Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Yu-Gi-oh.
I'm sorry it took so long to get the chappie out. I've been grounded. It never ends… I'm typing this at in the school library! Stupid school.
Anyway, Thank you, thank you, and thank you to ALL reviewers I love you! I love you forever! I love you always! Don't take this completely literally (especially is you're a girl).
Anime Angel: I love being on people's favs! Thanks for reviewing
Kirby: Thank you too for reviewing; check the name of the first chapter!
ChibiJ-chan: Thanks! It's always nice to have someone kill my flames for me! Presenting the exterminator: Roasting marshmallows on open flames! Don't ask, I'm weird.
To the very faithful Rinochio! BFF and "aren't you the sweetest little thing that ever was. Yes you are, yes you are!" Medda Larkson
Lady Green Day: Rock on! Or Rock climb! Or throw rocks! Or…. Oh whatever!
To the very faithful Kaiba'sgirl! Don't mess, don't mess, don't mess with the best cause the best don't mess! Don't fool, don't fool, don't fool with the cool cause the cool don't fool! Let the psycho author have her fun…
Thanks for the advice, and majorly faithful Kiki Jones! If my lips ever left my mouth, packed a bag and headed south, that'd be too bad, I'd be so sad. If my lips said "adios, I don't like you IO think u're gross." That'd be took bad, I might get mad. If my lips said "tootleloo," left a mess and took my tooth that'd be to bad, I'd call my dad. For the full and complete version of the song "I Love My Lips", check my profile.
Deja*vu: I love you girl! You have done so much for me!
Trupana: Thanks for reviewing. No, Bakura does not like Mai. He just thinks it might be easier to pick off the YGO gang one by one.
Schala85: Thanks Schala! It's okay, I've come down with bad cases of writers block as well. Yami Bakura is NOT always bad! Just read my other fic! But then, that fic isn't finished soooo…. Whatever!
Chapter 4
At the sound of Joey's panicked yell Yugi tumbled backwards over a few piles of unwashed socks, shirts, boxers, and other random items. Rolling over, he caught himself and dashed out into the hall. Where had Joey's voice been coming from? He choose to go down the stairs. Hadn't he left Joey with Tristan? Was Tristan with Joey now, but that would mean they might both be in trouble. This was his house, he drew himself up to his full (though still quite short) height, no one was going to get lost in it. Knowing Joey that's probably where Joey was, lost. Yugi continued to skid down the wood floors of the hallway.
Tea absently picked up a book. She found herself in a small library or study shelves of books. It was like a Tea black hole. I'll just look at the back cover, she thought, and absent-mindedly looked at her watch. She began to flip through the yellowing pages.
"Yugi!" Joey's exclamation startled her out of her reverie. Oh my god! What if something happened to Joey? She shot up, dropping her book. Oh, I only meant to read a little, she thought. She swung the door open and careened out into the hall.
"Yugi? Yugi!" She saw Yugi's back disappearing around a corner. What if because she wasn't trying to find him Yugi's grandpa and Joey met the same fate? It would be all Tea's fault. Tea tried to choke back and anxiety attack. Yugi slowed down. When Tea caught up they half slid half jumped down to the bottom of the stairs.
Tristan was waiting at the bottom with a worried expression.
"Has either of you guys seen Joey?"
"He was with you Tristan," said Yugi, gasping slightly.
"Yeah, but he said he heard something and he left to go see what it was,"
"Oh dear, oh dear," sputtered Tea.
"Tea it's not your fault!" Yugi interjected.
"Yeah," said Tristan. "Joey's always screwing around like this," Tea did not take their advice. "Is Joey on the second floor?"
"No, he was supposed to be with you. Have you searched the whole store?"
"Yeah… Except for the storage room-,"
"But that was Ryou and Mai's job!" Tea interjected. "What if the same thing that got Joey and Grandpa got Ryou and Mai?"
"Shut up Tea, you're making me nervous!"
"We're checking the back room," Yugi made the point before Tea could argue with Tristan.
