Note: When I put what Joey says in quotes he's not actually talking. He's thinking (cause he can't talk).
Joey brushed wet leaves away from his face impatiently. He had been walking along the muddy path for an hour already. His hand was beginning to get raw from scraping against cold stone. Dew dripped down into his face and onto the tip of his nose, which he rubbed agitatedly. Everything was so wet here. Water dripped from the trees and onto the mist covered forest floor mixing with mud and leaves. He hated being so damn wet, but was glad that was all he was. He'd seen much worse aspects of the shadow realm.
Something else bothered him more than perpetual dampness though. Whenever he got close enough to touch a tree it was just out of his reach. When he was about to brush by one it wasn't within touching distance. Joey had the feeling that the trees were moving, and frankly, it was creeping him out. They seemed to be opening into a path just before him, but that wasn't what he was worried about. In books the paths always closed behind people, trapping them in a place they didn't want to be. Joey, thinking himself incredibly paranoid, swung around a few times, but the trees weren't closing behind him at all. He breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly something under his hand gave.
He tripped into a puddle at the base of a huge maple. The giant tree was large enough for him to fit around five times and still need several other people. He was standing in a foot of leafy muddy water. It soaked his legs, socks and shoes.
"This cannot be the shadow realm! The only shadows I see are the Goddamn trees!" He sloshed to the side of the puddle.
Could this day have gotten any worse? A failed test, losing to Tristan in a race, almost getting run over, his skateboard getting broken…. He peeled off his socks and shoes and rung them out, watching water stream back into the puddle. Then there was the whole fiasco with Bakura and Mai. Why'd he try and save Mai anyway? She hated him, the feeling was mutual.
"Ahoy thar! Be ye a beastie of some unproportioned power and evilness?" A voice boomed out of the mist. Joey jumped, dropping his shoes and socks backs into the puddle. He made a grab for them but missed and watched apologetically as they sunk beneath the surface. He reached an arm into the mud brown puddle but felt nothing. A shoe resurfaced on the other side and then went under for a final time. Joey sat back on the bank sand sighed. He rested his head on his knees thinking. I there's someone else here maybe they can help me! Or they could kill me! Or I could wait and see who they are…
"I said, Ahoy thar! Be ye a beastie of some unproportioned power and evilness? Did ye not here me the first time ye porous slug?" Joey raised an eyebrow. He highly doubted there was any harm in the man whose voice was projected to him. I guess I better show him that I'm not "a beastie of some unproportioned power and evilness" before he goes completely senile and can't give me any information.
The now barefoot Joey hauled himself to him feet and began to blunder along the path that went along the invisible wall, along the wall to where there appeared to be a fork. He hopped from foot to foot trying not to step on any sharp leaves. I should have walked barefoot more often…
He found himself face to face with a small man dressed in a hooded gray robe. He blended into the tendrils of fog perfectly. He was thin, Joey could see, the robe hung off his body in huge folds. Spindly legs stuck out the bottom of it with sandled feet. In a thin hand he held a knarled old staff. His small head stuck out of the top of the huge robe making the old man appear smaller than he already was. Wrinkles ringed his face and above his smiling mouth hung a long white mustache. What startled Joey about his whole medieval appearance was one thing. If Joey had even expected humans in the shadow realm this wasn't what he imagined. The mans eyes were covered with sunglasses. Joey rubbed his eyes. Sunglasses? Right…
The man raised an eyebrow at him.
"Those are not the footsteps of an ill proportioned beast anticipating me deceased! What a fool have been I. For you must be human! Who be you, boy? How do I know you are a boy? For you're footsteps are heavier than those of a girl. You are stupid enough to go out without shoes, yes?"
Joey wanted to run to the nearest free translator site. He realized two things. 1. This senile old fool was blind. And 2. He couldn't even talk to the guy! Angry filled him. He'd never felt so stupid. Now he got himself into a mess and he couldn't get out. Whenever there had been trouble Yugi and Triton were always there to help. He cursed himself for being an idiot. He wanted to kill a certain Yami not listen to the blabbering of a past old, past ancient, pushing petrified man. Instead he just stood there feeling the wave of anger pass and a feeling of helplessness replace it.
"What be the matter with you boy? Does the Swamp guard got your tongue? I hear he's got quite a collection f them these days," Joey ignored the man, there was no point in trying to talk when he knew he couldn't. Instead he focused on the fork behind the dude. Both paths were shrouded in mist; it didn't matter which one he picked. His stomach growled uncomfortably. The faster he got out of here the faster he could find something to eat.
He began to walk past the man to one the right path. Suddenly the old man's staff whipped around and hit him in the chest.
"I beg apology good sir, for hitting you," said he. Joey forgave him mentally the man proly couldn't even see where he was standing; though he seemed to know the general vicinity of where he was. Which could have been helpful if he could talk, Joey reminded himself.
Joey started forward again only the by hit again. What was wrong with this dude? Joey was getting exasperated. This time he headed toward the other path. This time the hit hurt. Joey's skull throbbed. He rubbed the painful spot on his shoulder.
