Yami Amythest: Oh! I know what'll get my Hikari back! HEY RYOU! *waves over
Ryou* If ya come here, I'll ward off R Amythest!
Ryou: huh? Really? *goes over*
Yami Amythest: *slaps Ryou on the cheek*
R Amythest: *appears out of nowhere* HEY! NO ONE SLAPS RYOU! *About to smash Yami Amythest to bits, but gets a different idea* HEY! YAMI! GET OVER HERE AND YOU GET FREE ACCESS TO THE SUGAR CABINET!
Yami Yugi: COMING! *runs over*
R Amythest: *slaps yami Yugi really hard so it makes a four-fingers mark on his cheek*
Yami Yugi: HEY!
Yami Amythest: NO ONE SLAPS HIM!!!! *slaps Ryou HARD this time*
R Amythest: Oh no you don't! *slaps Yami Yugi even harder*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
Ryou: *in between slaps* you know, sometimes I wonder why I ever signed up to be in that show. . .
Yami Yugi: *in between slaps* yeah. They said we get paid a lot. They never said it was in cash. Now I know, it's paid in unwanted love!
Yami Amythest: oh no you don't! *slap*
R Amythest: oh YEAH?! *slap*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
R Amythest: What? Get on with the story? Ok! *slap*
***************Chapter Ten: Separated****************
The bright sun shone through the branches above me, urging me to wake up. I smiled and opened my eyes. Looking around, I saw my friends sleeping peacefully. All is calm again.
I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, basking in the sun, this time in enjoyment. I heard soft footsteps. I opened my eyes again, expecting someone to be up, but they were all asleep. My eyebrow creased with worry. I looked out onto the path, and a pack of summon skulls were marching towards us. Worried, I went over to my friends and shook them awake.
"What the-" Leafe started.
I clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shh! Crygif's goons are out there!"
"Who?" Leafe asked.
"Crygif- the cryptic griffon. Help me wake up everyone else and then we need to hide!" Leafe nodded. He went over to Shimmer and nudged her awake. I did the same to Myst. I could hear the Summon Skulls get closer. It was fortunate that we were at the edge of the road, so they couldn't see us unless they got close. Soon everyone was awake.
"Quick, hide deeper in the forest!" I commanded. We hid in the underbrush. Leafe didn't even need to try. They weren't kidding when they called him the king of the forests.
All Summon Skulls looked at each other. "Crygif DID say they were somewhere here, right?" the first one asked.
"Yeah!" the second agreed.
"They should be somewhere here!" announced a third skull.
"SO KEEP SEARCHING!" barked the first skull. They brushed aside branches and bushes. They were getting awfully close to our hiding places. I tried to soften my loud breathing. Suddenly, one of the summon skulls popped his skull into our hiding place. He looked around and saw me. I gave out a little gasping sound. The summon skull grinned devilishly. He was about to shout when I saw a white figure lunge for it.
Bakura!? What are you doing?!
{Quickly! Go deep into the woods! I'm going to fool them for a while!}
\Are you sure you'll be alright?\
{Just hurry! I can't hold him back much longer!}
I nodded. I signaled to all my friends to follow me. I dashed through to woods. Behind me, I could hear Bakura as the skull assuring the others that there was nothing of interest. Then I heard a yelp. I stopped. I turned around. I could see the skulls straining to pull out Bakura.
Bakura!
=I know, Yugi, but remember; none of us is stronger than summon skull. We have to let him go!=
Leafe pulled me on, and we noisily ran through the underbrush, me painfully hearing screams of agony behind us. I was tempted to break out of his grasp and go back, but he right, there wasn't much we could do. I sorrowfully left him behind, arguing with myself all the way. When we finally reached the 'middle of nowhere,' Leafe dropped my arm and panted. Everyone else collapsed and drew in their breath, too.
/#Bakura. . .#/
Myst put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. . ." she whispered.
I let her hand rest there. "It's not your fault," I choked in between sobs.
Shimmer got up. "But for now, we've gotta find a way outta here!"
I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. "True, we're still in the middle of nowhere."
Shimmer turned a bright red. "So that's what you get for being hospitable. . ."
"Shimmer. . ." started Leafe.
"They mess up your house, use up your budget. . ."
"Shimmer!" Tea scolded.
"get you tied to a beam. . ."
"Shimmer. . ." warned Joey, slightly annoyed.
"and get you lost in the mid-"
"SHIMMER! SHUT THE HECK UP!" yelled Mai. We all stared at her. Mai blushed. "What? I just can't stand high-pitched ranting like Tea's!"
"What?!" Tea shouted. They looked ready to fight. I grabbed Tea and Joey grabbed Mai.
"Hey, chill! We're still in the middle of nowhere!" I reminded her.
"Mai! If you back down I promise I'll let you hug me!" Joey promised.
Mai stopped trying to kill Tea. "Really? JOEY!!!!" Mai glomped Joey in a death grip.
