Author's Notes: Sorry about this, but Shadi decided to do what I should have done and MAKE IT STOP! I got him a few times before he could, though. Poor guy… ^_^ Why does everyone think their reviews are so bad, boring, stupid, or demented? They aren't! Well, a few are, but that's mostly just people who read no more than one chapter, and are fools anyway. But you guys rule infinitely! I love you all! ^_^
I'm so pleased people are actually going to try my challenge! I know I made it hard on you. The only one who seems like they could be romantic at all is Ankh, but I know you guys will do well! So far the pairings I've seen are Shadi/some female (Seena won't tell me!), Ankh/Scale (Can't wait to see that, Chibigreen Tanuki!), and Scale/Serenity (wow Crossover Authoress, that's gotta be the weirdest one I've ever heard of. I'd like to see how you do it!). Oh, and Scale/Box of Chocolates (Unrealistic, that may be the most reasonable pairing I've seen yet. No, not what I had in mind, but hey, more power to you if you want to!). I inspire such weirdness! It's great! You people rule.

Scale: Thank Ra Indigo doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Look at what she'd do with it! And look what she's getting OTHER people to do with it! This is disturbing! I'm being paired with at LEAST two itiotic weaklings. And an inanimate object! However delicious it might be... Indigo's such a freak. You know, she felt sick the other day. Perhaps she'll die and I can leave!
Ankh: Scale! Be nice to Indigo and the others! Just think, you may never have to do a disclaimer again!
Scale: Hmph, I doubt it. She'll probably have me doing disclaimers for her pointless rants next...
Indigo: Ooh, that's a good idea, Scale! Thanks for the suggestion!
Scale: Grr....


Three-In-One Combo!


After some extended amount of time, all of the other monsters returned, obviously finished checking. A little blue demonic-looking creature came up and let out a high-pitched roar. The Lucky Trinket hopped off Ankh's shoulder and trilled. Then it jumped back to Ankh and trilled in his ear.

"Well, I suppose they're finished," Ankh said.

"Any idiot can tell THAT, frogface!" Scale said. The Lucky Trinket gave a warbling growl.

"I don't think there were any holes," Ankh offered.

Shadi sat up and pulled the cloth of his turban out of the Penguin Soldier's mouth, rewrapping it over his longish black hair. "Then we're finished?"

"Looks like it," Scale said. "Now can we LEAVE?"

"I don't suppose we could… bring just these three with us?" Ankh asked hopefully. The three monsters quacked, trilled, and squeaked plaintively.

"No, that would not be wise," Shadi said, giving the purple penguin a sidelong glance. "But they're all weak, common cards. They would be cheap to buy, and we can all bring cards to life and send them back here at will."

"Okay!" Ankh said enthusiastically. The monsters were equally happy, especially the Wretched Ghost of the Attic.

"Great, just what I need…" Scale muttered. "Let's GO."

"Gladly," Shadi said, shivering a bit. "It's cold here." The Lucky Trinket and Wretched Ghost hopped off of their friends.

"Great Thoth, do you EVER shut up!?" Scale hissed. "I'll show YOU cold." He jerked them back out of the Shadow Realm.

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Suddenly Shadi was freezing cold. The three of them opened their eyes to see nothing but whiteness as far as the eye could see. They were standing in some sort of freezing white… foam, or something. The whole ground was covered with it. The sky was such a light gray that it looked white as well.

"Wh… what's this? This isn't Egypt! This isn't sand!! Where are we? What happened!?" Ankh asked, his voice getting more hysterical with every word. He backed quickly into Shadi and darted back into his soul room.

"Scale, what did you do?" Shadi asked sharply. Scale was glancing around nervously.

"I didn't do this! It's your fault, you made me think about cold. You don't just automatically come back to the same place you came from when you go to the Shadow Realm! I don't even know what this stuff is!" Scale quickly went back to his own soul room.

//This is the end! We're all going to die! It's the apocalypse! We've entered the Anti-Shadow Realm! Whatever I did to deserve this, I'm SORRY! Please make it stop…// Ankh was crying hysterically.

/Calm down you two./ Shadi told them, clenching his cloak tightly around his shivering body. /I've heard of this. It's called snow. It's lightly frozen water, no cause for alarm. Judging by the amount, I'd say we're at the North Pole or somewhere like that. Let's do a transport ritual, shall we?/ It might be dangerous with Ankh and Scale having trouble concentrating, but anywhere had to be better than here.

//Yes, PLEASE! Let's get out of here! I don't like this! This much water shouldn't freeze! It's unnatural!//

\\Hurry it up, you shivering lump!\\

Teeth chattering, Shadi tried to concentrate. He sank into the whiteness…


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…and came up again enveloped completely in frigid water. Panicking for a moment, he quickly got himself in the right mindset, trying not to breathe, and sank into the sea floor.

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Coming up once more, Shadi was relieved to see that he was right outside of his own town. It was evening, so he quickly walked home, soaked to the skin and shivering. When he got home he clumsily lit a fire and spread out all his wet clothing, putting on new dry clothes. He left the turban off to let his thick hair dry, though. Ankh and Scale were "breathing" hard, and their teeth were chattering. They felt the cold acutely through their frozen host.

Pausing from rubbing his arms, Shadi forced Ankh and Scale out of their Items. "Ankh, go get some money. Both of you go to the market and buy those cards you wanted. No candy."

"Shadi… Are you all right?" Ankh asked hesitantly as Scale growled at him softly.

Shadi sighed. "I'm perfectly fine. Or I will be once I thaw out. I'm just rather fed up with life at the moment. I'm taking a break, and I don't care who says otherwise. I refuse to leave this town OR this plane of existence unless the great balance is SEVERELY disturbed. Now go leave me alone for a while." He turned back to the fire, not intending to say another word all day, if not longer.

Ankh nodded, took some money, and walked up the stairs. Scale muttered "What a loon…" before Ankh stopped to grab his ear and pull him outside after him. His pain-filled cries of anger followed them into the deepening night. Shadi sneezed violently, and sniffled a bit. He pulled a blanket around himself and scooted closer to the fire. Damn life. Damn fate. Damn gods!

Shadi sneezed again, and disgustedly wiped his hand on the edge of the blanket.



Endnote: Well Shadi and I seem to agree about the general fate of this story. My, he can be quite pushy when he wants to be! With good reason, of course! I was about to be very unhappy with this, so that's it for now. Until I see more for Shadi to do. So… Not that this hasn't been lots of fun, but… bug off! Go read my other stories! They're at least as good as this, I promise! And let me know when you get started on those romances. Heh heh…

Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, could you let me know what pairings you're using and what you want if you win? And by request of Unrealistic, yes, I suppose inanimate objects are allowed. I'd prefer another person, but like I said, do whatever you want! But like I said, no origional characters (besides Ankh and Scale), and that means no self-inserts either! And no incest. Or Tea. Or Rebecca, for that matter. Or Suguroku/Solomon. You get the picture, I think. But please don't change your pairing now if you already had something in mind!
And another thing. If you happened to stumble upon this fic way after I finish it and want to do this, by all means go ahead! I still want to see! Thanks! ^_^