Rose/Bakura/Marik; *Glaring at me*...

Me; ^^; um...it's been a while since I've updated, huh...?

Rose; DAMN STRAIGHT IT HAS!

Me;...well, the reason for that is because I sorta lost chapters 11 and 12...and 13...*Cries in the emo corner* THOSE TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE AND NOW THEY'RE GONE!

Rose;...great, now we'll have to re-write them...and quick question,

Me; Yes?

Rose;...when are you gonna start re-writing them?

Me; -_- WHEN YOU TELL ME TOO!...And who knows when THAT will happen!

Me no own Ygo!

Chapter 6 - Dog Vs. Tiger

As I lunged toward Ria, Bakura froze with widened eyes. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind, what horror swam through his thought process, but at the moment it mattered little to me. I shoved Ria with my weight, and she immediately, in instinct and reaction, fought back, she snapped at me a few times with her sharply bared fangs. Going straight for my neck as a wild dog would, but who would win? The half crazed wild Dog, or the furious Tiger?

I snapped back, never failing to scratch her with my claws. Everything was going back to normal, the colors of the forest were becoming more realistic and natural as the red faded like sundown; slowly, but surely. And after a few minutes and painful scratches and burns, snapping marks on my skin, everything was completely colorful again.

By instinct, I fought with Ria. Both of us scratching, snapping and throwing each other into anything solid and hard. I suddenly lifted Ria over my head with as much strength as I could gather and threw her across the forest, knocking down a small tree in the process. I was panting, tired, a feeling I hadn't felt since I was mortal. It felt so foreign to me - but now wasn't the time to savor such feelings.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I instantly knew who it was. "Rose," Bakura whispered firmly, with an oddly familiar authority, "You need to stop now, you've both learned your lesson and already done enough harm to yourselves, it's time to stop."

I nodded and relaxed my shoulders, the urge to obey him was stunningly strong and I found I couldn't resist his voice.

Ria suddenly, very swiftly and unpredictably, ran toward me. I swiftly shoved myself in front of Bakura so she would hit me instead of him, and I held my breath, waiting for that final hit that would completely drain me. And it came more overwhelming then I could possibly imagine.

She hit me directly in my stomach, and it hurt like hell - as though a hundred dagger-handles had been shoved into my stomach. I could hear as I also felt many bones break. But for some reason I didn't fall, but I was weak - so terribly weak now. I wanted to fall, but something kept me up, his hands? I didn't know… I closed my eyes, but I wasn't tired.. My last thought; why was everything going dark…?

"Akefia!" I was lying on a bed in an old, ruin stone room, and I felt different; My sight was more dim and less clear then usual, my hearing went only so far, and I sit quietly for minutes. I feel my heartbeat and can hear it pounding. I was snuggled in a bed, but I couldn't feel the blankets, the bed, the pillows, nothing. It was far too cold.

A long white haired, lavender eyed, amazingly tanned skin man ran into the room. He wore a navy blue kilt tired in a knot at his lower ribs. He looked similar to Bakura, their profile and features the same. but….why? This guys name was apparently 'Akefia', not Bakura. "What it is, Rose?"

"I….. I had a nightmare, it was so horrible…." A nightmare? How did I have a nightmare? How did I even dream?

He was sitting at the edge of my bed immediately, concerned and worry obvious in his aura and expression. "What did you see?" He asked curiously, worriedly with a strange dark edge. I looked through the dark room, then focused on his seeming invisible figure, I saw his features from the moonlight coming through a large hole in the wall. (Why I hadn't mentioned that earlier, I didn't quite care)

"There was a man…..I don't know his name…. it was a number or something - I don't remember. But he was standing in the desert with you…and you were having some sort of discussion with him about blood-suckers….whatever those are." Vampires? What about vampires?

His eyes caught on that, he frowned, but the concern didn't leave his voice. "Anything else? How are you feeling?"

I sniffed and startled myself. "I'm okay…. That was it though, I didn't see anything else.…"

He sighed and patted my shoulder. "It was just a dream, Rosie, go back to sleep."

This time I frowned, how did I feel that warmth is such cold? "Um…Akafia…..?" I was embarrassed about something, hesitant too, but of what? I couldn't control what I did, what I said, hell, not even what I felt! Where am I? Panic rising.

