in perfect chorus? Me in a flower dress when I was just electrocuted! Bakura- if that is even who you are- what the HECK is going on here!" Nina bellowed uncharacteristically. She was confused out of her mind. Chuckling reached her ears, and Nina growled, "What's so funny, tomb boy?"
"You," he answered simply as he broke into fits of hysterical laughter, the stupid snake joining him in the equivalent to a laugh: tongue flicking. Nina's azure eyes darkened as her stunning eyes twitched madly.
"It's not funny! Just answer my question!" Nina gave her kitten roar as she tightened her dainty hands into fists. Bakura noted it with extreme amusement, but stopped the hysterical laughing.
"There, there kitten," Bakura consoled with a warm smile. A muscle in Nina jaw's twitched threateningly: kitten! "Do you really want to know where you are?" he asked innocently, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
Nina's glare of I-hope-you-shrivel-up-and-die was a sufficient answer. Bakura snorted.
"You know being testy really doesn't suit you, kitten (kitten: (hiss) DIE. (hiss))…Okay, okay fine I'll tell you Nina, don't have a hissy fit, ha ha get it? (N: TT)…You…are…in…" Bakura looked like he was about to go into another tangent or give his answer a nice, long dramatic pause when Nina snapped back,
"Just get on with it; I want to go home! WHERE AM I BAKURA!"
"You're in your subconscious," he answered with raised brows, his dramatic moment ruined. Any retort Nina had died in her mouth,
"So I'm not dead?" she asked in a small voice.
"Nope. You are in your 'innocent' mind. God, can you say Disney fanatic? Well, at least Bambi'll be proud…Don't look at me like that; it's not my fault you're a "goody two shoes" as your Bakura puts it. Heck, I'm not even real," Bakura added as an afterthought with a lick of his lollipop and a shrug.
"If you're not then what are you? Where's the real Bakura?" Nina asked confused. Bakura's cheerful grin vanished as he regained his mysterious, sexy (OMG she did not just think that…dangit, she did) aura. Bakura smirked at her, a swagger in his step as he cupped Nina's chin in one hand easily. Nina found she couldn't look away as she saw the lollipop perched precariously in his mouth. As he licked his lips seductively when he removed the lollipop, Nina couldn't help it; she drooled like a mindless fangirl. Good thing in perfect utopialand it wasn't visible. Bakura still smirked at her.
"What am I, my kitten? I'm whatever you want me to be. This is your world…" he whispered into her ear as he traced her jawline softly. "Admit it, kitten, you like this."
"I-I don't," she replied extremely flustered, a cute blush filling her cheeks.
"Then why is your mind letting me?" he asked politely. But he stopped toying with her as he looked up at the darkening sky with a furrowed brow. The grass looked dull. The birds had stopped singing.
"You need to get out of here, I'm afraid," he concluded in a worried voice as even the snake wrapped around his trousers in a beltlike fashion seemed to agree with its master in a worried tongue flick. (Don't ask Nina how a tongue flick can look worried; this was an odd world.)
"Well, that's what I've been asking you, smart one. How do I get out of here?" Nina said exasperated and still blushing. Well, if this was her fantasy Bakura, she had to congratulate her imagination.
"Just give it a couple more moments; I'm sure he'll save you." He said. Nina had a good feeling who "he" was, but she knew it could never be he. He hated her with a passion unrivaled only by the hate of the murderer of his family.
"Nah, I don't think so, my pet…Just because you can't see something with your eyes doesn't mean it's not there," a familiar voice whispered huskily into her ear, sending shivers up her spine. The other Bakura. He could hear her thoughts. Great.
And then the realization struck; he had heard ALL of her thoughts. She started blushing furiously.
He smirked at her once more before patting her on the head, ruffling her perfect black hair.
"Ra, I envy him. You're adorable." He said much to Nina's embarrassment as she turned bright red. Nina could've sworn he muttered "Good thing I am a part of him," to himself, but maybe that was her perverted imagination at work.
Then she felt a sudden weight on her neck. That was tightening around her neck slowly. In a Death grip. No worries.
"AGGHHHHH! GET THE SNAKE OFF OF ME!" Nina shrieked in surprise as Mr. Snakey looked at her innocently with a tongue flick of 'I have your best interests in mind,'
"Calm down Nina, he's just giving you a hug! He's worried about your safety!" Bakura said in a placating voice to no avail. This "hug" was slowly choking Nina in a death embrace as Nina's face went red from lack of blood circulation.
"Get. (sputter) HIM. (pant) OFF!" she managed to choke out. Bakura raised an eyebrow of amusement before gently untangling the suddenly-willing snake.