The trio crept through the door with an inaudible creek. They could hear nothing. And in the gloom Yugi could barely see. He couldn't hear either Mai or Ryou and they were supposed to be here… Yugi's mind drew one quick conclusion as they crept between the rows. Yami Bakura, though he had been trapped in the shadow realm Yugi had never really dismissed him.
Suddenly, at the back of the room they stopped. Frozen in time as the scene played out before them. Neither of the players ever even noticed them. Joey was pinned against a row of shelves. Mai was slumped against one of Ryou, no, Bakura's (Yugi had been right) arms. Bakura's other hand was reaching out to Joey.
Cold fear crept over his back and neck. Yugi willed himself to move, to say something. Any deal with Ryou's yami would not be good. Help! His tongue tried to form words, but got caught in his throat. Joey! His mind screamed at Joey to do something, to look up, anything. But, Yugi couldn't move. Joey reached out his hand to shake Bakura's.
Suddenly time snapped back into motion, the sound seemed to come back on.
"Deal," said Joey. Yugi felt a sudden release.
"No Joey, don't!" He yelled the first words that popped into his head.
It was too late. Joey legs crumpled beneath him. His body tumbled to the floor, with Bakura still holding on to one hand.
"You Bastard!" shrieked Tristan. "We thought you were dead!" Bakura just sneered. Before their eyes Mai, Joey, and Yami Bakura were gone. Just gone. There was not one trace left.
A sudden pain erupted in Joey's hand. He realized his time had run out just before Yugi burst in. The pain spread down his legs and into his chest. Air, he needed air! The world swam before his eyes. I'm going unconscious? Why, how? Then the world stopped.
Joey opened his chocolate brown eyes. His vision was fuzzy; he rubbed his eyes, and reopened them. It wasn't his vision. It was the fact that a thick gray fog surrounded him. He gazed around him as memories of what had taken place floated back to him. He sat up slowly resting his head on his palms. Shadows moved and flitted through the fog while other shapes were stationary. The ground was hard and rocky under him; he'd had a rough landing on it. The air was thick and damp; it was almost like breathing in soup. It's the shadow realm. It's gotta be, what other place is so shadowy, Joey mused. But it's not how I remember it…
"You're right, surprisingly," Bakura's voice came from somewhere around him. Joey jumped up immediately. "This is the shadow realm, though knowledge of where we are will hardly help you," He spun peering through the mist for his captor.
"Where are you?" Joey tried to ask. No sound came out. Damn you Bakura, Joey felt the tightness in his throat. Bakura had taken his voice again. What had he gotten himself into?
"Joey, Joey, how very disappointing. How do expect to find Mai, if you can't even see me?"
"You son of a bitch!" Joey mouthed.
"While you're puzzling over your problems I'm going to hand you some new ones. You have one week to find Mai and get her out of here. If you can do this alive and within one week, I let you go. We have already clarified the rest of the rules, have we not?" Joey nodded staring hard at the fog.
"You can't leave me here!" Joey clutched his throat in desperation.
"Oh, and one more thing. Your duel monsters deck is in your pocket. You'll most likely need it,"
Bakura disappeared, his voice, and his presence. He left Joey alone in the shadow realm. Needless to say Joey was not thrilled, not to mention lost.
He figured he might as well start walking. Any place could be better then here. But that was the thing about life. No matter how bad things get, they can always get worse.
Joey made his way carefully through the fog. Would it ever end? The stationary shaped along side him, he discovered were only trees. It was what was in those trees that scared Joey. He stumbled about aimlessly until-.
He hit his head on something solid. Solid air? Tentatively he reached out with one hand and placed it in the open space where he hit his head. It was rough stone and very solid. An invisible wall? Now he placed both hands on it and pushed. There was no give, besides Joey wasn't sure he really wanted to know what was behind it anyway. Instead, with one hand on the wall, he fallowed it.
Where will the wall lead? Hmmm. Is there in opening? Longer chapter later.
Review me if you want more (since this was a kinda boring chappie).