Disclaimer: I do NOT own this and blah, blah, blah. Ok, read!

Ps. Thank you Silver-Serval and Nims for review unlike some people... Feel the guilt!! Oh yeah, Nims. You wnated it longer, I made it longer.

Enjoy!!

Alley Fight

POV River

"Good morning!" I screamed into the sleeping boy's ears. He jumped and toppled off of the mat he had been sleeping on. Kurogane looked up at me shocked while I was laughing so I hard it hurt.

"Your face is so funny," I giggled.

"Damn you witch!" he roared grabbing the sword to his left. I ran away laughing to my heart's content with the roaring hound of hell at my heels. Sorata and Arashi were already awake and they poked their heads out of the kitchen door to se what was making so much noise. I laughed again and jumped over the couch where Sakura was sleeping with hell's rage close behind. Syaoron was still holding the girl's hand even though he was asleep. I was surprised that we hadn't woken him up! I slowed down for a moment letting my mind go adrift. I wondered if I had stayed in Celes would I have someone to care for me like she does? Was I jealous of a girl I didn't know anything about? The girl I needed to befriend and trust so that my wish would be granted? Could my wish be granted anyway? As I was daydreaming Kurogane grabbed my arm and pulled it tight behind my back, his sword at my throat.

"Awww," I said smiling. "Kuro-tan isn't very polite,"

"Don't call me those names," he growled. "And don't you dare yell in my ear like that,"

"Okay!" I beamed. "Now, could you be a good boy and let me go?" I pulled my arm trying to get him to loosen his grip. He just glared in response, quickly letting go of me. I rubbed my arm and smiled my famous clown smiles. This trip could actually be interesting. Syaoron stirred in the corner and yawned. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Morning Syaoron," I said cheerfully walking over to his side. He gapped at me and then at the light pouring out of the windows.

"It's morning already?" he exclaimed looking at some strange type of watch on his wrist.

"Yep," I said and I heard Kurogane snicker. I smiled at him and received a death glare. As if looks could kill. I placed my hand gently on the girl's forehead.

"Well, she doesn't have a fever, so she should be fine," I said happily. I reached over Syaoron and underneath him.

"What are you doing?!" he cried in horror and Kurogane just looked at me as if I was crazy. I groped around in his cloak for a moment before something soft and feathery touched my hand. I pulled a golden feather from the bottom of his long coat, smiling triumphantly.

"Is this what one of her memories might look like?" I asked, holding it between my thumb and forefinger. "It must have gotten caught on your cloak when you went to the witch's shop," I smiled putting into his hand. He looked in awe as the feather glided into the girl's chest. She sighed contently and her cheeks flushed. I smiled and turned to Kurogane.

"Well, that was interesting," I said patting him on the shoulder. "I'm getting breakfast, see ya Kuro-pon!

***

POV Kurogane

I officially hated that freak. She was so damn annoying just like the manju bun. The way she was always butting into other's spaces and lives seemed like living hell for me. Her endless questions. Her dumbass smiles. Her stupid lies. Tomoyo seemed like an angel compared to this witch and trust me, that's saying something.

"Something on your mind, Kuro-tan?" she asked picking at her food. I glared at her and began examining my own food, eggs and some type of meat. It looked good, but I wasn't hungry. Being with that witch made me lose my appetite really fast. I glanced back up at her and sighed. How could the girl not know who to use chopsticks? She was holding them backwards. Struggling to pick a piece of meat. What possessed Tomoyo to send me off with this bunch?

"You should eat," I looked up to see the witch she was leaning back against the chair, looking at me with sad eyes. "To eat is to live. If you don't eat now, who knows when you'll be able to eat later," she whispered looking down at her food. " Because if you don't eat, you'll die. And if you die," she looked on the verge of tears and I couldn't help but wonder where was the goofball from before? "The people who care for you will cry and may even die themselves. Do you want to be the cause of such suffering?" she asked me and this time I didn't glare. She looked so fragile, like she had been given that choice so long ago and she chose wrong. I looked back down at my food, wondering what made her say something like that on such short notice.

"So eat Kuro-rin!" she said cheerfully munching on a piece of egg. She smiled like a dumbass clown and attempted again to pick up some meat with her chopsticks. I looked back down at my food and began to eat. The witch was right. To eat meant to live, and I had to live so my parents' souls would be at peace.