Well, that takes care of one problem.
\And it started another.\
I sighed as Mai squeezed Joey way too tightly. Joey was desperately trying to get her off. This all over again. . . My mind started wandering again. . . Harp, and now Bakura. . . and there was still the upcoming battles. Myst sensed my tension.
\We'll find a solution soon. . .\ But Myst didn't sound so sure either.
"GET OFF!" roared Joey. It snapped me out of my daydream. Mai was now yearning to kiss him.
I sighed. "Mai, we're going to have to cooperate if you want to get out of here," I informed her.
Mai stopped glomping Joey. "I guess you're right, kiddo. Sorry sweetie!" Mai gave Joey one final hug then got off.
Joey massaged his legs. "FINALLY!"
"Ok, so which way do we go?" asked Tea. We looked at each other.
"Wait a sec." Leafe ran off.
"What's he up to?" I wondered.
"I told you, he's king of the forests. He probably recognizes this place inside out!" Myst told me.
Joey's stomach growled. "I don't know about you, but I'm up for some fooood!"
"Joey! Could you take your mind off food just this one day?!" Tea scolded.
"I can't help it! I'm hungry!" Joey defended.
Mai opened her wings. "He's right. We haven't ate a bite since yesterday morning, and Yugi hasn't ate anything since the night before last." Mai took flight. "I'm going to pick some berries or something, and in the meanwhile find our way out."
Joey ran after her. "Hey! Mai! Can ya carry me with ya?!"
Mai descended. "I guess. Myst, can you cast a growth spell?"
"Certainly," replied Myst. She chanted her eerie tune, and Mai grew large enough to carry Joey, which she did, and they took off. We watched them become a dot in the sky.
Now it's just us four.
I heard grumbling in the nearby forest. I froze.
"Com'on, we know you're there. . ." a summon skull grumbled. He stuck his ugly, bony head into our small area. I ran away in a full-legged sprint, and I could hear my friends following me.
There was a shriek. "Get your skeletal hands OFF ME!" Shimmer squealed.
\#SHIMMER!#\
Tea looked back, but I urged her one, like how Leafe did to me. "Tea, I know you want to help her; we all do, but there's nothing we can do!" Tea nodded sadly. We crouched behind some high bushes, and we saw the summon skulls carry the yelping Shimmer away. My heart was throbbing. My face was splattered with tears, and I saw Tea's was too. Our friends were broken up now. There was no way Leafe, Mai, and Joey could find us now, and Harp, Bakura, and Shimmer were captured. My face felt warm from the trail of tears. They flowed freely from my eyes, flowing down from my cheeks and dripping off my chin into the underbrush. Shimmer left us, too. That left our group down to three, Tea, Myst, and me.
#Shimmer. . .#
I know how you feel. . .
\We all have sorrow in our hearts. . .\
It was then I noticed my sword was glowing. I touched its stone-embroidered hilt, and I had a vision again.
**VISION**
The summon skulls entered through the door leading to the long pathway to the dungeon cells. Shimmer squirmed and protested, but the cold-hearted skulls chained her little arms to the wall of a cell. It was across and one floor above Bakura's cell, which was beside Harp's.
"LEMME OUTTA HERE!!!" screeched Shimmer. She knew she couldn't get out, but all the same, she flew in all directions from her chain-bound arms, but to no avail. The edges of the cuffs were sharp, and blood started to flow from her wrists in small rivers, staining her small form.
"Hey, calm down there. No use fighting, you'd just get yourself hurt," Harp informed Shimmer. "Bakura and I both have marks to prove it." Harp raised her fists, and you could see the blood stains on the cuffs. Below, you could see the signs of scars and scrapes. Taking this as a cue to do so, Bakura also showed his wrist, also cut up and bruised.
{But this isn't as bad as how my yami makes it sometimes.}
What? I could sense thoughts and mindlinks? This was strange. There are still a lot of things to learn about the visions.
~I know, Ryou. It hurts me to know that you're tortured in both worlds.~
{Don't feel sorry for me, I'm almost used to it, and I have my friends all the way. This war, I think we need to think about it for now. . .}
^That's right! We need to get out of here!^
[No mental chatter! Or face the consequences!!!]
Crygif burst through the door and the prisoners instantly shut up. Shimmer sank down and sat on the dungeon floor. Harp leaned on the wall and let out a small groan. Bakura just sighed.
A witty phantom entered. "Crygif, I need to talk to you, about their 'friends.'"
**VISION END**
I opened my eyes, sticky from tears. Myst and Tea were looking at me, as if they were expecting something.
"Crygif is talking with his henchmen. If we burst in on the dungeon now, we might be able to rescue our friends," I told them.
"But we don't even know where we are, not to mention where the dungeon may be," Myst pointed out.
"That's true, yet it isn't," I mused quietly.
"What's that mean, Yugi? It doesn't make any sense!" Tea asked.