"Boy, you cannot pass this road. For I am its guardian. I may not be able to see you, but I can hear you. And find your voice, you will of you still wish to pass. That is after you've been so kind as to answer my questions," Joey shook his head, he was definitely at the bottom of the luck cycle. What town would post a blind guy as the guard of a road? But there was something is his voice that said, just because he was blind did not mean he wasn't perfectly capable of the job. I Joey had been in the mood to fight he would've. Now he just wished Tristan were here to kick the guy's ass. He turned around dejectedly and ran his hands through his wet hair splattering himself, then walked back in the other direction.
He sighed; being lost in the shadow realm was not high on his Things To Do list. He wandered back down towards where it was he had come from along the invisible wall. Maybe the wall guarded the village that that old man was trying to protect the road to. He would never know. Life Sucks! Suddenly a burst of light popped in front of him.
"Ahhh!" Joey sprang back and covered his eyes with his hands. When the brilliance died down Joey removed his hands. The ball of light was still there. It looked almost like a little, round fuzzy kuriboh. Except that it was a ball of white light that pulsed in and out. It bobbed up and down and floated a little ways down the path. Joey made face.
"What da heck-," He stopped, He was talking. Really talking. Only His own words weren't coming out of his mouth. They were echoing back at him from the little ball of light. Dear god… Was that his voice?
Flashback:
"Well, I think I've figured out a way ta-, Yugi!!!!" He yelled. Immediately he felt his voice fizzle into nothing. Bakura's hand held a ball of yellow light. He shot Joey a look of pure venom.
"Yugi!" The ball mimicked quietly in Joey's voice. He felt his throat constrict. Bakura had taken his voice. The white-haired Yami advanced on Joey. Still holding Mai's limp body. His lips curled into an ugly sneer. Joey stumbled backwards, searching with his hands for anything that would come to his aid.
End of Flashback
Yeah it was his voice… And it was getting away from. The little ball of light was "happily" bouncing in air along the path away from Joey.
"Come back," Again no sound came out of his mouth. Maybe it only works when I'm close to it? The little sphere did not stop instead it sped up. With a curse Joey took off after it.
His feet pained him as he ran. He stubbed his tow on a tree root fell but kept going. All that mattered at the moment was getting his voice back. When he sped up, it sped up. It was ironic how when he thought of getting his voice back it was usually not this literal. Maybe the little ball had limits; maybe it could get tired. Joey hoped to god its limit (if it had any) would be soon, he was starting to get a cramp in his side.
Indeed after five more minutes it seemed to have reached it's limit and could go no faster. Joey had caught up. But now it was enjoying floating in and out of his reach above his head. He snatched at it breathing heavily. Every limb he had seemed to hurt, plus he was thirsty. Eventually he gave up on jumping up and down at it. Exhausted and discouraged he flopped down and leaned against a tree. He gathered his legs to him. His baggy jeans were soaked to the knees. He fingered the rough material trying not to let the tears that were threatening his eyes come. Halfheartedly he tried to wring out the jeans, but to no avail.
The little light spheres (now a whirling blue) hovered three feet in front of his face. He ignored it. It would flit away as soon as he tried to catch it. But it hung there, just bobbing perhaps waiting for him to move. When Joey did move it was a blur.
He shot forward and before the sphere could move he grasped it hard. He gritted his teeth as a burning sensation spread throughout his fingers. He wouldn't let it go.
"Gotcha!" he said through clenched teeth. He heard his voice through the ball. Now he had to worry about not burning his hands off, yet he didn't want to let go.
Suddenly his voice began to speak words he had not said.
"Yes you got me, you held me, I am yours. You may let go and I will stay with you,"
"You were created by my enemy. Why should I trust you?" Joey asked through a stroke of brilliance (and tears of pain at burns).
It didn't answer. I was again the mindless little atom that it had been seconds ago.
Joey let go. The little ball stayed. Joey had found his voice. Now the question remained. Could he trust it?
It's so weird that this story is getting so many reviews! I love reviews (who doesn't), and I love the reviewers. I promise I will eventually. If I have a few seconds (ungrounded) I try to update my stories then I go and review.Thank you's
Must review Schala's story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your review. Bakura can be nice if he wants too. Just look at my other story…. Or not.
Kirby- I'm on ur fav authors list!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes! I'm only on five people's fav authors. Thank you for ur reviews too.
Kaiba's Girl- Eek Bakura was not supposed to remind anyone of Pegasus, but now that you say it….. Ahh well, at least Bakura had better motives.
Anime*Angel- Yeah I'm on someone's fav stories list! Lookame everybody! My self esteem ballon is burstin w/ reviews!
Lady Green Day- Thanks for the rocks! Bakura needed them. Bakura: I did not! Bana: *pulls ear* you did to you weenie! You rock da' house goil!
Running around the shadow realm is almost as fun as running around inside Yami B's head, isn't it Lynx Wings? *Very formal voice* thank you for you support!
Joey and Seto Fangirl- You didn't say much, except to beg me to continue so… Thank you *clapping sounds*
Nun-Zilla56- I'm sorry this update wasn't soon, but I'm glad no one flamed me for it. Thanks
Dragonesskylara- Are you named after the Lady of Pern? Yes! An update! Hope you like it!
Kiki Jones- you are one of my best friends! I'm so glad you have actually had the patience to read my attempts at writing (feeble compared to urs). I luv you! P.S. Sorry about the Larry song on ur last thank you..