***

"I'm going to look for the feather today," the kid said. I didn't know why I thought of him as a kid since he was maybe three years or so younger to me but he just seemed so much more ignorant and innocent that I. The witch on the other hand made feel like she had done something terrible wrong in wherever she came from, which made me curious of what a clown like herself was capable of doing.

"I'm going with you," I said, standing up. Anything to get away from the witch and see some action.

"Thanks," the kid said, relieved. I muttered under my breath and the witch giggled. I glared at her and she only beamed back. So damn annoying. "Are you coming River?" he asked and I silently prayed that her answer would be 'no'.

"I was thinking that I should help Arashi with Sakura. Plus," she said turning around and lifting up the back of her shirt, reveling many layered bandages. "I don't think Arashi would let me out of her sight anyway,"

"Yeah," the kid said, relieved as well. "It's best you rest up," She beamed at us before letting go of her shirt, letting fall back into place. I was impressed. Wounds like that would hurt like hell and yet she wasn't complaining or giving us a cause to worry. She was tough for a witch.

"Let's go," I said pulling open the door. I wanted to get as much fresh air as possible. I hated small enclosed spaces like that house. No space to move or defend if there was an attack.

"Right," the kid said heading out the door. He took a long look at the girl asleep on the couch before I shut it, trying to get as far way from that witch as I could.

"Have a nice trip Syaoron," she screamed out the window as we started to walk away from the house. I could here Arashi faintly scold her about running and opening her wounds. "You too Kuro-sama!" she screamed. I grimaced slightly.

"Let's keep walking," the kid said, looking behind him one last time.

"Yeah," I muttered, breathing in the fresh air. It was nice to get out and breathe without a talking manju bun jumping or a witch getting in your face. The peace was short lived. A few minutes after we got away from the house, a stampede of people ran this way and that. They were screaming about a battle of some kind. Mothers were frantically looking for their kids and the rest of the crowd just toppled over anything in sight.

"What the hell is going on?"

***

POV River

"I'm fine really," I said trying to sit back up. I felt a sharp pain in my back and winced. Arashi looked at me with concern and I felt another one of scolding coming. I sighed lying back down. She would be a good mother if she and her husband could see eye to eye. There marriage didn't seem arranged, but they still didn't seem so happy with each other's behaviors at times.

"Arashi?"

"Yes," she said smiling. She lifted my head gently outing another pillow beneath it. I smiled and nodded thanks.

"I was wondering…" I trailed off, thinking how I should put my question. She looked at me confused but patient. That was such a mom look.

"I was wondering if you really do love your husband," I said, thinking it sounded better than saying, 'Were you forced to marry Sorata?' She looked shocked for a moment and then smiled kindly.

"Do girls in your country have arranged marriages?" she asked, placing he hand on my forehead. She frowned which meant I probably had a fever and I'd get babied all day. I stifled a groan.

"Yeah," I said as brightly as I could. "I was supposed to get married to some guy I didn't even know before I left. I showed him what a nuisance I could he and he ran for the hills," I grinned. Arashi giggled as she put a damp cloth on my head and moved over to the other girl. I shifted so I could see what she was doing. The girl or Sakura as the boy had called her, was being pilled up high with blankets and pillows and I felt sorry for her. I was already sweating under the blankets and quilts that Arashi had stuffed me under or maybe that was because of the fever.

"To answer your question, yes. I do love my husband very dearly and it was my decision to marry him," she said with a far off look in her eyes as if it was hard back in her day to get married to someone like Sorata. She must have managed somehow and I wondered what kind of suffering it had caused her.

"Arashi…"I whispered as she put the final touches on Sakura's bed. She stood up and smiled warmly and I starred back up at her confused. Arashi smiled brightly and adjusted the cool towel on my head.

"Get some sleep, alright?" she whispered and as if by magic, I was once again lost in a pit of darkness.

***

POV Syaoron

People were running for their lives. Chaos was everywhere. Children cried wailing for their parents that were lost in the crowd while others ran over them making them scream louder. I ran to one of the trampled child's aid and someone punched me on my right side. Naturally, I didn't see it coming and fell backwards into the crazed sea of people. I could make out Kurogane from his dark closes running towards me and hauling me to my feet. I rubbed my cheek where I had been hit. It hurt but it couldn't be anything like the pain that child was having. I began to run towards it before I was roughly pushed aside. I crashed into some broken boxes, feeling the wood splinter into my flesh. I started to get back up when a huge wave of water hit me sending me back into the wooden crates. It wasn't a normal power that had knocked me over, something more. I spluttered, opening my eyes to see what had caused that wave. The streets were empty now, covered in water mixed with red blood, but there was no sign of the attacker. I searched frantically for Kurogane, but to my horror he was nowhere in sight. My stomach tightened. What if the blood was his? What if he had died? Was it all because of me and my determination to save Sakura? I felt confused and my heart had balled up into a heavy clump. It ached and I clutched my chest. Was I a murderer?