"In one of my visions, it was of Bakura entering the dungeon. My guess was that he was caught, but anyway, I know the scene was between a city and a forest. He ran through the forest to find the dungeon gate. What if the village was Magic Village?" I asked them.
"But Yugi, he must've escaped, he joined us a few hours ago, then he was captured, remember?" Tea reminded me.
I bit my lip. "That's true. . . Let's see if the sword knows anything." I touched my sword of silence again. Bakura, past, one day.
**VISION OF THE PAST**
Bakura was still in the feral imp. He went into the dungeon, making sure that no sound was made with his step. He carefully strode down the aisle, checking every dungeon cell. He reached Harp's and paused. Harp sprung to life and started a kicking frenzy.
"Leave me alone you beast! I have enough to cope with!" cried Harp.
Bakura cautiously made sure no one was watching. "Shh, Harp, it's me, Ryou."
Harp stopped flailing around. "Ryou?! What are you doing here?"
Bakura got a ring of keys from the imp's belt and started experimenting with them. "To get you." Bakura finally got the one that could open the cell. The door swung open with a creak, and Bakura stepped in. He rummaged for the one that could open the handcuffs.
Harp gasped. "Ryou! Behind you!" Bakura whirled around in time to the prison door swing shut. Behind it, a cruel voice chuckled.
"Thought you could deceive me, change of heart? I can see right through you!" Crygif released a beam from his mouth, a golden one. The beam surrounded Bakura, and drew him out of the feral imp. The imp, laid on the ground, was motionless. Bakura struggled with the beam, but Crygif made him pass through the bars and held Bakura in his grip. "No magic card has the capability to fool me, fool! You shall all, pay, pay for what you have done!"
{I may not be able to deceive him, but I think I can still work on him!}
[What?!]
Bakura started to glow, and he went inside Crygif. Crygif gave a screech, and his consciousness shifted in and out. Bakura managed to get out, but out of his grasp and onto the floor. There, he ran out of the dungeon door. I followed. Behind me, I could hear the cries of Crygif.
"I shall get you, he-who-dares-to-challenge-me! I shall get you all! And I shall not be forgotten, nor the pains and sorrows all of you made me go through! I guarantee it!" Crygif shouted behind us.
**END VISION**
I opened my eyes, and Myst and Tea were staring at me with eager eyes.
"He almost saved Harp, but didn't. I have no idea about the city, though. All I know was that he barely managed to escape, and Crygif wants to get him back. He also said something about getting everyone back on the pain they caused him." I shook my head. "I don't know anything about what he says sometimes."
Myst stayed silent. Then she spoke. "I think he was the mutiny on the scientific project three years ago."
Tea and I were immediately interested. "Can you tell us about it?" Tea asked, voice quivering.
"Yes, I'll send it through mindlink," she responded.
**VISION FLASHBACK**
Myst was looking at the TV in her residence. The TV speaker was concentrating on a psychic kappa, who was dressed in a white lab coat and had glasses on.
"I saw it all! You know our project, #10459837, otherwise known as the sonic bird mutilation, was a complete disaster! In our growth and power-up test, he became so overwhelmingly strong that he went out of control!" the psychic kappa yelled. Myst's eyes widened. \Is he exaggerating, or did this really happen?\ "He broke our lab to smithereens, and all of the lab professors except for me died!" The psychic waved his arms up and down. "Then he flew away, a hurricane in its wake! It was tremendous!"
The screen refocused on the broken-down lab. "We do not know yet if Professor Kap's claims are true, but it is clear that the lab was probably broken down by an explosion and a wind storm. . ." the announcer droned on. Myst turned off the TV and glanced at the newspaper. Big bold words spelling out 'LAB EXPLODES AFTER EXPERIMENTING WITH SONIC BIRD' were on the headlines.
**VISION FLASHBACK END**
Tea and I were both awestruck. "You mean, Crygif was originally a sonic bird?" I asked.
Tea bit her lip. "So he wanted to get the scientists, since the mutilation's gotta hurt or something. But why us?"
I shook my head. "I don't know, but we have to be careful." Raindrops splattered above us. "And now it's raining! How could our day get worse?"
"Uh. . . I don't think you should ask. It brings bad luck," Tea told me. The rain pelted me. It was cold and wet, and it was easy to say Myst, Tea, and I were miserable. I was really getting worried about Joey. He was fire- type, and he could easily get weak in a storm like this. Lighting flashed above. Thunder rolled across the sky. The rain trickled down the leaves, which blocked out some rain, but let the rest torment us.
"O-o-o I'm singin' in the rain! I'm singing in the rain!" a familiar voice sang. I stared at the sight. Leafe was standing in the clearing, enjoying the heavy rain. "What a won-der-ful feelin'. . ." Leafe sighed. "I'd be happier if I could find Shimmer and the others."