"Oh, he was just trying to kill you so you'd wake up," Bakura consoled.
"WAKE UP! HOW CAN I WAKE UP IF HE KILLS ME!" Nina bellowed, where you could practically see her hissing like an enraged kitty who had just gotten her tail stepped on.
"He was trying to stimulate an extreme emotion in you, so your body would get the jolt it needed to get out of here," Bakura explained with the air of a scientist. "No need to get you fur in a huff, kitten." He said with a flirtatious wink, losing any trace of intelligence. Nina glared at him with icy cold blue eyes.
"I'm afraid it wasn't successful though was it?" Bakura whispered his demeanor changed once more into his alluring, sexy mysterious self. "You need something more than just pure fear…don't you?" he whispered as his warm breath tickled Nina's face. His eyes were full of something that Nina had never seen directed at her. Love? No, it was lust, she was sure. She trembled softly as Bakura wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't be afraid kitten," he said huskily as he held her trapped in his strong arms. "I only want the best for you, and this is the only way for your life." Nina started to believe this small consolation…well, until he started pulling her closer.
"You have to wake up now," Bakura warned Nina as a last chance. "Or else."
"Or else what?" Nina asked in a hushed voice, her heartbeat speeding uncontrollably. She didn't know what was going on, but a part of her actually wanted Bakura. And that scared her. Yet it thrilled her too. Dang hormones.
Bakura, his seductive eyes half-lidded, smiled slowly at his naïve, trembling girl, softly stroking her blushing cheek as he moved his face even closer to Nina's. His russet eyes held an unchecked fiery passion for want, lust, or maybe perhaps…for love?
Nina soon found out.
"Or else, this."
And then he kissed her.
Carla stared at her dreaming Yami, hoping against hope that this was all a horrible nightmare, or that Ashton Kutcher was going to show up and say she'd gotten Punk'd.
Anything to make this sight in front of her not real.
Yami gave a soft moan in his dream as he whispered, "Zahara, oh my Zahara,"
Carla was pretty sure that this 'Zahara' was a woman. Not her. Not good for Yami.
She had run over to Yami in the hopes that whatever she saw in the lightning was wrong: a hallucination that Yami would soothe her about. Carla felt her blood boil as her "loyal" boyfriend smiled goofily as he gave another moan of pleasure.
TT Yami was going down.
"Despiertarte bastardo!" Carla yelled as she gave Yami a good slap on the cheek. The awful thing was that Yami even required another slap for his eyes to flutter open.
"MMmmmm Wha-? Ow, is that you Carla?" Yami said sleepily as he rubbed open his eyes. Carla slapped him harder across the cheek.
"Pleasant dreams? (Yami looks worried: how much did she see?) Yes, it's me you cheating git. I'm sorry I'm not your precious Zahara," Carla spat with venom Yami had not heard before in his life. All the blood drained out of his face as soon as he heard the word 'Zahara' confirming a raging Carla's suspicions. Oh Ra, he was screwed. Someone shoot him…before Carla most certainly did.
"Yes, Z-A-H-A-R-A. Your little dream girl, no?" Carla said, taking an intimidating step toward Yami. Yami was having one of those moments where you hope the ground swallows you up as he stared longingly at the ground. The ground stared right back. Yami was going to have to go through this alone. It was most definitely Yami Hunting Season. With a mad short hikari girl holding a rifle on the heels of a wee wittle Bunny Wabbit named Wami. Wami was screwed.
"Carla, it's not what you think-" Yami started out, trying to placate his fiery hikari who seemed all for his murder right now. (hunting hikari girl fires first shot, darn it missed!)
"WHO. THE. HELL. IS. ZAHARA!" Carla interrupted through gritted teeth, completely ignoring Yami's placations.
"I don't know who you're-"
"LIAR! Tell me who she is! I saw her when I was nearly STRUCK by lightning!" Carla bellowed, her laser beam glare practically melting Yami.
"You were struck by lightning! Are you alright?" Yami asked, suddenly extremely worried. He tried to get Carla's arm but was slapped away.
"Like you'd care," Carla said coldly. "Tell me who you're precious Zahara is and how she fit into your hot dream equation, Pharaoh?" she leered. Oh no, when Carla used the term Pharaoh like Marik, then you knew she was pissed.
"I-I," Yami said, feeling like a trapped mouse before his death sentence: the hungry cat awaited. He couldn't tell her; she'd never forgive him. Lucky for him, he was saved by a lightning bolt. No, I am not kidding.