"What the hell are you doing, kid?" I heard a voice on my right say. I turned to see a very angry Kurogane stuck in a pile of broken boxes just like I was. I let the air that I was holding I whoosh out of me and my heart unclench. So he didn't die. That's a relief at least.

"Any idea what hit us?" he asked as he began to cautiously get up, looking around for the attacker.

"No," I answered as I also began to make my way out of the boxes managing to get a few more splinters that way.

"Hmph,"

"Should we head back before something else happens?" I asked, turning my head so I could see what was happening on my blind side. I saw a flash of light and was knocked off my feet.

"Kid!" Kurogane yelled running towards me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way of the next wave. I heard the water crash against the stone walls making then creak dangerously. As I regained my balance I looked up to see who did that. I had questions and I wanted answers.

"Watch it brat. Next time, I won't miss," said a song sweet voice. I turned to see a tall girl with snow-pale hair and piercing blue eyes. She smirked and snapped her fingers making water appear between them. Even though we had just met, I could never forget that face. I felt Kurogane stiffen and I cried out her name.

"River?!"

***

POV River

I woke up with a gasp. I looked frantically around the room looking for my companions. I sat up and made a small strangled squeak. I put my hand to my back gently feeling it and cursed. I brought my hand back to my face and cursed again. It was covered with dark red blood that dripped down to my elbow in long strips. It almost looked like red ribbons that I had tied around my arm, why? I had no idea.

"Damn!" I hissed as I jumped off of the couch feeling my back explode with pain. I bit my lip. I didn't want Arashi to hear me. I'd never get within an inch of the door if she did. I crept as quietly as I could down the stairs and to the door. I was about a foot away from it before I heard a clear ringing voice behind me.

"River, what are you doing?" I turned to face a confused and extremely mad Arashi. She stood there looking at me, holding a kitchen knife and I could smell cooking onions from the kitchen. I heard her gasp and I looked down at the floor.

"Damn!" My blood had trailed down my back and had spread out nicely in the floor creating a wide array of red designs onto the pale carpet. It almost looked like glittering red jewels but sadly I didn't have the time to enjoy it. I flung the door open and began running as fast as I could, Arashi close on my heels. I was having a very hard time breathing and my head throbbed from the lack of blood that was getting to it. Plus, every step was like a stake being driven into my back with acid poured on top. I could feel the blood trickling down it as I arrived at the scene, where Syaoron and Kurogane were dodging massive waved of crushing water.

"Kurogane! Syaoron!" I screamed running closer to their sides. I faintly noticed that the person who was attacking them stopped as I ran to my traveling companions.

"River?" Syaoron asked when I got there. His face was pretty bad, cut up and bruised. Kurogane spit a wad of blood onto the pavement and was pressing down on his arm. I realized with a jolt that it was broken. Fire and anger roared inside me for some reason.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" I hissed at Kurogane. I was mad and I didn't know why which made me even more infuriated. I gritted my teeth walking towards him, glaring with all my might.

"You could've gotten hurt, dumbass!" I whispered. "What good would happen if you did that?" I asked. I was sanding right in front of him now, fuming with rage. "Don't you care about yourself? Dammit! You need to live! So that you can avenge your mother's death! Have you forgotten that?" I screamed. He looked at me shocked and I glared back not realizing what I had said. "You changed your name to your father's so avenge him! To do that you have to be strong and live, idiot!" I was right up in his face now and realizing the position I was in I shrank back but didn't stop. "I know this because I have to live too. I have someone I have to bri-" I covered my hands over my mouth, looking up at him with horror. I almost said it. Why I wanted to travel worlds. I wanted to ram my head against a pole of Flowrite till it split in two. I was so stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Witch, how do you know about my parents' deaths?" he asked looking at me with those dark red eyes of his. I didn't answer only starred back into the pools of red, like a bird caught in a snake's gaze.

"Answer me!" he roared grabbing my arm and I gasped in pain. I felt my back spurt out blood and hear it splash to the ground. I shrunk to the ground trying to even out my breathing.

