(Iris: Hey all. This is the first fic we've written properly together. For those who don't know, Artemis and Iris are Beautifully Chaotic, also known as Raura-chan, and Butterfly in a Hurricane.

Artemis: This story is loosely based from Yugioh The Abridged Series.

Iris: A wonderful little web-show which is the sole reason I got into Yugioh in the first place. Anyway, consider this a Christmas present, if you will.

Artemis: We don't own Yugioh. We asked Santa for it for Christmas, but no doubt we'll end up with coal, as per usual

Iris: Do we steal Little Kuriboh's jokes? Is Bakura completely insane? Both get the same answer. All credit, when due, to Little Kuriboh and the creators of Yugioh, the genii that they are…)

*****

Inky darkness filled the sky as bruised clouds rolled at an alarming rate. Stars hid themselves from the sight. Even they didn't what to pay witness to this. The air itself was strangely calm, in the same way the eye of a storm is oddly tranquil. Heavy silence dragged at the atmosphere. The air became suffocating and difficult to breathe. Something had to give in soon.

Lightning shot through the sky, tearing the world in two. Thunder roared an echoing cry amongst the timeless desert, containing the fathomless rage of entities beyond comprehension. The shrines remain untouched, paying homage to the gods they had outlived, or so they thought. Lightning streaked downwards.
A pure white bolt of electricity cracked as it hit the ground. The
unparalleled force of nature focused on a single point directed by the terrifying power of the Gods themselves.

Steve didn't stand a chance.

The cloaked figures held their collective breath as the clouds disappeared as quickly as they had come. Silence reigned supreme as a breeze picked up, sand already beginning to cover the corpse.

"Eww…" Marik's voice was the first to be heard, "his brain leaked
right onto the new rug."

The Steves cringed. They all knew Marik could get rather protective of his furnishings. Something about finally getting the place looking the way he wanted it to after that baka bastard pharaoh blew it up on Christmas day. The Steves had worked tirelessly for weeks trying to get the scorch marks off the wall.

"That'll take weeks to get out." Marik glared at the corpse, as if
somehow his anger would transform into some kind of energy that would hunt Steve down in the afterlife. He knew it wasn't going to happen but a man can dream, yes? "Okay people," he sighed "we're gonna need another Steve."

The Steves stopped once more. The moment of truth had come. Everyone inhaled and held their breath. I suppose they were rather lucky they were in ancient Egyptian ruins otherwise any glass panels would have been sucked in and shattered and apart from being incredibly dangerous and resulting in Marik getting the Steve Health and Safety Officer on his tail not to mention the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Steves, it would have cost more than the annual Steve picnic and that's saying something. He knew he shouldn't have let them have so much independent thought, it caused far too many problems.

This would be the worst news Marik got since he was told Pingu got cancelled. The Steve that had told him was found six days later hanging upside down in the sacrificial chamber being forced to watch non-stop episodes of the Teletubbies. Ever heard of the phrase 'don't shoot the messenger'?

Well, Marik hadn't.

Odion followed Marik back into his tent. Marik threw his rod down on to his camp bed.

"Honestly Odion," Marik said, checking his elaborate eyeliner and hair in the mirror, "sometimes I wonder why the hell I bother."

Marik picked up a brush, attempting to fix that one particular hair that wouldn't sit right. Odion nearly gagged when Marik finished off a tin of hairspray. His second today.

"Damn it Izishu," Marik swore, searching behind several boxes, "Where the hell have you hidden the straighteners this time?"

Odion couldn't hold it in any longer. "Master Marik," he deadpanned, "we have a situation."

"Not now Odion!" Marik's voice sounded muffled from underneath the bed. After a minute of struggling, Marik emerged, looking victorious. "Marik conquers all one again. That scheming sister of mine cannot hope to compete with me! Odion, get a Steve to start pedalling." In the corner stood an exercise bicycle connected to a generator. Old-fashionned, yes, but it was certainly the best way to get electric in a desert.

"That's the problem we're having, Master Marik."

"Hmm?" Marik said, peering into his ever present mirror.

"There are no more Steves."

"What?!" Marik gave Odion his full attention.

"There. Are. No. Steves. Left. In. Egypt." Odion tried to explain, calmly, rationally.

"WHAT?!"

There was no rationality in that voice whatsoever.

*****

(Iris: There is a second chapter, which we hope to get posted soon. But, do you know what I want for Christmas?... Apart from Yugioh? Take a wild guess. :P.

Artemis and Iris: Merry Christmas! And a Happy New Year!)