3

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Ryou watched as Renge stirred a cauldron filled with healing potion. She had her short hair tied back to the best of her ability, the red strands mixing with the white and creating a strange pattern. He looked at the potions book she had lifted the recipe from and noted all the annotations she had created to make it better. He was surprised she had been so in depth with it. He took in a deep breath and was hit with the floral scent from the flowers she used.

"You could've used the stove," Ryou pointed out.

"Nah, one of our neighbors likes to peek into the apartment when the doors open a little," Renge informed him, "she can't get in without magic, or being invited, but she's starting to get on my nerves."

"Don't prank the neighbors, we have to live with them nearby," Ryou pointed out.

"That reminds me, I need to put some hair changing potion into one of the bullies shampoo bottles," she muttered in thought, "he's been bothering Yugi-kun more, and more."

"Ah, so you're still pranking them," he lightly commented with a sly grin, "have you even unpacked all the way?"

"No." Her answer was curt and straight to the point, and completely unlike her.

Ryou found that Renge confused him. Just what was her real face? Who was she really? The girl that made everything a joke and was overconfident to the point where it worked in her favor? The one that happily played games with him and always brought home what she made in school for him to enjoy? Or was it the one that seemed to always be in her head and trying to move past difficult emotions? He didn't know, and he didn't mind not knowing. Even if it would make it easier to understand her.

"You should," he pointed out and she glanced at him through the corner of her eye as she began to stir counter clockwise, making the potion turn the right shade of red, "before you go and hang out with this Yugi."

"Would you like to join?" Renge offered. "He's a nice guy, and he also likes games…you two would get along pretty well."

"Sure, let's see how I'm feeling then," he quietly said, a little touched that she was thinking of him as well.

"Okay, let me pull this off the flames and bottle it before starting to unpack," she sighed, easily picking up the cauldron and pulling it off the fire.

He nodded and left her room. He wanted to sit down for a few seconds, his head was killing him because of the potion fumes. At least, that's what he hoped it was. He plopped down on the couch and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds. He would nap until she woke him up, and he knew she would. She could be kind when she wanted to be.

Renge put up her privacy spell and locked the door. She sat against it in thought. The potion needed to sit for a few seconds before she bottled it, she flicked her wand and the fire died out completely. The wand went back into her jean pocket and she sat there for a few seconds longer. She ran a hand through her two-toned hair and sighed. If she unpacked she was cementing the fact that she'd never go back home. She'd get comfortable, and attached. She couldn't do that again, it was an alchemist's worst nightmare. She tilted her head back until it hit the door. She needed to go to her new therapist after hanging out with Yugi and Ryou. They would have her until three. Then she would have to talk about her feelings for a couple hours. She gave a weary sigh and got back on her feet, limping a bit as her left leg throbbed in pain. It was going to rain, their prosthetics always hurt when it was.

She took care of her carry-on bag first.

"This is…" she muttered as she pulled out the Egyptian puzzle that the unknown man had given her, "unusual for Egypt…where did he actually get this?"

She shook her head, getting rid of her uncertainty before placing the puzzle on her desk. She could fiddle with it later. She put her jacket on the back of the chair and shook the bag to make sure nothing else was inside. She heard the rattling of a frame and froze. She couldn't face them.

She wouldn't face them.

The carry-on bag went onto the bed as she pulled her suitcase out and opened it up. She stepped back and brought her wand out. With a simple flick all her clothes put themselves away. Her toli tires that were still inside flew into the door to hang on the knob until she found a better place for it. She held out her hand and grabbed a red sweater as it tried to fly into the closet to join its darker brethren. She pulled it on over the black polo she was wearing. She wouldn't be able to walk around without sleeves or jeans. It was possible she'd have to remain covered up for the rest of her life. She blinked when something small and furry slammed into the back of her head.

"Kuri~!"

Renge stared into large, crimson eyes and those eyes stared back into hers. She let out a small, huh. And the small creature let out another kuri. She didn't know what was being said to her, but it certainly was cute. She brought her real hand up and awkwardly ran it through the deceptively soft fur. It was like petting a cat, except she wasn't going to get bit! Her shock took down her spells and the door slowly opened.

"Are you…." Ryou trailed off at the sight of the ball of flying fur.

"I…I actually didn't do this," she admitted, he believed her too, "a happy unforeseen situation?"

"Yeah, can other people see you?" Ryou asked as the ball of fur was completely forging circles around Renge.

"Kuri!" The fur answered, and they shot identical blank expressions its way.