"Hey! Leafe! Over here!" I called. Leafe jerked his head over to where we were. "I never thought I'd actually SEE the day you cared for Shimmer!" I chuckled.
Leafe blushed. "Frankly speaking, where is she?"
My face turned solemn and I glanced at Myst and Tea. Myst slowly nodded, while Tea sighed. "The summon skulls took her," I informed him. I saw Leafe tense.
"Do you know where they took her?" He asked.
"Yeah, to a dungeon, it's somewhere in a forest."
"Which?"
"I don't know. It's between a village and some mountains," I told him.
"Like here?" Leafe asked.
I shook my head. "No, it wasn't, or you would've found it. Besides, I know that Bakura found it two days ago, and it doesn't take two days to get out of here."
Leafe crossed his arms. "That's true. In ordinary weather, it only takes hours to get out of here."
"Which brings me to the subject, IT'S COLD AND WET AND I'M GOING TO CATCH HYPOTHERMIA!!" Tea reminded.
Leafe sighed. "True enough, but I actually like this weather," he caught our eye, "but knowing you don't, I think I'll help you guys build a shelter or something. I know where all the best branches are."
Shivering, we followed him. Sure enough, within minutes, he had a small shelter, just about as big as those play-forts that we made as kids, but it was waterproof.
Leafe took a bottle out of his pocket. I strained to see its label, and it read 'fire.' I was amazed. You could fit fire in a bottle without it burning out or putting the bottle up in flames? Leafe unscrewed the cap and poured a small amount of liquid on the pile of sticks surrounded by wet stones in the center of our fort. A small fire started as soon as the liquid made contact with the sticks.
What's that?
=Liquid fire. It makes a fire as soon as it touches something that isn't protected by a fire-prevention spell.=
#So the bottle has fire-prevention spell?#
=Yep.=
The small fire grew, and it warmed the small fort. Tea made a clothesline out of a string she tore off her sweater, and she dried her cape and sweater. Myst dried off her cape, too. Leafe and I just waited for the fire to slowly dry our garments. Tea and Myst weren't willing to take off neither their dress nor tights, and that made sense. We just let the warmth of the fire seep into us, comforting our tired bodies. I gazed into the fire, as if in a trance. I saw images flicker, of Harp winking, Bakura smiling, Joey waving, Mai tossing her hair back, and Shimmer squeaking in delight. But now they weren't here anymore, they were apart from us. But you'll never be too far away form my heart. A single tear rolled down my face, and I wiped it away. But I'll find you, you just wait!
***********
R Amythest: dun, dun, dun!!!! I love it when Yugi's determined and the chappie comes to a close!!! Now, the cards you might not know section!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CARDS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Psychic Kappa
Stats: Real, Magic Ruler, common (I have two for heaven's sake)
Points: 400/1000
Type: water
Creature: aqua
Level stars: two
Description: an amphibian with a myriad of powers to shield it from enemy attacks
What it looks like: a bald lizard standing up O_o
==============
Name: Sonic Bird
Stats: Real, Magic ruler, I don't know the rarity
Points: 1400/1000
Type: wind
Creature: winged beast
Level Stars: four
Effect: you can search your deck for a ritual card and put it in your hand
What it looks like: A bald eagle with goggles and a jet pack -_-;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
R Amythest: ah. . . Yugi's just so determined at the end of my story. . . I LOVE IT!
Yami Yugi: *warning voice* no one makes fun of MY Hikari. . .
R Amythest: I wasn't making fun of him!
Yami Yugi: *shrugs* I just wanted to say that.
Yami Amythest: oh YAMI!!! *glomps Yami Yugi* can you say something romantic?
Yami Yugi: *squirming to get out of Yami Amythest's reach* get offa me for heaven's sake! And the answer is NO!
R Amythest: have any of you guys seen Ryou?
Yami Yugi: not since the scene where he goes into the summon skull, and the visions my aibou had.
R Amythest: *sigh* I can't go 1 hour without seeing him!!!! *sobs* I even sketch small pictures of him on my binder to keep myself from going berserk!
Yami Amythest and Yami Yugi: O_o
Ryou: Is she gone yet? *peeks in*
R Amythest: RYOU!!!!!! *glomps and doesn't let go*
Ryou: AGH! Yami Amythest, you said you would protect me from her!
Yami Amythest: *suppresses giggles* since when?
Ryou: when you slapped me!
Yami Amythest: I SAID I'd ward her off, and well. . . sigh. A spirit's word is a word. . . *peels R Amythest off Ryou*
Yami Yugi: yeah, and you said I could raid the sugar cabinet!
R Amythest: *sigh* ok, then. *throws Yami Yugi a key* it's the third cabinet to the right!
Yami Yugi: WHOOPEE!!! Thanks, R-
R Amythest: *slap* NO USING MY FIRST NAME UNTIL 'FROM A HIEROGLYPHIC' YOU BOZO!