"Kurogane let her go!" Arashi screamed slapping him across the face. He let go quickly, his eyes never leaving mine. I started to shake and being the stupid girl I was, I screamed the names of all who were dear to me.

"Chi! Ashura! Mom! Dad!" I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks. "River…Oh God River! I'm so sorry… so sorry. River…River…" I croaked and I gave up trying to be tough. I collapsed in a heap and cried. Arashi gathered me up into a hug and gently patted my back. Her cool touch soothed my spine and her cradling softened my sobs. I looked up my eyes red.

"Oh,"

"Yeah right 'Oh'. Tell me how you know of my past, witch," Kurogane muttered. His eyes looked like they could kill.

"Um. Lucky guess?" I smiled, but deep inside I was screaming. How could I have spilled all that information out! Damn, damn, and damn again! I had almost told them about River and I had just recited some of the pawn's past! Argh! What am I going to do about myself, dammit?

"Wow. That's, like, so cool," I turned up to face person who was talking. She was like a clone. Of me! Everything was the same expect this girl had tons of make-up on, really flashy clothes, and wasn't spilling blood everywhere like me. What could I say? She had luck on her side and I didn't.

"We look like twins!" she shrieked leaping down from the rumbled she was standing on. I felt my stomach clench.

"Twins, huh?" And I coughed spilling even more blood. My head hurt like hell and my back hurt worse than hell.

"Kurogane! Don't let anything happen to this girl you hear me?" Arashi roared and raced back down the streets to the house. No doubt she was going to call somebody to help us. Like we needed that! I felt Kurogane lift me up a ways so that I was curled up in a ball, my head in his chest. In only two days time, He had managed to carry me almost everywhere and had gotten into some really embarrassing positions together, I thought with amusement before my face went red.

"Aww, you guys look so cute!" the girl said clapping her hands in a weird, girly way. Kurogane, hearing this, not so gently, dropped me on the ground and my twin/clone thing pouted.

"I was just getting out my camera," she whined and I starred up at her my mouth ajar.

"Um, excuse me," Syaoron said quite clearly and I whipped around making blood fly out of my back again. He was so quiet; I had forgotten that he was there.

"Make it quick, twerp!" she snapped dabbing at her make-up.

"Would you please tell us your name," he requested politely and the girl closed the hand mirror with a loud click.

"Yuki Flowrite! A singer, model, and a famous movie star!" She said striking up a pose that I could never imagine doing in my life. Oh god, save me from this embarrassment!

"Now, who are you?" she asked looking at us cheerfully.

"Syaoron from Clo-" he started before she raised a hand.

"Ok, got it! Zip your small baby mouth!" she sighed, rubbing her head as if she had a headache. "Now who are you?" she asked me.

"River Flowrite…Miss?" I said, a bit unsure of what was going on.

"Ok,…Miss," she snapped. I leaned back to get away from her and fell on top of Kurogane again. Sad to say, we both fell down in a very embarrassing position and I squeaked jumping off of him. I landed on my back making me gasp in pain. Luck really did hate me and I wondered why was I cursed with such misfortune.

"So, what's your name?" she asked Kurogane who glared up at her in response.

"Kurogane," he muttered, clearly uncomfortable.

"Kurogane, huh?" she said leaning down towards him and Syaoron and I gapped.

"What the hell woman!" he hissed and she cupped his face with her hands.

"Your kind of cute, do you know that?" she giggled as Arashi came running onto the scene with a huge bag marked with a red cross. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I felt cool yet hot. Anger boiled up inside of me while something closer to my heart got colder and colder. Was it because of the blood I had lost? Or was it something else? The fire got hotter and I trembled with rage.

"You stay away from him!" I yelled and then a huge gust of ice-cold wind rushed through the alley. I heard a long beautiful sound, like an owl's hoot mixed with a playing flute and turned to face the creature. It was some type of white owl with four large wings that wrapped around me protectively. It cooed again and I noticed that on it's wings and back it had similar marking to my own. It's bright blue eyes gazed at me intelligently as I felt the wind raise my up from the ground so I was floating in the air. I heard Syaoron and Arashi gasp and Kurogane make a small 'tsk'. I looked down below to see that my clone had let go of Kurogane and was starring at me in awe. The owl out its silver beak on my shoulder and I stroked it gently admiring the purity f its feathers against the bright silver. It made another soft coo that almost reminded me of the noise Chi used to make when I had patted her head. I smiled.

