Masaka: WELCOME TO THE DEMON'S SHADOW-GAME! TREMBLE ALL INNOCENTS!!
Yami Masaka: I hate this part. Stupid rules and set-up. Maybe the real writer of Yu-Gi-Oh could handle it but we aren't him!
Jason: CHAPTER START!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Like Darrin had promised, sometime around dawn Yugi-tachi got a dream about where the game would take place.
In what had to be some kind of unbelievable irony the setting was that same damn abandoned factory that Joey had been strung up in by his old gang, then later where he'd been attacked by yo-yoers and then where Tea and Mokuba had been held as Malik's prisoners.
Apparently, according to dream-Trika, that factory just had the perfect aura for evil-doing. It was complimentary to darker forces and it lay well within all the proper ley-lines and shadow-faults.
It seemed that whether or not that was true there was definitely no doubt a shadow coliseum was up ahead. The group got within fifty feet of the place and Nizuki started to sneeze and molt feathers like crazy.
"Holy crap! You look terrible! You sure you can help?" Joey stared wide-eyed at the girl angel.
"I think I've been reduced to a simple spectator," Nizuki grumbled as she squeezed her ear-cuff and claimed relief from her shadow-allergies.
"Oh man," Joey whimpered, "well what about the little guy?"
Nero stopped mid-step and looked up at the blonde as though he'd just begun reciting the Devil's Prayer.
"Joey-friend can NOT be serious! I have no near enough power on my own to go against DEMONS!! I can't barely hold own against an imp!"
"We'll be going in without angels, Joey," Yugi flinched empathetically. "I guess you didn't pick up on that though…but knowing that now I wouldn't blame you if you decided you didn't want to fight."
It was Joey's turn to look stupefied. The blonde gapped at his pal for a second and then pulled in a hug –which ended as abruptly as it started because of Joey's mental issues-.
"Don't be stupid, Yug'. Ya're my best friend and I know you'd come fight hell with me if I needed ya too. Nope, yer stuck with me all the way."
"What a comforting thought," Bakura snorted under his breath. Of the entire group the ex-thief looked by far to be the most out of sorts.
There was a sort of desperation hovering over Bakura today that oddly reminded Yugi of the spirit's former self. The Great Thief King of Egypt had been one of the most terrifying opponents Yugi had ever had to face and yet…every time Yugi had looked at him he'd sort of picked up on a wild sadness inside him.
Perhaps Bakura was upset because if they failed here it would be the second time the people he called 'family' were pulled away from him.
Thinking of such a dark fate Yugi couldn't help but walk a little closer to his own dark-half.
Domino Bay was sparkling a few yards away, its waters dyed orange in the fading light of the day. The setting sun did its uttermost to stay above the sea-line, as if it was fighting to keep the shadows at bay for even a moment longer. But Nature could not lend itself to any particular individual no matter how special and finally the brilliant light slid away.
Just as the orb of light totally vanished from sight a, by now, familiar silhouette peeled itself from the darkness of a neighboring warehouse and strolled casually forward until it stood no more than ten feet away from the group.
"So you received my message?" Darrin smiled. It irked everyone there just a little that the demon showed no signs of sunlight scarring.
"We've received your message, demon, now what is the challenge?" Yami said stepping forward so that he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Bakura at the head of the group.
"Snakes and Ladders," Darrin shrugged.
Both spirits took a half step back as if physically moved by their surprise. Snakes and Ladders…was not what they were expecting…at all.
"You're…kidding," Bakura said sounding a tad pleading to Yugi's ear.
"I have no reason to," Darrin shrugged. "My mistress was a little bit…overzealous with the magic side of things so the only game we could devise that would hold everything was Snakes and Ladders."
"That's messed up!" Joey chocked. "How can you stomach bettin' people's SOULS on the outcome of a kiddie game?"
"It is not my place to set up challenges, nor to feel anything about their form and rules," Darrin shrugged again. "I am only here to fulfill my mistress's wishes."
"Your mistress is a sick unrepenting soul who would do anything for fame!" Nizuki snarled, her wings flaring brilliantly even as her feathers withered in the face of the darkness. "Why would you ever serve her?"
"She is my mistress…I cannot outright rebel against her," Darrin said, his crimson eyes fixated on the angel's. Nizuki stared back at the demon with equal intensity.
'Whoa,' Yugi gasped as the air-pressure seemed to increase between the two entities. 'These guys are SUPER intense.'
"…Heh," Nizuki snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, still not looking away. "Well isn't that a terrible situation you've got. But I suppose it was better than whatever alternative you could have chosen."
"Much better," Darrin bowed charmingly. "Now if you and the other angel wouldn't mind moving aside? There is a shadow-seal on the door that I will have to lift to let our challengers inside and I wouldn't want your sensitive selves to be unduly damaged."
"Just a second," Nizuki groaned. She turned to Bakura and gave the ex-spirit a slightly less-than-friendly squeeze on the shoulder. "You're one of my watched too, Bakura. If you call to me I will do whatever I can to help you."
"Thanks but no thanks, bird-woman," Bakura smiled confidently. "If you loose anymore feathers your pigeon wings will be bald and then Ryou will be REALLY pissed at me. I'll handle this solo."
"Excuse me?" Yami glowered.
"-Mostly solo," Bakura corrected himself.
"If that is what you believe," Nizuki frowned, "but even so try and keep Nero and myself in mind."
"Sure thing," Bakura grinned tauntingly.
Nero lunged at Yugi and squeezed the ever-living out of the boy.
"Be strong, Yugi-sama! Bring back Ryou-san! And do NOT make Yami-san cry!"
"I'll try my best," Yugi coughed as he awkwardly hugged the angel back. "And you make sure to give us all your love okay? You pray until you can't pray anymore."
"I will," Nero sniffled.
Yami stepped up and peeled the angel off of his aibou then turned to the patiently waiting demon.
"What are the terms of the game?" he asked sternly.
"If you manage to make your way to Ryou you win…the other rules are yours to discover," Darrin smiled before fading away into the shadows.
"Oh MAN that is super creepy!" Joey shuddered.
"Of all three morons in your idiot posse, you had to bring along the one who's terrified of the occult," Bakura moaned as the angels flew off to a nearby rooftop.
"Honda and Otogi aren't as resistant to shadow-magic as I am," Joey pouted.
"Oh wow, that makes all the difference," Bakura rolled his eyes.
"Listen up tomb-robber, we are all in this together, so stop being so snide," Yami frowned.
"It's habit mostly, oh great one, I can't just shut it off," Bakura replied.
"Oh both of you stop it!" Yugi snapped. "Everyone is on edge and if we don't face off against Trika and her monsters soon we'll end up at each other's throats! So let's just agree to disagree and get inside already!"
The two spirits flushed in shame but then put their poker-faces back on and nodded. Bakura headed towards the pulsing black and purple door first followed by a shivering and whining Joey…Yugi and Yami held back a moment.
"It's not too late to back out," Yami frowned.
"Not with the stakes this high," Yugi frowned back. "But thanks for saying that."
The two stared at the vortex awaiting them then looked up at the angels, then looked back at the door.
"This is it then."
"It is."
"…Run in on three?"
"Agreed."
"One-"
"-Two-"
"-THREE!!"
CHAPTEREND
Masaka: Sorry about the long delay folks, I've just hit a bit of a story-snag that's well...anyway it's gonna take me a while to get through this demon game but trust me I'm plugging away at it...around my growing insanity and various other problems
PLEASE KEEP FAITH IN ME!!