"Yes?"

"Um…." I played with the top hem of the blanket absently, looking at my fingers instead of Akefia. "Could you….stay? Please?" I…blushed?

He simply grinned and nodded, then stood, pulling back the blankets as I scooted over against the frozen stone wall. He lay down next to me and pulled the blanket over us. "Wake me up if you have another nightmare, okay?" He whispered, setting an arm around me and placing a kiss on my cheek.

I nodded and snuggled closer, smiling to myself as I closed my eyes. "Goodnight, Akefia…"

"Goodnight, Rosie…"

I awoke with a startling gasp, my eyes staring up at white titled ceiling, there were large lights that seemed connected to the ceiling. I winced and shut my eyes again to protect them from the blinding lights.

Had I just dreamt? Or seen a vision? No, impossible, there is no way that was even real. Maybe it was just that blood I drank, maybe it effected me. Yeah, probably, better not look to much into this. After all; Akefia lived 5000 years ago, and it was clearly impossible for him to still be in the present.

Reality hit me like a rubber band if you slingshot it at someone and hit them directly, actually, maybe that isn't the right description, it felt worse then that. So much worse, I gasped and shot my eyes open, I remember being in the forest with Bakura and Ria. Then something happened…. But my head hurts too much to completely focus on it like I usually would.

I looked around, I was definitely in a hospital room, lying on a hospital bed. There was a counter at the corner of the medium sized room, with a gray sink and some sort of bottles, medical tools and other stuff I wasn't completely familiar with. They seemed different from what I'm used to, but then again, nothing I'm used to is considered normal….

I tried to sit up, but a sting of pain shot up my spine and I immediately fell back against the bed with a messy, almost squeaky sound coming from the hospital bed sheet. I set a hand to my head, feeling dizzy. What the hell is wrong with me? I sighed and closed my eyes to gain focus.

I re-opened my eyes a few minutes later as the door opened, hurting my damned sensitive ears. Bakura walked in, and he looked exactly as a doctor would, and for a split second I could've sworn I saw Dr. Ma'et Rosedale. "Funny, I'm not used to treating vampires, you're my first one so far." He murmured all too audibly to me.

I blinked. "Aren't you a little…young to be working in a hospital?" I ask confusedly, Ra my head is spinning….!

He shrugged. "I'm 5,000 years old, so I think I'm mature enough." He walked over and checked one of the machines beside the hospital bed, I didn't fail to notice, however, that there was no heart monitor. Of course not…

"5,000?" I repeated, shocked slightly. Was EVERY vampire - or half vampire - older then I? SERIOUSLY? "Damn, you're like an old man…" I teased, watching comfortably as he checked the machines.

"Well, I was around when TV was still black and white." He commented, then looked at me. "How are you feeling?" He interjected.

I gasped silently, I felt like I was having a strange case of déjà vu.

"Rose?" He asked, his alarmed voice touched me deeply. But I quickly pushed those ridiculous feelings aside.

I shake my head, as though I were trying to wake up. "Sorry….just….really confused."

"Oh, well, that's to be expected."

"How so?"

"Ria hit you pretty hard, I'm surprised you didn't explode."

"I'm a quick healer,"

"That's an understatement," he commented in an amused tone, but something was.. 'off', like he were still worried. He then walked over to the table at the corner of the room. "You broke almost every bone in your body, nearly ruined your lungs, snapped a few arteries, almost broke your skull, snapped a few muscles out of place - "

"Okay! Okay!" I interrupted, a little irritated since he was so informative on a subject I rather didn't want to know . "I get it - I got beat up, Ra!"

He chuckled and turned to me with a thin needle in his hand, my eyes widened. The needle was full of some sort of strange colored stuff that looked like it belonged in a magic potion perhaps in Harry Potter. Bakura wore a smirk, an evil smirk, like a mad scientist or something, and it was beginning to freak me out.

I gave a wary look and scooted as far as the bed would allow me without falling, out of all the things in the world, I hated needles - especially if they were in the hands of a half vampire probably as insane as I was. I wasn't completely afraid though, just curious to what the hell was in the needle. "What is that stuff?" I asked warily, lying at the edge of the bed, about to fall off.

"Just something for vampires - it'll make you feel better even quicker." He laughed very hard at my expression after he said that.

