DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Yu-Gi-Oh!" or "Dragonball Z" (though I wish that I did). Kitt, Kat, Risika, Tengu, Tigra, and Koneko belong to AnimeKat 2002. Prue, Nikkia, Aerro, and Mackenzie belong to Prudence. However, I do own Ryoko, Hoofamon, Kenyamon, Shinmon, Plague, Zoe, Wolf, Merlin, Muff, and Sin.
Getting Acquainted
"Um, excuse me, miss?" Ryoko jumped and looked over at the doorway of the stall. Malik was standing there watching her. "Who are you and what's going on?" He asked. Ryoko twitched her tail.
"I should ask you the same question---at least, the second one." Malik blinked once, a questionable expression on his face. Ryoko sweatdropped. "I know that you're Malik Isht---" She clasped her hands over her mouth. She was going to freak him out! Malik stared at her.
"How did you know my name?" He asked uneasily. Ryoko took her hands away from her face and waved.
"Hi! I'm Ryoko!" She chirped. Plague and Kenyamon facefell while everyone else just watched them with clueless expressions. Malik smiled at Ryoko.
"Well, nice to meet you, Ryoko," he said. Ryoko felt as if she would melt. The way that he said her name---there was something about it that made her feel all tingly inside.
"Before I tell you how I know your name, how did you end up here in the first place?" Ryoko asked. Malik leaned against the opposite wall of the stall, crossing his arms and ignoring the helpless cries of Bakura as Kenyamon began licking him again.
"Téa was looking for something on Ireland in the book store when Bakura found this very old book. It was blank, all except for one page." Malik's gaze darkened and he leaned his head back on the wall, keeping his eyes on the strange fox girl. "That page had a photo of all of us around a fence. There were other people in the picture, but we didn't recognize them---until we saw you guys." Ryoko cocked her head to the side.
"An old book with no words?" She asked. Malik closed his eyes.
"Kaiba came with Mokuba and began taunting us. When we showed him that he was in the picture as well, he denied it. That's when---" He turned his head to the side, staring out of the stall door, watching Hoofamon as he got to his hooves and began shaking dust from his coat and preening his wings. "---That's when the book turned red hot. Bakura dropped it and this massive whirlwind of fiery light appeared. It dragged us into the pages and the next thing we know---"
"---You literally drop in on us," Ryoko finished. Malik's gaze shifted to her once more, though he kept his head turned away.
"Yes," he said. Ryoko tugged on one of her ears and stared at the shovel handle as she thought. Malik watched her from the corners of his eyes.
"Well, that's pretty weird," she said uncertainly. Malik turned his head towards her once more.
"You don't believe me," he stated flatly. It was not in the form of a question. Ryoko looked at him.
"I believe you," she responded coolly. A startled expression crossed Malik's handsome features.
"Really? Why?" He asked. Ryoko smirked and scratched her nose.
"Well, you dropped in on us and you're not supposed to exist, so there's really no other explanation," she explained. Malik smirked.
"Speaking of which, what do you mean by us not being real?" He asked. Ryoko walked towards the open door, shovel in hand.
"You're on TV," she answered plainly as she passed him. Malik's eyes widened.
"What?!" He asked. Ryoko headed out of the stall and looked at everyone. Yes, they were real. At least, it looked that way. Kenyamon, seeing Ryoko, ceased licking Bakura and crept away, wagging her tail happily and squirming with delight that Bakura was there. Tristan hauled the drool-covered Bakura to his feet. Malik walked out of the stall, one hand on the doorframe.
"So, because we're on some show means that we're not real?" He asked. Before Ryoko could answer, Plague narrowed her eyes and smirked slyly.
"Let's find out, shall we?" She asked. She grabbed the shovel from Ryoko's hand and whacked Kaiba across the head with the broad metal end, causing him to hit his head on the gate.
"Seto! Are you okay?" Mokuba asked worriedly. Seto ignored his brother. Instead, he clutched his head and glared at Plague.
"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA, YOU FREAK?!" He roared. Plague cackled insanely. Ryoko stormed up to her, punched her in the back of the head, and grabbed the shovel.