"Move side to side for no and up and down for yes, all right?" Renge told the ball of fur.

It moved up and down, happily letting out the sound that they couldn't translate. Ryou's headache was gone, but now he was thoroughly confused. Judging by how serious Renge was, she was in the same boat as him. It was messing with her hair, tiny taloned green paws getting caught in the strands.

"Can other people see you?" Ryou tried again.

"Kuri!" It moved side to side.

"Did…Did I somehow summon you?" Renge asked.

"Kuri!" It moved up and down.

"How the hell did I accomplish that?" Renge asked out loud and she got a shrug from the creature. "Well, we now have a Kuriboh living with us…ready to go hang out with Yugi?"

He nodded and they both sent Kuriboh a look. It let out a happy sound and dive bombed onto the bed and snuggled under the blankets. It fell asleep. They quickly left the apartment and shared another look as they walked to the game shop that Yugi's grandfather ran. She blinked as Ryou changed into that darker personality.

"Let's not summon anything else, Seshen," he dryly told her.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Renge retorted, mocking his tone a little.

He rolled his eyes, pulling her out of the way of a man running past. They watched as several police officers chased after him. Renge had to pause for a few seconds as she processed what had happened. She looked at her changed cousin and noted the frown on his face. It deepened when he noticed her staring.

"What?" He snapped.

"Did that guy have three sevens tattooed on his forehead?" She asked, needing the confirmation of a second pair of eyes.

"He did."

"Huh, imagine that."

He released her arm as though it burned him and gave her a cautious look. He didn't trust someone that reacted like that to something strange happening. She took the lead to where they were going and noted she liked to travel in relative silence, either that or she didn't have some smart arse comment to make. She put her hands into the pockets of her jeans and looked to the side as they passed by a karaoke bar where it sounded like someone was being tortured.

"Someone's having a good time," he commented.

"Sounds like they're having the best time," she agreed, "by the way, what are you?"

"That's a bit rude," he pointed out to mess with her.

"Oh, no, it's very rude but I would like something to call you instead of the possible secondary personality owned by my cousin," she stated, "I was going to go with floozy, but I owe you for making sure I didn't get run over back there."

"Floozy?" He asked in disbelief.

"Would you rather I have outright called you 'bitch'?"

"Fair enough, I'm a spirit possessing him. Just use the last name."

"I'm also a Bakura."

"Take yourself out of the equation then."

"I'm too pretty to do that."

That got a roll of the eyes out of him and he switched back with Ryou when they neared the game shop. She gave him a curious glance when he dazedly blinked. He shook his head for a few seconds before looking up at the small shop. It was quaint, and a very pale blue. In fact, he believed that's what made it oddly welcoming. Renge opened the door and an old man at the counter in the back perked up.

"Welcome," he greeted.

Renge gave a polite nod, and looked around the store with a thoughtful expression. She'd get more use out of this type of store than Ryou would. They didn't carry many kits for monster world, or DnD. She rubbed the back of her head as they both looked at the shelves. Renge looked up from a digital pet game when the door to the house opened.

"Ji-Chan, Okaa-San wants to know if you would like some tea," Yugi stated and Ryou came to stand by his cousin.

"Oh, tea would be wonderful, Yugi," the old man answered.

"Okay, oh, Renge-Chan!" Yugi's happy greeting was genuine and his grandfather looked at him in surprise.

"You've got me until two thirty today, we still playing games?" Renge asked.

"Yeah!" Yugi nodded with a grin before looking at her cousin.

"This is my cousin, Bakura Ryou," she introduced, "he also likes games."

Yugi and Ryou gave one another a polite nod and Yugi was a little amused by how different the two were from one another. It was a good thing they looked identical otherwise no one would know they were related at all. He welcomed them both in, to the surprise of his grandfather. He missed the smile sent his way by his grandfather. See, he hadn't needed the puzzle to make friends. He just needed the right people to come along. He grabbed a small rag from underneath the counter, and a bottle of surface spray. He would clean the counters until he was ready to close down for the night.

"A puzzle?" Ryou asked as Yugi showed them the game of the night.

"You've got my admiration," Renge informed him as she knelt next to the table and began to mentally piece it together.

"I think she has an unfair advantage," Yugi's mother lightly teased and the teenager gained a pink hue to her face as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Okaa-san," Yugi quietly said, it was as close to a whine as his friends would get with his mother around.

"No, no, she has a point," Renge stated and Ryou nodded.

"Renge adores puzzles, even I don't do them with her," Ryou admitted, "that and strategy games."