My mouth had dropped. "How the hell is that even possible?"

"We have a very irritating inventor who likes to make up stuff that doesn't seem logical or humanly possible, well, it's not exactly human. Nor is it a vampire," he walked over to the bed and grabbed my arm, pulling me over to him so he could reach easier, but I sat firm.

"It isn't?" I asked, intrigued. I wasn't allowing him to move me, not when he had a needle in his hand.

"Nope, she's a cat. Well, half cat, half human. Kinda like me only more annoying and her scratches aren't so sharp, they still hurt though..." He finally managed to pull me over to his side in spit of my weak struggles, the needle in range of my arm.

I winced and looked away as he injected the needle into my arm. The needle; my true weakness!

"She?" I asked to distract myself, frozen in place, ignoring my foolish nausea.

"Yep, she's like an annoying little sister that you just want to yell at. But she can't really help it, I guess." He smiled and walked back over to the counter with an empty needle, setting it in a special cup for some reason. "She's just not a bad person, unless you piss her off, she gets really pissed easily. It's funny,"

"Oh, sounds hilarious. Where am I exactly?"

"Domino City Hospital, room 410." He answered, taking off a pare of gloves I hadn't noticed he wore, he turned back to me with a smirk of a smile. Something I wondered if he knew about. I'd never seen Bakura like this, he didn't look like a normal teenager, he looked like a young adult. Wearing a white coat that doctors usually wore, a black shirt, jeans and brown shoes. He reminded me of Dr. Carlisle Cullen for some odd reason.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I asked as I carefully swung my legs over the side of the bed, that stuff Bakura had given me worked fast, I felt my strength returning rather quickly. Maybe I could go back and kick that brats -

"What are you doing?" Bakura asked as he watched me stand and stretch. "That stuff has a side effect; You'll pass out. At any moment maybe."

"Answer my question," I demanded in an absent voice.

He sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the counter. "About three days = "

"What?" I shouted, shocked, panicked. I remembered everything now. Ak and Yami, Jonouchi, Kisara, did they know where I was? Did they know what happened to me? I've missed three days of school, that has NEVER happened! I set a hand to my head, damn headache! I continued to panic.

"Calm down, that won't help from keeping you awake - it'll make it work quicker actually,"

"I don't care! What does my dad and brother know? What does the school know? Have they been here? Tell me EVERYTHING!" I was freaking out, oh Ra! Oh Ra!

He groaned in annoyance and walked over, grasping my shoulders firmly, and set me down onto the bed with force no one could possibly halt. I sat without protest, my head aching, my panic growing with each question that popped into my head. What would happen if Ak and Yami knew?

"Will you calm down already? Or do I have to slap you?" He didn't slap me, he shook my shoulders instead, trying to snap me out of my panic. "They don't know anything, all right? I told them I was driving you home and we got into an accident on the way, I told them it was nothing serious and that you were fine - just a few scratches and bruises." He explained, then waited. Waited for me to calm down a little, and I did after a few moments of silence. They didn't know…. That was good…they didn't know….

I finally sank my stiff shoulders and relaxed, breathing more even now. "Thanks…"

"You're welcome," he released me with hesitance, then walked back over to the counter and leaned his back against it. He watching me. "You're not the only one who has a secret to keep, Rose, don't forget that."

"I haven't…" I stood again, then I realized…. I was wearing a soft blue shirt and a pare of gray sweatpants. "Uh…." No. Frekkin. Way.

He laughed darkly at my expression. "Don't worry, there's a machine that our inventor has created to change clothing without anyone seeing."

"Perve…" I muttered despite the, most likely, false reassurance, and he ignored me.

Suddenly I heard footsteps outside the door, light footsteps that seemed to skip, a heart beat and the smell was strange…. And humming, I heard light humming. Then the door opened, and teenager walked in. She was maybe a year younger then me, she reminded me of Kisara because she wore a large, cheerful smile. She had brown hair and four large banes almost covering her eyes, her eyes were blue-gray, like Ria and Jealousy's only theirs were red, not blue. She had pale skin, snow-pale, like mine and Bakura's. She was probably the same size as Yami, maybe a little shorter. She wore a black and white striped jacket-like t-shirt that separated a few inches near the hem. Her pants were blue and her leather sleepers were black, shinning gray. She also wore fingerless lavender gauntlets that revealed her fingers. Around her waist, slightly uneven, was a purple belt. Strange.