"My Ra, did that bolt of lightning just strike someone in the water!" Yami yelled, surprised as he pointed out the lightning ray.
"Oh don't give me any of that cra-" Carla started out furious, before she whipped her head around as she heard a scream. A scream so piercing, so feminine, so horribly familiar to hear…Nina's. NO.
"Oh God, no," Carla whispered to herself as she turned pale, her mahogany eyes lost all their fire. Then both teenagers felt an eerie silence as the shrieking wail of pain stopped.
"She can't be-" Carla started out before gulping down her last word hard. Yami looked at her without saying a word, his expression unreadable. Carla's eyes flashed with desperation as she snatched the Millennium Puzzle from Yami and put it on, next to the diamond necklace Yami had bought her months ago.
"We'll just have to save her then, won't we?" Carla said calmly as she ran off towards the direction of where the lightning had hit. She said it in the same voice one uses when announcing the weather; this new Carla…was either odd, brave or stupid. Yami picked all of the above. Because Yami was extremely worried; this was the same attitude Carla had taken before she had decided to commit suicide in order to save Yami. Carla was wild with bravery. Stupid, stupid bravery.
"Yes," he said shortly before following her. Despite their inevitable fight, he had to make sure she didn't do anything rash. (Heck, who was he kidding? He'd probably have to join her mad scheme) Thankfully she'd at least forgotten about Zahara.
"So, about our rescue mission…as soon as Nina is okay you WILL tell me who Zahara is, right Yami? Answer me, you dolt!"
Um, not. Roasted Wami, anyone? Life sucks.
'Life sucks,' was Bakura's prominent thought as he sucked mouth on Nina, praying with all his heart that the damn fool would wake up. Truth be told, he didn't mind Nina's sweet little mouth on his…hey, in his defense, it was better than a warty toad's.
Bakura stopped for a short breather as he pumped her stomach once more. "Stupid (pant) ahou (pant) Do you listen (gasp) to me? (pant) No-o. Ra, at least you're not warty." Bakura growled to his unconscious hikari girl. She sputtered softly as if she actually was trying to breathe when her chest made a feeble rise…and then it stopped.
And then he began round two.
Bakura was starting to tire; you try giving your breath for over ten minutes, and see how long you can last. Mind you, Bakura was already a powerful dead spirit. Hope was fading though; she seemed so pale, color drained from her face as her pulse became slower and slower. Nina was in Death's waiting arms. Luckily there was a stubborn white-haired thief holding her back. Barely.
'Wake up, wake up you fool!' he chanted in his mind link to her as he held the brat in his arms. He willed both his mind and body to force her to wake up, but Bakura felt his world begin to get woozy. Lack of oxygen (he was still forced to breathe…Damn Gods), was making the world spin like a mad carousel around him. He forced his russet eyes to stay awake as he gave one last shot before he collapsed. Bakura focused all of his willpower into one final breath as he screamed his healing spell in his mind,
'MEDA NIJITSU!' he pleaded.
He really didn't expect it to work. He just felt he had to do one last try before exhaustion overtook him. You know that whole last ditch effort where you know there's no point but it makes your ego feel better. A guilt easer, nothing more; never supposed to actually succeed. How absurd.
But it did.
So of course, Bakura was extremely surprised when he felt a steady pulse pick up again as his hikari began to breathe shallowly on her own. But this surprise was nothing- absolutely nothing- compared to what Nina did next.
Her eyes bolted open as if a freight train were on her heels.
Right when Bakura was still performing his "kiss of life".
The world went still. Shocked russet met equally shocked sky azure.
And for once, both were utterly speechless. Can we say priceless?
This was certainly a sight Nina hadn't been expecting to see when she woke up (Nina had been innocently thinking along the lines of worried faces, perhaps even a paramedic, not close-ups of your certified madman Yami. Poor, poor naïve little Nina.)
Needless to say, Nina was experiencing major déjà vu as she woke up to find a familiar man's lips currently resting on her own. Well, perhaps "resting on" was not the best word choice. Ah yes, she knew the proper term: kissing. Or if you really wanted to get technical, Frenching, Nina thought ruefully as she felt a tongue that was not her own within the cavern of her mouth. For a moment it felt like she was back in her perverted subconscious with the other Bakura doing things to Nina that…well, all she would say that they had certainly woken her up. For a moment, Nina's eyes flickered from Bakura's mouth to his surprised eyes and then back again in total detachment. This was one of those times where her brain was going to need a moment to react…
1…
Bakura seemed to be regaining his thoughts as he stared blankly at the girl, not comprehending.