Yami Amythest: No one, NO ONE slaps Yami! *slaps Ryou*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
R Amythest: you can review now. . . *slap*
Ryou: huh? Really? *goes over*
Yami Amythest: *slaps Ryou on the cheek*
R Amythest: *appears out of nowhere* HEY! NO ONE SLAPS RYOU! *About to smash Yami Amythest to bits, but gets a different idea* HEY! YAMI! GET OVER HERE AND YOU GET FREE ACCESS TO THE SUGAR CABINET!
Yami Yugi: COMING! *runs over*
R Amythest: *slaps yami Yugi really hard so it makes a four-fingers mark on his cheek*
Yami Yugi: HEY!
Yami Amythest: NO ONE SLAPS HIM!!!! *slaps Ryou HARD this time*
R Amythest: Oh no you don't! *slaps Yami Yugi even harder*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
Ryou: *in between slaps* you know, sometimes I wonder why I ever signed up to be in that show. . .
Yami Yugi: *in between slaps* yeah. They said we get paid a lot. They never said it was in cash. Now I know, it's paid in unwanted love!
Yami Amythest: oh no you don't! *slap*
R Amythest: oh YEAH?! *slap*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
R Amythest: What? Get on with the story? Ok! *slap*
***************Chapter Ten: Separated****************
The bright sun shone through the branches above me, urging me to wake up. I smiled and opened my eyes. Looking around, I saw my friends sleeping peacefully. All is calm again.
I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, basking in the sun, this time in enjoyment. I heard soft footsteps. I opened my eyes again, expecting someone to be up, but they were all asleep. My eyebrow creased with worry. I looked out onto the path, and a pack of summon skulls were marching towards us. Worried, I went over to my friends and shook them awake.
"What the-" Leafe started.
I clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shh! Crygif's goons are out there!"
"Who?" Leafe asked.
"Crygif- the cryptic griffon. Help me wake up everyone else and then we need to hide!" Leafe nodded. He went over to Shimmer and nudged her awake. I did the same to Myst. I could hear the Summon Skulls get closer. It was fortunate that we were at the edge of the road, so they couldn't see us unless they got close. Soon everyone was awake.
"Quick, hide deeper in the forest!" I commanded. We hid in the underbrush. Leafe didn't even need to try. They weren't kidding when they called him the king of the forests.
All Summon Skulls looked at each other. "Crygif DID say they were somewhere here, right?" the first one asked.
"Yeah!" the second agreed.
"They should be somewhere here!" announced a third skull.
"SO KEEP SEARCHING!" barked the first skull. They brushed aside branches and bushes. They were getting awfully close to our hiding places. I tried to soften my loud breathing. Suddenly, one of the summon skulls popped his skull into our hiding place. He looked around and saw me. I gave out a little gasping sound. The summon skull grinned devilishly. He was about to shout when I saw a white figure lunge for it.
Bakura!? What are you doing?!
{Quickly! Go deep into the woods! I'm going to fool them for a while!}
\Are you sure you'll be alright?\
{Just hurry! I can't hold him back much longer!}
I nodded. I signaled to all my friends to follow me. I dashed through to woods. Behind me, I could hear Bakura as the skull assuring the others that there was nothing of interest. Then I heard a yelp. I stopped. I turned around. I could see the skulls straining to pull out Bakura.
Bakura!
=I know, Yugi, but remember; none of us is stronger than summon skull. We have to let him go!=
Leafe pulled me on, and we noisily ran through the underbrush, me painfully hearing screams of agony behind us. I was tempted to break out of his grasp and go back, but he right, there wasn't much we could do. I sorrowfully left him behind, arguing with myself all the way. When we finally reached the 'middle of nowhere,' Leafe dropped my arm and panted. Everyone else collapsed and drew in their breath, too.
/#Bakura. . .#/
Myst put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. . ." she whispered.
I let her hand rest there. "It's not your fault," I choked in between sobs.
Shimmer got up. "But for now, we've gotta find a way outta here!"
I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. "True, we're still in the middle of nowhere."
Shimmer turned a bright red. "So that's what you get for being hospitable. . ."
"Shimmer. . ." started Leafe.
"They mess up your house, use up your budget. . ."
"Shimmer!" Tea scolded.
"get you tied to a beam. . ."
"Shimmer. . ." warned Joey, slightly annoyed.
"and get you lost in the mid-"
"SHIMMER! SHUT THE HECK UP!" yelled Mai. We all stared at her. Mai blushed. "What? I just can't stand high-pitched ranting like Tea's!"
"What?!" Tea shouted. They looked ready to fight. I grabbed Tea and Joey grabbed Mai.
"Hey, chill! We're still in the middle of nowhere!" I reminded her.
"Mai! If you back down I promise I'll let you hug me!" Joey promised.
Mai stopped trying to kill Tea. "Really? JOEY!!!!" Mai glomped Joey in a death grip.
Well, that takes care of one problem.