"This is Rosemary?" She asked Bakura excitedly, oh she was probably worse then Kisara….much, much worse.

He nodded in answer, watching the strange girl almost irritably. She didn't seem effected at all by his expression or obvious irritation toward her, she just ignored it and grabbed onto his arm like he was her brother or something, and I got this strange feeling of jealousy. "You've heard of me, haven't you?" She asked me anxiously.

Was she the inventor? "Um….I don't know exactly…." I answered awkwardly.

She frowned up at Bakura. "Did you take the credit for my invention again?" She demanded, pouting slightly. Oh, this…strange girl was the inventor? Interesting.

"No, and I never have." He replied with an honest boldness, looking down at her. His voice had been firm, irritated even, but definitely honest.

She pouted more obviously and turned to me with a large smile. "Well, I'm Ralliota Rya. But I prefer Rya, please."

Yep, she's strange all right. "Er….okay, Rya." Who prefers to be addressed as their last name instead of their first name? Seriously? (Me; Rose, did you write that part about my name? Rose; Yup.) "I'm Rosemary Mon - Mutou,"

She rose an eyebrow. "Mon…..oh, I know your family. Ak and Yami Mutou, I met them yesterday. They were really worried about you… But kitty-kun explained everything," she tightened her hold on Bakura's arm and he grumbled in annoyance. Or maybe it was embarrassment? HA!

I wanted to laugh at the nickname, and I kinda did. "K-kitty-kun?" I repeated with an unfamiliar goofy edge to my voice.

She nodded, resting her head against his arm with that large smile still curving her small pale lips. "Yep, kitty-kun is the best!"

AHH! HAHA! I nodded in agreement. "I think kitty-kun is…the best…too." I bit my lip trying not to laugh.

Bakura finally sighed heavily and shook his head, clearly irritated and obvious by my suppressed laughter, and maybe his ego is wounded too. Probably, I couldn't imagine what I'd do if someone called me kitty-kun…it's just so….Hahaha! "All right, Rally, go play with your Scratching post or something. Hell, eat a few mice while you're at it."

She pouted up at him, this reminded me of what a brother and sister would probably do. Yami and I weren't like that though, not at all. "But kitty-kun - you promised you'd test my new Lie Detector, I don't have any time to scratch anything. And I don't eat mice…." She added bluntly.

"What was that you were eating yesterday then?"

"Raven and I caught a small fire dragon…. We didn't eat it though, just listened to his jokes. He was really funny… We named him Shakespeare."

I'm curious, do Pixies exist too?

"Interesting, you can tell me about it later, right now go do something that doesn't involve disturbing my work." He swiftly grabbed under her arms and lifted her up as though she were a toddler, set her near the door, opened the door, picked her up again, dropped her outside the door, then closed it. I heard her skip away down the hall as though she cared very little about it.

I looked at him, then burst into laughter. "Seriously?" I held my stomach, "KITTY-KUN? HAAA!

He growled lowly, his eye twitching slightly. "I've known her for a while, she thinks I'm her brother or something…or maybe she just calls me that to annoy the hell outta' me." If that were her task, it had definitely worked. HA!

I shrugged, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Maybe she likes you. How long have you known her?"

"Two hundred years,"

My jaw dropped as it had earlier. "No. Way! Is EVERYONE older then me?" I demanded, mostly to myself. "She seems like a little kid…"

"She's weird, like the rest of us. She likes happiness better then sadness, although I hate when she's depressed. She's really….boring and dull."

"Dull?"

"Yep, completely different person."

"Wow… That must be a relief for you,"

His face fell, something I'd never seen. "Not really, as much as I hate it when she's irritating, I actually prefer it when she's all cheerful."

"Why?"

"Long story…"

"I have all eternity," I pressed, why was I interested? I should be standing up, walking to the door, going home. But I'm not, I'm just sitting here on the hospital bed… listening?

He sighed, seeming a bit stressed. "Well…. If you really want to know… I suppose that's all right. You see, Rya was raised in an Orphanage most of her childhood. Always getting Adopted, then un-Adopted the next day or, if she was lucky, a week. Because she has this special gift, she can control wind. And in her younger years she couldn't control it very well, so as you can imagine there were a lot of twisters. That caused a lot of problems for her. When she was nine she ran away, well, more like flew, she's able to fly due to her wind."