For someone that liked chaos she was too good at strategy. He wondered if her chaotic ways were just her putting on an act to make people underestimate her. He felt as though he was getting somewhere with that thought. It felt close. He pinned that thought making sure to observe his cousin a bit more to see if it became a habit to act insane to get people to think differently of her. Because she acted differently for Yugi. And she did the same for him. Yugi got the kinder parts of her, and he wondered if she realized it.

She had sat back from the puzzle to be a commentator while the two boys put it together over tea and snacks.

"I think you're both doing great," Renge informed them as the milk puzzle slowly came together.

"I can't tell if you're patronizing us, or being genuine," Ryou wryly said and Yugi gave a light chuckle.

"A little of both," Yugi pointed out and she motioned towards him that he was correct, "I'm surprised that you can keep yourself from joining in, it's impressive."

"Mutou-san makes delicious tea," she shrugged, "she's the only reason I haven't joined in."

"Thank you, Renge-chan," Yugi's mother said as she walked by to hear that compliment.

Renge smiled a little. Yugi's mother was a nice woman, and therefore wouldn't be the more chaotic version of herself in the house. Outside of the house was free game, but she was a guest and it would be rude to be a complete arse. She had some manners remaining. Still, she slowly moved the conversation towards school and Ryou listened intently to it, wanting to transfer to Domino high in the next month.

"Chono is a bit interesting," Renge dryly commented, "has she always worn a ton of makeup?"

"Yeah, people call her the expelling witch," Yugi informed her as he placed one of the pieces in the right spot, "it's why you see me bring small games I can hide in my locker if word spreads that she's doing a surprise inspection."

"Hmm, I'm going to see how far I can push that woman," Renge stated, and the two boys shared a concerned look.

That didn't sound good.

"Don't get yourself expelled," Ryou requested and she looked to the side.

"I make no promises," she stated, "but I will try not to."

That was the best he was going to get, wasn't it? She gave him an amused smirk and looked back down at the puzzle they were doing. Her eyes slowly moved side to side as she mentally put the puzzle together. Right, she would be great at them due to her background in magical mechanics. Those were identical to the mundane ones. She perked up when Yugi's mother let out a worried sigh and poked at the family toaster with a worried frown on her face. She got up from the small table with a soft groan and Yugi looked at her in surprise as she headed to the kitchen. He tilted his head in thought. Had she always had a limp to her gait?

"Is everything all right?" Renge asked, walking into the pink kitchen and watching as the woman let out another sigh.

"I believe this toaster is finished," the woman admitted.

"May I take a look at it? I used to be in an engineering club back home," she stated, lying through her teeth.

An alchemy class wasn't the same, but she couldn't use the actual terminology around non-magicals. Not unless she was in the family, or currently dating one of them. Since neither was happening, she was forced to lie. Yugi's mother took one look at the toaster and waved her forward. She was given free use of the screwdriver and carefully took the toaster apart. She looked at each piece with a keen eye. There had to be a reason why the toaster stopped working. She touched the coil, and it was cold to the touch. Ah, so there was a dead connection. She slowly pulled the coil apart and looked at the wires within. She touched them with her prosthetic hand, checking the connection. She found the dead wire after being shocked a couple of times.

"You've got a dead wire, it's an easy fix," she informed the matriarch of the Mutou family, "I'll just reroute one of the wires to give it some power, next time I visit I'll bring some extra wires to completely fix it."

"Thank you," Yugi's mother said and she got a friendly smile out of the teen as she did what she said she would.

Once it was put back together she couldn't help but be amused. It looked cleaner than it had before it was taken apart. She put some bread inside, she wanted to do something simple for a snack, and it worked. She gave the teenager a proud look and noted that she couldn't meet her eyes when such a thing was sent her way. She waved off her thanks and looked at the time.

"Ryou, Yugi, I've got to get going to an appointment," Renge informed them, giving them a slightly apologetic look, "you guys keep going, okay?"

Yugi gave her a slight pout before nodding. Ryou gave her a wave and she exited the home after giving a nod to Yugi's mother. His grandfather gave her a cheerful wave as she left the building completely. Renge paused for a few seconds and wondered what was wrong with the Mutou family. They were too nice. That niceness could be hiding a dark secret, and she didn't want to know it. Those kinds of secrets usually got one killed, or sent back in time.

She still didn't know how her classmate accomplished the latter.

