Me: "Look, I'm really sorry it took so long for me to get this up. It ended up being another late night this time."

Kenshin: "This time, I actually encouraged it. She has no right to keep readers waiting."

Me: "Yeah, well, I'm so relieved to finally get this up. Be expecting some revisions on other chapters soon. I'll tell you when they're actually going to happen later. I'm sorry about the little rant I stated in the beginning of this chapter. If you get really bored, you can skip down to the last paragraph. That's the only really important part. The whole explanation of what's going on comes out in this chapter. If there's anything you don't understand, just tell me in the reviews and I'll try to explain. I really need your feedback on this chapter, so please help."

Kenshin: "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Me: "Oh, yeah, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Demon Diary, Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, Yu Yu Hakusho, or Gundam Wing. And yes, they are all going to play some part in this."

=^o.o^=

Agent Sharpe shook her head at the scene before her. A bedroom of a teenaged girl. Organized, with two bookshelves filled with books. An open bookbag sitting next to the bed with homework spilling out onto the carpet. Everything seemed normal. Except that the girl hadn't been seen for four days. Sixth one. Sixth one this month. When was it going to end? There was a pink unicorn pillow lying on the floor across the room, the only hint of any struggle. None of it made any sense. The first one's room had been a wreck. The second ones room had looked perfectly normal. Same with the third and fourth, except the window in the room of the third had been open, while in the fourth, there seemed to means of escape. There had been a few things knocked to the floor in the fifth one's room, but that was nothing compared to the first. Each case seemed absolutely different, except that they all knew each other, all of the victims, except for one, were girls, and they all disappeared around the same time, one after another. And here it was, the sixth. No signs of a way out and only subtle signs of struggle, while what sources had informed Agent Sharpe that this girl had been a fierce fighter.

It was one of the most bizarre cases Agent Sharpe had ever dealt with. The parents of the second victim said that their daughter just going outside in the middle of the night for no apparent reason was the sort of thing she'd do, but she definitely would have come back inside, but she being kidnapped while out there was not likely. The family of the third said that their daughter climbing out the window was the last thing they'd expect their daughter to do. The parents of the fourth, for some odd reason, hadn't been very willing to talk about their son. The fifth victim's parents claimed that there was no reason their daughter would leave. And as for the first? The first made absolutely no sense at all. The room was just enough to make the minds of the detectives back at the forensic lab spin. First of all there was the severed lamp. Science told them that there was no way something hidden in the girl's could cut through metal so cleanly. Second of all, those feathers found in the room seemed to defy everything known about genetics. The feathers had been fresh off a living creature, except no one could figure out what that living creature had been, not to mention what an animal would have been doing in her room. The skin samples from the tip of the feathers had DNA from a spectrum of animals, from raven to jaguar to snake to, most strange of all, human. Agent Sharpe didn't know what was going to come up next, and the likeliness of them all turning up safe and sound was slim. She couldn't wait to get this over with.

Agent Sharpe disappointedly took off her gloves. She had been hoping for at least a slight clue to what was going on, but she had found none. The case was still in the same place it had been when the whole investigation started. As Agent Sharpe walked over to dispose of her gloves in the small waste paper basket in the corner of the room, a glint caught her eye. She bent down and looked to the right of the basket, shocked at what she found. How could she have missed this before? There sat a medium sized diamond, in a small, fresh pool of blood. The sight chilled Agent Sharpe. She had seen this before. She had seen this before, seven years ago.

=^o.o^=

"Hey, kid."

Can't hear her, I thought to myself, only half awake. I rolled over and snuggled underneath the covers.

"Kid? I know you're awake."

I pulled the covers over my head.

"The name's Riyo," I mumbled, not really noticing what I was saying.

"That guy with the wings says it's time for you to get up."

I didn't move. WHOOSH! The covers were ripped off from over me. I shot up shivering, now wide awake and freezing. Erutis was standing next to the bed, the covers in her hands.

"We're leaving in fifteen minutes. I'd suggest you get dressed," she said, waving a hand at a chair with some garments folded over the side.

She dropped the covers at the foot of the bed and exited the room, leaving me there alone to get ready.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, wincing as my feet touched the cold stone floor. You'd think the Demon Lord would devise something that would make the castle not as cold in the mornings. Maybe demons couldn't feel the cold.