Huh, that gives a new meaning to "Flying Cat".

"For a few months she spent her time wandering Japan, then I found her asleep in an alleyway. She looked very miserable, and she had a weird smell to her. Not human or vampire. So I took her to the Council to know what I should do, of course she was a bit freaked out at first - giving everyone was a full vampire except myself. She transformed into a cat and the Council marked her dangerous being they'd never heard of something like her, they were going to run millions of tests to determine what she was exactly. But she wouldn't let them, nor would I really. After another few months of failing to try and run tests, they claimed me her Teacher and her my Apprentice. Every vampire or werewolf has one. I was never a Teacher or an Apprentice, in a matter of speaking, so obviously I was unprepared. But we both learned at the same pace. Two hundred years later, she's in full control of her power and transformation, and I've learned to be a proper Teacher."

I blinked, everything sinking in quickly. So the cheerful kid was an Orphan?(1) Practically raised by Bakura, cool….I suppose.

"So…Has she always called you kitty-kun then?" I suppressed a laugh and made my voice sincere and…dare I say, caring.

He nodded. "Since she was about ten, I think. She's even made a robotic cat name Scurry, she likes to invent things and give them weird names."

I yawned, that stuff Bakura injected in me was beginning to take a large effect. The more stronger I felt, the more tired I felt. I wonder if I'll dream again…

"Tired?" He asked knowingly, still watching me.

I nodded, closing my eyes.. "What was that stuff called?"

"Rya calls it 'La Stronger'"

"Weird name," I murmured sleepily.

"I know, I think she watches too much TV…."

I didn't get to reply, everything became dark before I could.

When I awoke I was in my lavender bedroom, in my bed and under the blankets. I was wearing my black dress I'd worn for the funeral, my hair was a mess though. I hadn't dreamt of anything, time passed like a nanosecond, disappointing me for an unknown reason.

I sat up and scanned my room, the house actually. I sat rigid, listening, smelling. Yami was down stairs watching the Card Game Channel again, something about Duke Devlin. I couldn't hear any more heart beats in the house, maybe Ak was at work? Probably. But where was Bakura? What happened after I passed out? Would I see him again?

I didn't know, and I was still curious as to why I haven't seen anything since the funeral. No visions, this was becoming difficult for me. I was always one step ahead, but now it felt like I was two steps back from everything. I wondered if this is what mortals felt like…

"Look who finally woke up," Yami told me as I walked down the stairs.

I yawned, not even close to being tired as usual. "Who? I only see me."

He laughed, clearly not noticing the risky double meaning. Man, I was really stupid to always be so close to revealing my secret that no one even notices. Ha! "Wanna watch a new game of Dungeon Dice monsters with me?"

"Sure,"

Well, at least I finally had a vision. That's healthy, right? I hope so…. I stood from the bed and went to my closet, getting out a long sleeved white shirt and dark gray jeans. I quickly changed and walked down stairs to watch Tv with my strange brother.

A week passed, Bakura was back in school with me, we talked a little but didn't spend much time together, disappointingly. True, I was a bit depressed about that, but it didn't quite matter. I only had to wait a few more years until I would move away from Japan, away from my family and Bakura… That was best, I'd decided so many years ago when I first became immortal, I would leave when I turned the proper age and never come back. Of course, I would devote my life to knowing everything I could possibly know. I would travel, see the world, until eternity ended for me. That was best, and good enough for me.

"Rose! Are you going to audition for the River Nile?(2)" Kisara asked me one day, there was going to be a Play in a few weeks called River Nile, it was a romance about a princess name Mesha and a Scribe name Zeek. I wasn't much into Plays, although I did however love the Romeo and Joliet by Shakespeare, wonderfully written and beautifully preformed in theaters and movies.

"I don't know, Kisara, maybe you should audition, I'm not much of an actress…" I saw the line of students leading into the Gym, a large sign was hung on the wall. AUDITIONS FOR RIVER NILE IN THE GYM. below it was a list with a pen hanging down by a string. It was covered with names of students who wanted to audition. I was surprised to see Anzu and Jonouchi auditioning, I wanted to laugh when I saw Jonouchi's name though! HA!