2…
Nina stared back at Bakura, thinking idly that his hair looked awfully cute long. She wondered how it would feel if she buried her fingers in it, or what kind of shampoo he used…
2 ½…
Both peered critically at the other, knowing that something was missing in this picture. Wait for it…
3…
And then both of their brains clicked.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!" both yelled at their counterpart as they sprung apart as if electrocuted. Oh yeah, the color had really returned to Nina's blushing cheeks. Even the faintest, the faintest mind you, color of pink crept up Bakura's face as he looked at Nina's roughened lips that probably mirrored his own.
"ME!" Nina roared, mind in turmoil as she was sure that somewhere in an alternate universe a snake and a white-haired boy were laughing hysterically at her. Nina finally cracked. "I was in my subconscious being harassed by your clone! I was just electrocuted! I was just nearly DEAD! WHAT IN THE SAM HILL WERE YOU DOING BAKURA!"
There was definitely a look-at-me pink tinge filling Bakura's cheeks as he howled,
"NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU PERVERTED LITTLE WENCH! I was trying to SAVE you because my magic failed baka, and the only way to do so was to give you Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation! CPR, NOTHING MORE DAMMIT!"
"Then what was with your delayed reaction Bakura, huh!" Nina yelled in his face, not wanting to be yelled at so of course, yelled back.
"What was with yours!" Darn, she should've seen that coming. Nina bit back the bile words rising in her throat, and swallowed her pride. She was going to tell the truth.
"I was shocked…You…were kissing me," Nina paused looking down at the floor, touching her reddened lips softly.
"For the last time I wasn't kissing you," Bakura reiterated firmly but in a gentler voice. He needed a breather from the yelling.
"Well, you count too, but I was talking about someone else," Nina said in a faraway voice. Bakura resisted the urge to immediately ask who like a nosy schoolgirl. He merely clenched his hands into fists. Hard. He wasn't curious at all. Ignore the wide, intense give-me-some-details-biotch russet eyes.
"I was talking about the you…in my subconscious. Laughing, perverted, happy, mysterious you. I was shocked." Nina said softly as she fought to hide her blush by hiding it behind her porcelain hands. "He told me he wanted to save me…so he kissed me. (dryly) He was right; I awoke alright…He reminds me so much of…you, but happier," she murmured, still hiding.
"Well, I guess I am him somehow…" Bakura said as hegently pried her hands away from her face. "Just a much hotter, cooler version." Nina smiled unwillingly, that was her Bakura alright. He softly stroked a warm rosy cheek with a calloused finger, looking for any damage or bleeding. He found none. "Don't hide behind your hands," he said simply. If Nina or anyone suspected kindness from his words…his violent ruffling of her pristine hair ruined the moment…as well as the "accidental" tripping as she got up. He was Bakura after all.
So it was then that a frizzy, sand-covered Nina glared threateningly at him. Granted she had to crane her head up as Bakura was taller…but she still thought she got her point across. Well, until Bakura's next remark.
"You know you remind me of an angry poofed-up kitten." Bakura commented with a smirk as he coughed to hide a chuckle. Nina hissed. She walked warily in front of Bakura as she quickened her pace. Bakura was pretty sure she grumbled something about 'clones', 'stupid grin', and 'why'd he have to be a good kisser'…Was it about him? Nah, definitely a muffin…he hoped.
After walking in silence for a minute across the sandy white (and now getting sunny) beach Nina said quietly,
"He should be my first you know,"
There are moments in life where one is given TMI (Too Much Information), and the proper response to this is a guffaw, a grimace, or a cringe of "Didn't need to know that,". Bakura was having a wee bit more dramatic response.
Mayday, mayday! This is the heart radioing that we are having a meltdown! We are going dooooown! BUB bum…bub bum…bu-………
(sirens) Abort! Abort! This is not a drill! Go to Plan B!
This is the central nervous system reporting: we have lost contact as well!He's flat lining! The stupid heart just gave out from shock! Give him a jolt!
Clear!
BEEP.
Another one, you Radamn electrons! To the heart, not his jewels!
CLEAR!
BEEP.
Bub bum, bub bum, bub bum…
Close one.
"Bakura?" Nina asked worriedly as she looked as Bakura opened his eyes from the sandy ground.
"W-what happened brat?" Bakura asked dazedly, trying to collect his bearings from the ground. He blinked open his eyes: ow, his back hurt.
