CHOICES

I changed some names to fit my purpose, which is clarity in this case.

Teia = Teia (or Tea or Teya) Jack = Yugi Arian = Yami **He talks like this, to signify the lack of a real body.** Sammy = Yami Bakoura. At this point he talks normally.

At this point Yami Bakoura has a body. I don't know if it'll change later or not. To fill in the background, the group is on a school-funded fieldtrip to Egypt, and they've separated from the class. The game mentioned is Dungeon Dice Monsters. I don't remembered the name of its creator, so he's just the creator.

Chapter 1

A young man with crimson highlights in his hair and golden bangs looked at the board with confusion, not really understanding what he saw; that would take some time. The light of innocence shone all around him, but he didn't seem to notice, concentrating on the game instead. The whole board was covered in small cubes, some of which had markings on them. He had seen the likes of them only once, and that had been the toughest moment of his life; only this time, the markings came from the shadow realms rather than 3D holograms.

"Well, what do you see, Jack?" A girl in a bright, school uniform pushed through to see better, bending close to the boy. "Wow, these look hauntingly familiar. I swear that one new shop back home had these, except this can't be it. I mean, people didn't have holograms that long ago, did they?"

Another boy, taller than Jack and with short, blond hair, came up and pushed through the other bodies. "Not really, or so this tour book says. Plus, Teia, these aren't quite the same. The other board was empty at the beginning, remember. Come on, let's go eat or something, before we really get lost and end up wandering the Sahara." His stomach growled in answer, oblivious to the rest of the situation.

Jack got up and joined Tristan on the far sidewalk, looking confused. Things weren't adding up, and the Dark One still didn't have any answers. On one hand, he'd been called, but on the other this all smelled fishy. Teia and Joey joined them, and they all headed back to the hotel. Jack walked bend the rest of the group, still deep in thought, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Spinning around, he barely saw the darkness take over the landscape. His head spun, righted, and he began walking. The spirit awoke, feeling familiar territory, and looked around through the boy's eyes. He didn't like the situation much either. He couldn't feel the others anywhere, and his mind felt like it was full of air. Someone was playing tricks, but he didn't know who or why.

**What happened, Jack?**

The boy shrugged and answered, "Someone touched me, and here we are. Is this like Pegasus and his cruel games, Arian?"

The spirit sent back a sense of not knowing, so Jack plodded onward for a while longer. The doors appeared out of nowhere, already open and bursting with light. Jack walked in carefully, but he lacked a better choice. His eyes opened wide at the sight of the arena; the square board must've been the size of a football field, full of those squares. Two contestants stood on the blocks, each with a path they could travel. Each wanted to get to the other. Small hearts floated over their heads, giving the impression of a halo; each had two of them.

One of them threw several dice into the air and watched them land while the other chanted something in an ancient language. Hieroglyphs glowed on the walls surrounding most of the giant board, and the dice landed a certain way. Jack watched for a moment more, interested in the monster to be created, then turned away when he saw that a box popped up instead. A man walked into his line of sight and waved; he looked very familiar.

"You again?"

The other, obviously the Spirit of the Ring, laughed; it was a cruel sound. "I would never invite you to Shadow Realms, especially after that defeat. Sadly, this time it's not even me. Whoever awoke these people hadn't a clue. They've been repeating the same game for hours now, with no clear results. Unless they wanted to prove some point, and I can't guess what it is."

**You mean it's just a memory.**

"Yep, Ari. I think it has a source, but I haven't been able to find it," the Spirit said with a nod. "Anyway, do what you wish. Keep good track of your charge, because I lost mine somewhere in this place. It's far too much of a maze to ever get anywhere." He walked off.

Jack glared at the Spirit's back but kept his mouth shut. The 'game' ended, and the players vanished along with the board. Jack walked in the space where the board once was; it lit up in bright colors, and suddenly he was the player, staring at the Spirit of the Ring. The other didn't look too happy either.

Dice lay on the floor, but Jack never touched them with his own hands. Instead Arian released himself and picked up the game. There were three small hearts hovering just above his head, and he suddenly had an all too real understanding. He must've been in the puzzle by the time this game came around, but he couldn't guess at its ancient creator. He picked up the dice and looked at them, then threw them.

The field vanished, replaced by a darkened room. "Welcome, both of you. Wait here while the others arrive. Then, we'll start the ceremonies. You have much to learn this night."

The two Spirits looked at each other, hate flaring in their eyes. Sammy glanced away first, unwilling to let the contest last. Hate or no hate, they had a real problem on their hands. Arian backed down and let Jack take over again. The innocent young man shook his head at Sammy and looked about the room. It was empty and made of bricks, like the walls of Ari's soul room, only less colorful.

"Be at peace, Spirit. We're stuck here, and we can't afford to fight each other," he said patiently, then settled on the floor. It would be a long night, indeed.