\And it started another.\
I sighed as Mai squeezed Joey way too tightly. Joey was desperately trying to get her off. This all over again. . . My mind started wandering again. . . Harp, and now Bakura. . . and there was still the upcoming battles. Myst sensed my tension.
\We'll find a solution soon. . .\ But Myst didn't sound so sure either.
"GET OFF!" roared Joey. It snapped me out of my daydream. Mai was now yearning to kiss him.
I sighed. "Mai, we're going to have to cooperate if you want to get out of here," I informed her.
Mai stopped glomping Joey. "I guess you're right, kiddo. Sorry sweetie!" Mai gave Joey one final hug then got off.
Joey massaged his legs. "FINALLY!"
"Ok, so which way do we go?" asked Tea. We looked at each other.
"Wait a sec." Leafe ran off.
"What's he up to?" I wondered.
"I told you, he's king of the forests. He probably recognizes this place inside out!" Myst told me.
Joey's stomach growled. "I don't know about you, but I'm up for some fooood!"
"Joey! Could you take your mind off food just this one day?!" Tea scolded.
"I can't help it! I'm hungry!" Joey defended.
Mai opened her wings. "He's right. We haven't ate a bite since yesterday morning, and Yugi hasn't ate anything since the night before last." Mai took flight. "I'm going to pick some berries or something, and in the meanwhile find our way out."
Joey ran after her. "Hey! Mai! Can ya carry me with ya?!"
Mai descended. "I guess. Myst, can you cast a growth spell?"
"Certainly," replied Myst. She chanted her eerie tune, and Mai grew large enough to carry Joey, which she did, and they took off. We watched them become a dot in the sky.
Now it's just us four.
I heard grumbling in the nearby forest. I froze.
"Com'on, we know you're there. . ." a summon skull grumbled. He stuck his ugly, bony head into our small area. I ran away in a full-legged sprint, and I could hear my friends following me.
There was a shriek. "Get your skeletal hands OFF ME!" Shimmer squealed.
\#SHIMMER!#\
Tea looked back, but I urged her one, like how Leafe did to me. "Tea, I know you want to help her; we all do, but there's nothing we can do!" Tea nodded sadly. We crouched behind some high bushes, and we saw the summon skulls carry the yelping Shimmer away. My heart was throbbing. My face was splattered with tears, and I saw Tea's was too. Our friends were broken up now. There was no way Leafe, Mai, and Joey could find us now, and Harp, Bakura, and Shimmer were captured. My face felt warm from the trail of tears. They flowed freely from my eyes, flowing down from my cheeks and dripping off my chin into the underbrush. Shimmer left us, too. That left our group down to three, Tea, Myst, and me.
#Shimmer. . .#
I know how you feel. . .
\We all have sorrow in our hearts. . .\
It was then I noticed my sword was glowing. I touched its stone-embroidered hilt, and I had a vision again.
**VISION**
The summon skulls entered through the door leading to the long pathway to the dungeon cells. Shimmer squirmed and protested, but the cold-hearted skulls chained her little arms to the wall of a cell. It was across and one floor above Bakura's cell, which was beside Harp's.
"LEMME OUTTA HERE!!!" screeched Shimmer. She knew she couldn't get out, but all the same, she flew in all directions from her chain-bound arms, but to no avail. The edges of the cuffs were sharp, and blood started to flow from her wrists in small rivers, staining her small form.
"Hey, calm down there. No use fighting, you'd just get yourself hurt," Harp informed Shimmer. "Bakura and I both have marks to prove it." Harp raised her fists, and you could see the blood stains on the cuffs. Below, you could see the signs of scars and scrapes. Taking this as a cue to do so, Bakura also showed his wrist, also cut up and bruised.
{But this isn't as bad as how my yami makes it sometimes.}
What? I could sense thoughts and mindlinks? This was strange. There are still a lot of things to learn about the visions.
~I know, Ryou. It hurts me to know that you're tortured in both worlds.~
{Don't feel sorry for me, I'm almost used to it, and I have my friends all the way. This war, I think we need to think about it for now. . .}
^That's right! We need to get out of here!^
[No mental chatter! Or face the consequences!!!]
Crygif burst through the door and the prisoners instantly shut up. Shimmer sank down and sat on the dungeon floor. Harp leaned on the wall and let out a small groan. Bakura just sighed.
A witty phantom entered. "Crygif, I need to talk to you, about their 'friends.'"
**VISION END**
I opened my eyes, sticky from tears. Myst and Tea were looking at me, as if they were expecting something.
"Crygif is talking with his henchmen. If we burst in on the dungeon now, we might be able to rescue our friends," I told them.
"But we don't even know where we are, not to mention where the dungeon may be," Myst pointed out.
"That's true, yet it isn't," I mused quietly.
"What's that mean, Yugi? It doesn't make any sense!" Tea asked.