"You'll do fine, Rose. You're a brilliant actress,"

My eyes widened in alarm, did she know….

She wasn't even looking at me, she was writing her name on the list. "Yami once told me you liked to sing and act, you did a Play once, right? I saw the video," she looked at me smiling happily.

Ugh…. I saw that video. When I was about three Yami and I decided to put on a Play, Cats and Magic, it was really embarrassing. Yami was dressed as a Magician and I was dressed as a kitty, the background had been made as best as we could make it with markers and cardboard boxes. And wow, that Play made no sense….funny, but still made no sense. "You saw that?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Yep, I thought it was adorable!" Of course.

I rolled my eyes. "You have the strangest mind, Kisara, I swear."

She shrugged, still smiling happily. "But I can be evil,"

I paused, she didn't… "Kisara, please tell me you didn't do what I think you did!"

"What do you think I did?"

"Signed me up for an audition!"

"….If I say that's true, will you be really mad?"

"Most likely! Yes!"

She sighed dramatically. "Well, I'm not sorry, I think you'd be perfect in the Play. You'd be a great Latua or Desmera, or maybe you'll be Mesha!" She was excited now, practically jumping up and down.

I sighed dully. "Kisara, you seriously think too much into things. You could be Mesha, I don't want anything to do with this Play."

"Too bad, already signed ya up."

"Ra, you're evil…"

"I know…" She sighed dramatically again and took my arm, dragging me to class.

We waited for almost twenty minutes before we were finally inside the Gym, I listened to the auditions and suddenly felt rather nervous. But why? Damn my human emotions, this is going to be embarrassing if I screw up! No! I am the Vampire Rosemary Mutou, I refuse to be humiliated if I can help it!

Kisara went first, I wanted to prolong my wait longer, savor the moments of normal air. She read the lines she was given and spoke loud enough for everyone in the Gym to hear.

"Scribe Zeek, I dearly wish to see you once more before I leave for Nubia, to wed Prince Mark." After reading a few more lines, even I wanted to vote her Mesha. She played the part perfectly, or as perfect as I thought it should be. I was hoping I wouldn't get picked for any role, please Ra! Don't do this to me!

When she was done it was my turn, and my throat felt worse then the burning I felt a week ago. It was so tight, my stomach seemed tighter as well. I wanted to run, but my legs would not obey, instead they betrayed me and walked forward onto the stage that had been placed there.

I took a deep, silent breath and stood in the center of the light. I read my lines carefully, then spoke aloud after a few moments/seconds of calming myself. "The sky has dimmed," I was reading the very last paragraph of the story, hopefully I would do very bad and they wouldn't pick me for anything. "the sand has turned to dust, nothing now matters to me as Zeek now lay cold on the stone rock at my feet. I now must live with this gloom and despair, I have my Kingdom, I have my wealth, I have my soul and body, but I do not have my love. I fall, the tears of my loves death flow down my soften check. My life ends with the point of my dagger, with my last breath I whisper words that I have chosen as my ending lullaby, I love you my darling Zeek." Damn, this story is depressing, isn't it?

The three who were judging just sat there, the Gym was silent. Was I really THAT bad? Oh Ra, oh Ra! I am SOO going to get Kisara back for this! I swear I am!

"Thank you, Rosemary" one of them finally said breathlessly, "that was very….brilliant…" Was she serious…?

One of the others clapped his hands. "Very beautiful, Rosemary."

"I agree, you might just be our Mesha." The last stated with a smile.

Oh Ra! Damnit! I swallowed and nodded. "Thank you," get away, Rose! Run! Jump! Disappear! DO SOMETHING!

I walk down the steps and quickly walk out of the Gym, passing the silent Kisara, the students. Everyone.

(1) No, I'm not really an Orphan, it's a part of Rally Rya. Not me, the writer. Well…. I'm basically Rally Rya but….you get it…

(2); lol, random, huh? XP

Bakura;...I'm Doctor Cullen...?

Marik; No...YOU'RE TOO UGLY!

Bakura; -_-...Whatever..

Rose;...*Sigh*

Me; *Editing the chapters and re-writing chapters 11, 12 and 13...sighs*

Ryou; Please review, it'll encourage her to write more..