I rushed over to the chair and sat in it, curled up into a ball with my eyes closed, trying to warm up. I fiddled with the sapphire ring on my ring finger of my left hand. It seemed slightly warmer than everything else in the room. "That ring knows its master," Sesshou-maru had told me last night. "You'll have an easier time with it than other people have had." My mind quickly began to recollect what had happened the other day.

After Sesshou-maru had explained his side of the story, Eclipse ordered us to all place our blades on the stone table. After a few screaming matches, hair pullings, and minor injuries, all except for Sesshou-maru's ended up there.

"Sesshou-maru?" Eclipse questioned as politely as one possibly could after having had to pry weapons from peoples grasp.

Sesshou-maru shook his head stubbornly.

"This one does not belong up there with the rest."

Eclipse most likely wished to do to Sesshou-maru what he had done to the rest of us, but that would not have been the proper thing to do, considering they were pretty much equals in this case. They were both tough and, not to mention, cool characters who seemed to know the most about what was going on here.

"Yes, Sesshou-maru. I just thought it would be fair to the others here who had to give up their blades."

Sesshou-maru nodded.

"Yes, but I still feel that it is best it stays with me at all times."

"Very well," surrendered Eclipse. "Just as well. It was just that I was going to start with an explanation for yours, that was all."

Eclipse stepped up to the stone and placed his hand upon it.

"Millennia's of millennia's ago," he began, "the universe was formed."

Eclipse paused and looked around at us, as if expecting some sort of reply.

"There have been controversies and arguments over how exactly this happened since then," he continued, "-but that isn't the point. The point is, at first there existed only one world. And in this world, there existed two sides- light and dark. Each was equal, neither overruled the other. To represent these two sides two positions were made. One was Zhiren, Possessor of the Dark Crystal Blade, whose fights for death and destruction. The other was Yharas, Owner of the Crystal Blade of Light, whose only purpose is life and peace, and whose blade is currently in the sheath of this dog demon before us."

Sesshou-maru bowed his head, as if unworthy. Eclipse once again paused, and once again, no one responded.

"Now eventually, this one world became too small, so new ones were formed. These worlds-"

"Perhaps you should explain how exactly these worlds were created," suggested Set.

Eclipse seemed taken aback that someone had finally responded.

"Yes, I should. Good idea Set. These worlds were made purely out of imagination of the inhabitants of the first original world."

There was a snort of laughter from Takumi.

"Really, you expect me to-"

He was shut-up by a whack from Kenshin.

"I wouldn't be talking, boy, considering that is why you're here today, plaguing us all."

Eclipse nodded.

"Yes. At first these secondary worlds were just stories being tossed around by the first inhabitants-the first people we call them today- of this universe. But eventually, these stories started to take shape, until they actually existed side by side, all under the influence of Yharas and Zhiren. Some were very similar, while others showed how much imagination was needed for it to exist today. Need some proof? Look around you. I believe we all know each other, but some not personally. Instead, some of us know each other through reading and watching what we had once thought of as mere entertainment. The worlds we all come from were all once stories of the first people, who no longer exist, due to the destruction caused by the battles of Light and Dark."

There was a yawn from Bakura.

"Look, couldn't you just get to the point already?" said Marik.

Eclipse nodded, ignoring Marik's rude tone.

"Now, while these worlds we are familiar with are all under the influence of Light and Dark, it is impossible for all to be kept track of all at once. Therefore," gesturing towards the blades sitting helplessly upon the stone, "these were made, along with three others, each representing a shade of the rainbow. This was so that they'd balance out their greaters; the blades of Yharas and Zhiren, which each have a prism set in the hilt. Each color was given to an inhabitant of a major existence, and then handed down through the millennia. Unless I am misinformed, the current owners are: Me, Eclipse, of the Amethyst; Duo, of the Alexandrite; Riyo, of the Sapphire; Kaiba, of the Emerald, which has been brought here by someone other than it's owner; Shampoo, of the Citrine; Kurama, of the Spessarite; and Set, of the Ruby, who, due frequent losses of life, is required to hand it to his hikari. At the moment, these four," gesturing towards the swords on the stone, "obviously have been held accounted for. The whereabouts of the other three, on the other hand, are unknown. At this moment, it is crucial that all seven of the blades are brought together and kept safe until the current dangers pass over. Because you are-"

"Perhaps you should explain what exactly these 'dangers' are, hmm?" questioned Sesshou-maru for our sake, for he already knew what they were.