"In one of my visions, it was of Bakura entering the dungeon. My guess was that he was caught, but anyway, I know the scene was between a city and a forest. He ran through the forest to find the dungeon gate. What if the village was Magic Village?" I asked them.
"But Yugi, he must've escaped, he joined us a few hours ago, then he was captured, remember?" Tea reminded me.
I bit my lip. "That's true. . . Let's see if the sword knows anything." I touched my sword of silence again. Bakura, past, one day.
**VISION OF THE PAST**
Bakura was still in the feral imp. He went into the dungeon, making sure that no sound was made with his step. He carefully strode down the aisle, checking every dungeon cell. He reached Harp's and paused. Harp sprung to life and started a kicking frenzy.
"Leave me alone you beast! I have enough to cope with!" cried Harp.
Bakura cautiously made sure no one was watching. "Shh, Harp, it's me, Ryou."
Harp stopped flailing around. "Ryou?! What are you doing here?"
Bakura got a ring of keys from the imp's belt and started experimenting with them. "To get you." Bakura finally got the one that could open the cell. The door swung open with a creak, and Bakura stepped in. He rummaged for the one that could open the handcuffs.
Harp gasped. "Ryou! Behind you!" Bakura whirled around in time to the prison door swing shut. Behind it, a cruel voice chuckled.
"Thought you could deceive me, change of heart? I can see right through you!" Crygif released a beam from his mouth, a golden one. The beam surrounded Bakura, and drew him out of the feral imp. The imp, laid on the ground, was motionless. Bakura struggled with the beam, but Crygif made him pass through the bars and held Bakura in his grip. "No magic card has the capability to fool me, fool! You shall all, pay, pay for what you have done!"
{I may not be able to deceive him, but I think I can still work on him!}
[What?!]
Bakura started to glow, and he went inside Crygif. Crygif gave a screech, and his consciousness shifted in and out. Bakura managed to get out, but out of his grasp and onto the floor. There, he ran out of the dungeon door. I followed. Behind me, I could hear the cries of Crygif.
"I shall get you, he-who-dares-to-challenge-me! I shall get you all! And I shall not be forgotten, nor the pains and sorrows all of you made me go through! I guarantee it!" Crygif shouted behind us.
**END VISION**
I opened my eyes, and Myst and Tea were staring at me with eager eyes.
"He almost saved Harp, but didn't. I have no idea about the city, though. All I know was that he barely managed to escape, and Crygif wants to get him back. He also said something about getting everyone back on the pain they caused him." I shook my head. "I don't know anything about what he says sometimes."
Myst stayed silent. Then she spoke. "I think he was the mutiny on the scientific project three years ago."
Tea and I were immediately interested. "Can you tell us about it?" Tea asked, voice quivering.
"Yes, I'll send it through mindlink," she responded.
**VISION FLASHBACK**
Myst was looking at the TV in her residence. The TV speaker was concentrating on a psychic kappa, who was dressed in a white lab coat and had glasses on.
"I saw it all! You know our project, #10459837, otherwise known as the sonic bird mutilation, was a complete disaster! In our growth and power-up test, he became so overwhelmingly strong that he went out of control!" the psychic kappa yelled. Myst's eyes widened. \Is he exaggerating, or did this really happen?\ "He broke our lab to smithereens, and all of the lab professors except for me died!" The psychic waved his arms up and down. "Then he flew away, a hurricane in its wake! It was tremendous!"
The screen refocused on the broken-down lab. "We do not know yet if Professor Kap's claims are true, but it is clear that the lab was probably broken down by an explosion and a wind storm. . ." the announcer droned on. Myst turned off the TV and glanced at the newspaper. Big bold words spelling out 'LAB EXPLODES AFTER EXPERIMENTING WITH SONIC BIRD' were on the headlines.
**VISION FLASHBACK END**
Tea and I were both awestruck. "You mean, Crygif was originally a sonic bird?" I asked.
Tea bit her lip. "So he wanted to get the scientists, since the mutilation's gotta hurt or something. But why us?"
I shook my head. "I don't know, but we have to be careful." Raindrops splattered above us. "And now it's raining! How could our day get worse?"
"Uh. . . I don't think you should ask. It brings bad luck," Tea told me. The rain pelted me. It was cold and wet, and it was easy to say Myst, Tea, and I were miserable. I was really getting worried about Joey. He was fire- type, and he could easily get weak in a storm like this. Lighting flashed above. Thunder rolled across the sky. The rain trickled down the leaves, which blocked out some rain, but let the rest torment us.
"O-o-o I'm singin' in the rain! I'm singing in the rain!" a familiar voice sang. I stared at the sight. Leafe was standing in the clearing, enjoying the heavy rain. "What a won-der-ful feelin'. . ." Leafe sighed. "I'd be happier if I could find Shimmer and the others."
"Hey! Leafe! Over here!" I called. Leafe jerked his head over to where we were. "I never thought I'd actually SEE the day you cared for Shimmer!" I chuckled.