Renge ran through the streets of Domino and found herself going into a part with nicer buildings. She kept an eye out for the one she needed and came to a screeching stop. People looked towards her in awe and fear, that sound had been impressive. She straightened her clothing and stepped up to the automatic doors of the psychiatric building. A woman with pink hair was manning the front desk and her red eyes flicked up when the teen walked in. That pink hair shifted to a shade of brown and of Renge hadn't been magical she would've never noticed.

"I'm here to see Yume-Sensei," Renge stated, "I have an appointment at three for Bakura Renge."

"She's waiting for you inside," the receptionist stated, the brown hair returning to pink.

Renge nodded and stepped through the doorway and into a long hallway. She looked at the plaques on the walls as she passed by closed doors. There was a doctor for dragon burns? How often did one come across a dragon in Japan? She tilted her head to the side. Maybe it was just where the specialist liked to live? She shook her head. She needed to go through the last door.

Doctor Yume was a woman with long black hair and serious green eyes. She looked up from the file on her desk and steepled her hands. Renge simply smirked, knowing she was being studied the second she walked through the door. Good, because she was doing the same to the doctor.

"So, you're the difficult patient?" Yume observed motioning towards a couch for the teen to sit on. "Do you enjoy being difficult?"

"Sometimes," Renge answered and the doctor looked at her.

"It seems all the time," Yume dryly commented and Renge kept her surprise off her face.

Few psychiatrists would point her behavior to her face. It was honestly refreshing. If not a bit annoying. She didn't like it when someone figured her out. Ryou and Yugi were the exception, she had to see them almost every day. The people who don't know her didn't have that right.

"Not used to someone pointing it out to you?" Yume asked, getting up from her desk to stand above the teen. "It seems as though you weren't told that I'm an unorthodox psychiatrist. You will be leaving my office after facing your inner demons, your insanity."

"Insanity?" Renge asked, refusing to be cowed into submission. "I'm not insane, I'm just an arsehole."

A hand went over her mouth and she was forced to shut up. She'd never been physically touched by one of her doctors before. Unorthodox? More like unprofessional. She went to say something and the hand tightened its grip on her mouth and she felt herself being pushed further into the couch.

"You will shut up, and only speak when spoken to," Yume hissed at Renge, "your behavior has gone unchecked for too long."

Renge felt like someone was stabbing a poker through her eye and closed it. So Yume was a witch that focused on mind magics. Well, she was going to be surprised. If she wanted in her mind, then she was welcomed in the hellscape. That stabbing feeling disappeared as Yume was let into the teens mind.

Yume looked around the mindscape and raised a brow. Really? A hellscape? This teen was certainly egotistic if she thought this was scary. She brought her hand up and destroyed the flames that engulfed everything, showing the true mind. Ah, that was better.

It showed the broken mind of the teen she had pinned down. The shattered emotions and personality. It made sense that the teen had moved to chaos, she had paid an ultimate price for what she could do. Yume kicked one of the pieces and watched as it flickered for a few seconds and turned into a light picture of someone that looked just like her. A family member? Her family was supposed to be dead. She heard a growl and looked back to see something walking out of the shadows.

"Oh, now that is interesting," Yume lightly commented, looking at the guardian of the girl's mind.

A giant dragon with silver, black and teal coloring. It stood up straighter and let out a roar at her. She simply tucked her long hair behind her ear. Her calmness seemed to infuriate the dragon and it gathered light in its mouth. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of the darkness joining the light. Ah, so she was a chaos witch. She hadn't been lying about that. She pulled out of her mind as the dragon released its attack.

"You shattered your own mind, you fool," Yume informed a glaring Renge, getting the true teen instead of the jester she pretended to be, "what have you done that required such a heavy payment?"

Renge gave her a blank look and she slowly removed her hand from the teen's mouth. There was bruising around her mouth from how hard she'd been pressing against it. Renge rubbed at her mouth in annoyance. Damn, so her secret was already out?

"If I could remember I still wouldn't tell you," Renge informed the psychiatrist that had lost her respect the instant she put her hands on her person, "I have paid many prices over the years for my magic and alchemy…you are not family nor do you need to know."

"Still, we are going to reconstruct your mind," Yume informed her as she leaned against her dress and crossed her arms across her chest, "it's too dangerous for a chaos witch to walk around with her mind fractured."

"I wish a bitch would," Renge stated as she got up and decided that she'd had enough, "because I'm not coming back. I gave you a chance and you put your hands on me. I refuse to come to a place that allows such a thing."

"Ah, your true self is only brought out by heightened emotions," Yume observed and Renge narrowed her pink eyes in annoyance, "what's it like to have to be pushed to the brink of emotional turmoil for your mind to push you forward."