"Ah, yes, well, as Sesshou-maru already mentioned, Yharas has been missing for a while. Everyone is fearing that either a. someone will try to take her position and then overthrow Zhiren, or b. Zhiren herself will take advantage of this and try to take the lesser blades for her own, as mentioned before. We have reasons to suspect either, or even worse, both, happening soon. Starting with the coincidence of Riyo ending up here, where Yharas and Zhiren were last seen together."

This time, before anyone could question, Eclipse explained.

"Sesshou-maru, would you kindly unsheathe your blade and hold it up to the light?"

Sesshou-maru complied.

"If you would notice, the colors that his prism present to us are actually quite faint. This is, hopefully, the same for the dark prism on Zhiren's sword. The only way to make these colors stronger is to combine the lesser swords with either of the greater blades. To do so would give the sword such unimaginable power. But, this can only happen if the greater blade receives all seven lesser swords. Because you wield the lesser blades, it is your duty to go find your brothers and sisters

Having finally warmed up, I reopened my eyes. It is your duty to go find your brothers and sisters. I couldn't help but shiver, though I had adapted to the cold. Go risk our lives to find the others while some warriors with deadly swords hunt us down. Meanwhile, not knowing where the hell we going or where what we're looking for is. That was what Eclipse was telling us to do, wasn't it?

"Riyo?" I heard Kenshin growl through the door. "You are ready, aren't you?"

I jumped up. Fifteen minutes, Erutis had said. Who knew how long I had been sitting here daydreaming?

"Uh, wait a sec"

I quickly changed, picturing Kenshin waiting there by my door as I threw on what Erutis had laid out for me. I paused for a second before rushing out the door to look at myself in the mirror. The clothes seemed like something any traveling knight would want. It was pretty much what Erutis always wore, except blue instead of green. It was complete with the boots and the sheath, along with a small pouch attached to the belt, for holding things. I slipped in the small black stone Kenshin had given to me after being attacked but a servant of the dark and removed my ring. I waited until it had fully transformed in to the blade, then sheathed it. Well, this was it. Hadn't I always wanted to go on an adventure like this? I could remember wondering why this world seemed so boring. I am fearless, I reminded my self. Didn't I once say that all fear is only ignorance? I took a deep breath to calm myself down. This was it. There was no way I was going to turn back.

"Riyo?"

"Coming!"

I closed the pouch and ran out to Kenshin.

"Ready! Lets go!"

=^o.o^=

Vile chants filled the air as Zhiren's army drudged past. Moans of exhaustion blended with those chants.

"Lighten up, men!" Zhiren chortled from ahead of them all. "Don't tell me your tired from a little walk! We must get to the cataract by tomorrow's nightfall."

She waved a hand, at which everyone stopped to rest with relief. One of the soldiers hurried over, dragging behind him two chained boys close to fainting from exhaustion. One was Mokuba, the younger brother of Kaiba. The other was Max.

"Now tell me boys, how are you enjoying your trip?"

"My big brother is going to get you for this!" Mokuba burst out. "I'm telling you, when he finds out what you're doing, he's gonna-"

Zhiren waved her hand, and the soldier began to drag him away, still yelling about what his big brother was going to do to her.

"And you, Max?"

"Uh, fine," he answered nervously. Actually, he wasn't all that used to long walks.

Zhiren pulled out her sword. Max winced, expecting her to bring it down on him. Instead, she just held it up to the light.

"A beauty, isn't it? I wish I could share it with others, but unfortunately, not everyone can be trusted."

She turned and smiled at him.

"But I can trust you, can't I?"

Max nodded with stupid enthusiasm. She sheathed the sword.

"I certainly hope so. There are things I wish to accomplish, but I fear I cannot accomplish them alone. But you'd help me, wouldn't you?"

He nodded again.

"Would that be an agreement? Would you really be willing to take sides and fight along side with me?"

Max sat for a moment in thought, though he knew he'd do pretty much anything to get out of these chains to fight with her.

"Yes."

TO BE CONTINUED