Leafe blushed. "Frankly speaking, where is she?"
My face turned solemn and I glanced at Myst and Tea. Myst slowly nodded, while Tea sighed. "The summon skulls took her," I informed him. I saw Leafe tense.
"Do you know where they took her?" He asked.
"Yeah, to a dungeon, it's somewhere in a forest."
"Which?"
"I don't know. It's between a village and some mountains," I told him.
"Like here?" Leafe asked.
I shook my head. "No, it wasn't, or you would've found it. Besides, I know that Bakura found it two days ago, and it doesn't take two days to get out of here."
Leafe crossed his arms. "That's true. In ordinary weather, it only takes hours to get out of here."
"Which brings me to the subject, IT'S COLD AND WET AND I'M GOING TO CATCH HYPOTHERMIA!!" Tea reminded.
Leafe sighed. "True enough, but I actually like this weather," he caught our eye, "but knowing you don't, I think I'll help you guys build a shelter or something. I know where all the best branches are."
Shivering, we followed him. Sure enough, within minutes, he had a small shelter, just about as big as those play-forts that we made as kids, but it was waterproof.
Leafe took a bottle out of his pocket. I strained to see its label, and it read 'fire.' I was amazed. You could fit fire in a bottle without it burning out or putting the bottle up in flames? Leafe unscrewed the cap and poured a small amount of liquid on the pile of sticks surrounded by wet stones in the center of our fort. A small fire started as soon as the liquid made contact with the sticks.
What's that?
=Liquid fire. It makes a fire as soon as it touches something that isn't protected by a fire-prevention spell.=
#So the bottle has fire-prevention spell?#
=Yep.=
The small fire grew, and it warmed the small fort. Tea made a clothesline out of a string she tore off her sweater, and she dried her cape and sweater. Myst dried off her cape, too. Leafe and I just waited for the fire to slowly dry our garments. Tea and Myst weren't willing to take off neither their dress nor tights, and that made sense. We just let the warmth of the fire seep into us, comforting our tired bodies. I gazed into the fire, as if in a trance. I saw images flicker, of Harp winking, Bakura smiling, Joey waving, Mai tossing her hair back, and Shimmer squeaking in delight. But now they weren't here anymore, they were apart from us. But you'll never be too far away form my heart. A single tear rolled down my face, and I wiped it away. But I'll find you, you just wait!
***********
R Amythest: dun, dun, dun!!!! I love it when Yugi's determined and the chappie comes to a close!!! Now, the cards you might not know section!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CARDS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Psychic Kappa
Stats: Real, Magic Ruler, common (I have two for heaven's sake)
Points: 400/1000
Type: water
Creature: aqua
Level stars: two
Description: an amphibian with a myriad of powers to shield it from enemy attacks
What it looks like: a bald lizard standing up O_o
==============
Name: Sonic Bird
Stats: Real, Magic ruler, I don't know the rarity
Points: 1400/1000
Type: wind
Creature: winged beast
Level Stars: four
Effect: you can search your deck for a ritual card and put it in your hand
What it looks like: A bald eagle with goggles and a jet pack -_-;
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
R Amythest: ah. . . Yugi's just so determined at the end of my story. . . I LOVE IT!
Yami Yugi: *warning voice* no one makes fun of MY Hikari. . .
R Amythest: I wasn't making fun of him!
Yami Yugi: *shrugs* I just wanted to say that.
Yami Amythest: oh YAMI!!! *glomps Yami Yugi* can you say something romantic?
Yami Yugi: *squirming to get out of Yami Amythest's reach* get offa me for heaven's sake! And the answer is NO!
R Amythest: have any of you guys seen Ryou?
Yami Yugi: not since the scene where he goes into the summon skull, and the visions my aibou had.
R Amythest: *sigh* I can't go 1 hour without seeing him!!!! *sobs* I even sketch small pictures of him on my binder to keep myself from going berserk!
Yami Amythest and Yami Yugi: O_o
Ryou: Is she gone yet? *peeks in*
R Amythest: RYOU!!!!!! *glomps and doesn't let go*
Ryou: AGH! Yami Amythest, you said you would protect me from her!
Yami Amythest: *suppresses giggles* since when?
Ryou: when you slapped me!
Yami Amythest: I SAID I'd ward her off, and well. . . sigh. A spirit's word is a word. . . *peels R Amythest off Ryou*
Yami Yugi: yeah, and you said I could raid the sugar cabinet!
R Amythest: *sigh* ok, then. *throws Yami Yugi a key* it's the third cabinet to the right!
Yami Yugi: WHOOPEE!!! Thanks, R-
R Amythest: *slap* NO USING MY FIRST NAME UNTIL 'FROM A HIEROGLYPHIC' YOU BOZO!
Yami Amythest: No one, NO ONE slaps Yami! *slaps Ryou*
*slap*
*slap*
*slap*
R Amythest: you can review now. . . *slap*