Yume went to say something else but fell silent at the expression being sent her way. Those pink eyes had grown cold and she felt a shiver of fear go down her spine for the first time since the teen had walked into the room. There it was. The teen gave her one last look before heading out of the room. The door slammed behind her, which was impressive since the door was made to not do so.

Renge headed back to the apartment with a frown on her face and the way she opened the door made Ryou flinch in surprise. He turned to ask what was wrong and his eyes widened at the bruising around her mouth, and the fury that was still evident on her face. He got up from the couch and cautiously moved towards her. She didn't lash out at him, but she also didn't say anything. The closer he got, the more he could see.

She was trembling from the rage, the frown on her face deeply etched there, and what chaotic joy she took in messing with people was gone. Renge shot him a sharp look before she removed her shoes and headed to her room. He stood there in disbelief and wondered what had happened during her appointment. He blinked, and knew darkness.

Bakura stood there in his host's spot and looked around to see what had caused him distress. If his host died or got hurt, he would be screwed. He frowned when he didn't see it. He clicked his tongue and moved to ask the egotistical one what was going on. He slammed the door open and she turned to glare at him, her shirt in her hands. Her bare back on display.

He immediately closed the door and waited until she opened it back up.

"What was so important that you forgot how to knock?" She icily asked.

He coldly glared back at her and noted the bruising. He reached forward and he watched her bristle a bit. He wisely stopped, he knew when someone was about to snap and she was. Violently at that. She looked to the side and was about to close the door again when he stopped it from closing with his foot.

"Who was it?" He asked.

"The psychiatrist that I was suggested to when I had to move to this country," she gruffly answered, "I'm never going back."

"I wasn't aware that medical professionals could put their hands on a patient without a good reason," he stated.

"It's over," she sighed, "just let it go."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the landlord got incredibly upset and I aim to keep my host at least somewhat well."

"Only somewhat?"

"Yes."

"Go for it, I guess."

Oh, now that was interesting. He flicked her nose and she sent him an annoyed look before glancing towards her bed. He slid his foot back and she was finally able to close the door. He tilted his head in thought before a Cheshire grin spread across his face.

He had someone to take care of.

Renge laid on her bed and stared at the wall in thought. She heard the front door close and let out a soft sigh. Maybe she should've held the dark spirit back. Yet, the doctor had it coming the second she put her hands on her. Kuriboh flew out from under her blankets and let out its strange cry. It moved to nuzzle against her face before plopping itself in her arms. She looked down at it in thought before closing her eyes.

Sleep sounded good.

Bakura looked up at the medical building in thought. So, this was the place? She entered it and the pink haired receptionist was immediately put to sleep by his shadows. The gold ring, that hung around his neck by a piece of rope, swung from side to side as he walked down the hallway. Ah, it was so nice inside, it was going to be a shame that it would be someone's resting place. He opened the door to the doctors office and noted that the dark haired woman had been waiting.

"Not who I was expecting," she stated, closing her eyes for a few seconds, "so you're the one that she cares about…how quaint."

No wonder the insane one didn't like her. He didn't like her either. He raised a brow before glaring at the doctor. She didn't even deserve a game. He cracked his neck and the woman opened her eyes to glare at him.

"You two think you're so intimidating," she commented and he simply ignored her in favor of weaving the shadows to his will, "we'll there's only so much you can intimidate someone who's seen the inside of your mind."

She never got to speak further when she simply dropped to the ground, unmoving. A shadow slithered away from her body and he coldly glared at the woman. He may not like the insane Bakura, but even he had standards when it came to hurting people. He spun on his heel and left the office, after taking a very nice gold decoration off the wall.

No one bothered him as he returned home.

The apartment was silent. He removed his shoes at the door and went straight to Renge's room. She was curled around the Kuriboh she had somehow summoned. A part of him wanted her dead just for that. The monster belonged to his enemy, and told him more than words what side she'd always end up on. Still, he heard her shift and saw tear tracks down her cheeks. The landlord would be sad if something happened to her. Damn, he was in a hard place.

"Kuri!" The monster practically growled at him.

"Oh shut up you fur ball, I'm not going to do anything," he informed it, "that summoner of yours is annoying but she can't do anything to my plans."

Kuriboh simply sent him a look and burrowed into the arms around it. He glared into its crimson eyes, so it was a part of him. How annoying. He exited the room, not wanting anything to do with the situation. He had already had his fun.

His landlord needed to sleep.