"I get a bad aura from you," I yelled over the wind to the girl below who stiffened.

"You don't have the feeling of someone alive. But your not completely dead either," I continued as the girl walked towards me confused, her eyes steadily getting lighter and greener.

"You did die though," I said as she got closer to me. "Now you prey on humans to live," Her eyes were nothing more that two slits in pools of gold ink. She snarled and backed away as I took a step foreword, raising two of my fingers and feeling the magic flow out of them.

"Vampire!" I screamed sending the spell at her. She nimbly dodged and I sent wind and hale which rammed into her making her gag and cough. She flew into the wall with a sickening smack as the brick and flesh collided together. I smiled raising my arm once again making her twist and scream in agony.

"Pathetic," I laughed and used the wind to throw her against another wall. She screamed and I smiled letting the noise echo in my ears before sending another spell of pain towards her. Her cries sounded nice and I couldn't help but giggle like a little girl.

"Adios," I hissed raising my hand to deal the killing blow.

"Stop it!" I heard someone scream and I looked down below to see Syaoron looking back at me horrified about what I was doing. My magic flickered out of my reach, fading until it had dug itself so deep that it couldn't come out again. I looked at the girl who lay unconscious and bloody on the ground and then at my hands. Had I really done that? Did I just…? I started to shake and I felt the owl spirit put me on some type of rocky ledge. As the spirit disappeared I felt my legs give way and I felt myself almost hit the ground. Almost, not quite. Something caught me half way and hauled me up with surprising strength. I felt water wrap around my legs and arms, holding them in place while the vampire examined my bare neck.

"You have a very nice smell," she said inhaling deeply, her face very close to my neck. "Like clear water and cherry petals," I gulped.

"River!" Arashi screamed and I tried to look down but the girl snapped my neck back into that same position. She flicked her wrist and water flew out of her fingers wrapping around everyone so that they couldn't move and I gritted my teeth.

"So," she whispered in my ear. "Any last requests?"

"Two," I said, surprised to find my voice smooth an unwavering.

"Spill it," Yuki said, running her fingers up and down my neck. I shivered.

"Leave those guys alone," I said looking at them from the sides of my eyes.

"If you insist," she said, I could tell by her tone that she was telling the truth and I relaxed a bit.

"And," I said licking my lips nervously. I looked down one more time to see them all looking up at me in horror, but what really caught my attention was that Kurogane looked infuriated and he glared at me, struggling against the bonds of water.

"Yes, dear," she said licking her lips as well.

"Just kill me. Don't make me into one of your kind," I said starring determinedly at her. She sighed and smiled.

"Well, then more blood for me," I took it as her word of honor, if vampires do have honor and I closed my eyes.

River…Mom, Dad…I'll be joining you soon…

***

Me: Ah, yes. The cursed cliffhangers...

River: So...that's it? I die?

Me: Maybe...

River: (Gasp) I become an emo blood-sucking vampire leech!?

Me: No...

River: (sighs in relief)

Me: (smiles evilly) Not yet at least...

River: (looks scared to death before crying)

Syaoron: There, there, River. We'll still like you even if you are an emo blood-sucking vampire leech.

Kurogane: Speaking of vampires, why did you make one hit on me?

Me: (smiles evilly again) You'll see...

Mokona: I didn't get to talk at all...

Sakura: Yeah, and I was asleep the whole time. Racist!

Me: I am not racist!

Sakura: Uh-huh

Me: Nu-huh

Sakura: Uh-huh

Me: Nu-huh

Sakura: Uh-huh

Me: Nu-huh

Sakura: Uh-huh

Me: Nu-huh

Kurogane: Shut up!! Answer my question, freak!

River: (hits him on the head): He didn't mean it. (to Kurogane) Do you want us to get all killed or worse I become a vampire and the only way I'll live is if I drink your blood and you willing let me! She can do that you know!

Me: (gasp) You alredy guessed my plan?

River: (horrified) I'm going to have to drink his blood?!

Kurogane: (horrified) I'm going to let her bite me?!

Me: No big deal. You guys like each other, right?

River and Kurogane: (in sync) NO WAY IN HELL!!

Me: (smiles evilly) Well, that'll have to change.

Kurogane: I'll kill you!!

River: Not if I get kill her first!!

Me: (running for my life) AHHHHHHH!!!!

Syaoron: Um. Guys? (we run off into the distance leaving Syaoron all alone) Now what do I do?

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