"As soon as you heard 'he should be my first,' you fainted Bakura," Nina explained absently while trying to see if he was okay. She tried to place her hand over his forehead to check and see if he had a fever when…Bakura remembered. Everything.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HE SHOULD BE MY FIRST'!" Bakura roared as he grabbed the arm, trying to reach for his forehead and then pinned her to the sand with his free arm. "WHAT DID YOU DO! DID YOU HAVE SE-"
Slap.
"Of course not, Bakura," a blushing Nina said softly but furiously from beneath him. "What I meant was that he should be my first kiss,"
Oh. Oopsies. If Bakura had been anyone other than Bakura, he would've felt a trace of guilt. But alas, he was Bakura. Bakura merely released his pinned hikari from her awkward position. And let her fall. On the sand. Because didn't you hear, sand infested, matted hair is totally "in" this year. Along with having an insane Yami; they make great accessories to go with your "in" hair.
"So…if he wasn't your first kiss, who was?" Bakura asked, trying to conceal curiosity. And failing.
"Jealous?" Nina quipped from raised eyebrows as she resisted the urge to kick him up his…sensitive spot. Her hair was now in desperate need of a shower because of his innocent (innocent her a-) curiosity.
"No!" Bakura replied quickly, answering Nina's question for her. A small smile played across Nina's lips.
"So who was it?" he persisted.
"Johnny Depp," she answered perfectly serious with her eyes lowered. Bakura didn't see the mirth dancing in her eyes. He was quietly fuming while he thought heatedly to himself: 'Who the hell is Johnny Depp!'
After seeing Bakura's raging face, Nina replied exasperated at his denseness, "No it was the Pharaoh (Bakura head blowing up to chibi proportions as his eyes turned red from fury: WHAT!)…I was joking Bakura," Nina said with a grin.
Oh. Double oopsies.
"Stop playing you spoiled little brat, tell me who was your first kiss," Bakura said through gritted teeth. Oh, how he missed hell. Because this little hellion in front of him was nothing compared to it.
"Do you really want to know?" Nina teased, fully aware that Bakura was dying to know. "You know him…" she mused. Bakura grunted, not amused by her antics.
"Who." He said simply as he got up, not bothering to help her up as well. Let her bum stay there for all he cared.
Nina's face became serious as she got up by herself in Bakura's opposite direction. Shyly, she furtively glanced at Bakura before answering, straight to the ocean,
"You."
Bakura was taken aback for the moment before answering passionately, "I told you that wasn't a-"
"Kiss?" Nina finished for him. "Well, maybe not for you. But I think it counts." She said with her innocent smile. Damn that smile, thought Bakura; it was the smile of an idiotic buffoon.
"Hnn," Bakura grunted. "Then you are a stupid fool."
But an unwilling smile crept up his lips.
Nina caught up to Bakura and the pair walked together in silence, both lost in the recent events.
'Idiotic buffoon,' Bakura thought to himself as he glanced at the brat, still smiling sweetly. He bonked her head in an attempt to wipe that smile off. No use, she merely frowned and attempted to bonk him back on his head. Now let's remember here that Nina is a little bit vertically challenged when compared to Bakura. So her hopping up, then missing Bakura's head by a mile and then landing flat on her tush…was making it very hard for Bakura to not laugh loudly with no trace of control. Bakura's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he gave Nina a calloused hand. It was when she tripped on the sand and once more made friends with it…that Bakura gave in. His chuckles turned into rib-clutching, hysterical laughing. 'Ra, he had to admit,' Bakura thought wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, 'she may be an idiotic buffoon, but she's a hilarious one. Definitely mine.'
Nina struggled to remain composed as she continued walking, trying to ignore Bakura's chuckles. She had no idea why she had ever thought of him as a white angel, she definitely must've been hallucinating. The day Bakura became a saint was the day that Nina became a Playboy bunny and confessed to loving Bakura. But as she heard Bakura's innocent true laughter ringing through the air, she remembered exactly what had woken her up. You see, she had told a white lie before. Sure, the kissing was exhilarating but it wasn't enough to jolt her awake…No it was the other Bakura's words after he noticed that he was still there passionately kissing her. He broke off the kiss, his intense russet eyes boring into dazed azure.
He told me you cared…That was when Nina found the willpower to start breathing. But she needed something more, something that her heart, however much her brain denied, secretly longed…
He told me you love me…And that was what had woken Nina up. A damn stupid hope.
If I do say so myself, I liked my ending. It adds a little twist.
I'll give imaginary cookies to whoever realized that that's the first time I've ever had Nina curse. Next chapter will be the Seduction chapter. I tried to fit it in, but that would've meant more weeks of no updating…
Please review! (still tears in eyes from last chapter's response)
Starlet36