"That wasn't very nice, but it answers our question," she observed. Plague studied her nails, seemingly proud of herself. Everyone stared at her nervously.
"Did she just do what I thought she did?" Asked Joey.
"She just hit Kaiba with a shovel!" Exclaimed Téa. Kaiba growled at Plague.
"I asked you a question!" He snarled.
"Kiss my fuzzy white ass!" Plague retorted. "I can beat your spoiled, little rich boy ass any day!" Kaiba took a threatening step forward.
"Is that a challenge?" He asked. Plague took a fighting stance.
"No shit, Sherlock," she replied cockily.
"Guys, knock it off!" Pleaded Téa. Ryoko looked over at Sin. The samurai nodded and put his arms up under Plague's and behind her head, dragging her backwards.
"WHAT THE HELL?! DAMMIT, YOU GOTH ASSHOLE, LEMME GO!!! I'VE GOTTA TEACH THAT BASTARD A LESSON!!!" She shouted as he dragged her away.
"Calm your ass down," he said calmly. Plague slipped out of Sin's grasp and flipped over his head, landing behind him. She kicked out, but her foot narrowly missed him as he moved out of the way with supernatural speed.
"Only an amateur attacks from behind," he stated coldly, his back still turned to her. She growled as he looked over his shoulder at her. Yugi looked at Ryoko.
"Do they do this often?" He asked. Ryoko nodded.
"It's an every day routine, you get used to it," she sighed. Kaiba shot death glares at Plague. Ryoko cleared her throat.
"So, we all know who you guys are, but you don't know us," she said cheerily as Sin and Plague began beating each other up in the background. "I'm Ryoko! This is Shinmon, Kenyamon---" Kenyamon transformed into her human form, receiving astounded stares. She dusted off her shoulder.
"This isn't my real form, but I use it a lot when we go out in public," she explained. She glanced at Bakura. "Don't worry, I won't be licking your face in this form," she giggled. Bakura blushed and scratched the back of his head, laughing quietly. Hoofamon transformed into his human form as well. Before Téa knew what was happening, he had her hand in his, kneeling on one knee.
"I'm Hoofamon, but you can call me your stud," he said silkily. Kenyamon punched him in the head, causing him to let go of Téa's hand and fall to the ground.
"Knock it off, you pimp! You're acting just like Brock! Besides, she's taken, and so are you," she scolded. Hoofamon got to his feet and looked down at Yugi, who had his fists clenched. He sweatdropped.
"I forgot... But I'm not taken," he said. Kenyamon smirked.
"Oh, really? What would Kat say about that?" She asked. Hoofamon blushed a deep crimson. Shinmon, shrugging, went into his human form and leaned against the wall. Ryoko sighed.
"Anyway, the two people behind me are Sin and Plague," she explained. Everyone looked at Plague as Sin sat on her and pulled her ears.
"She kinda looks like you," Duke stated as Plague began choking Sin with her tail.
"That's because she's my yami," Ryoko replied. Yugi looked at her with surprise.
"You have a yami, too?" He asked, astonished. Ryoko nodded.
"Yeah," she answered. "We're one in the same." Kaiba grunted.
"Since you know who we are, introductions are over," he said. "Now, tell me how to get back," he demanded. Everyone glared at him.
"That qualifies as rude," Joey warned.
"Quiet, Wheeler," Kaiba responded.
"Don't boss me around, punk!" Joey hissed. Ryoko looked at Kaiba.
"I'm sorry, dude, I don't have an answer for ya," she said. Kaiba glared at the ground. "But I'll be more than happy to help you find your way back." Everyone looked at her again.
"You serious?" Asked Yugi. Ryoko nodded. She looked at Malik, who was in deep thought. "Hey, Mr. Antisocial, get on over here," she quipped. Malik snapped his head up.
"Excuse me?" He asked. Ryoko motioned for him to come over. He hesitantly obeyed and stood by Bakura. Ryoko looked over their heads, smiled, and looked back at them.
"...What?" Asked Tristan.
"I'd move back if I were you," she said. The thundering of hooves could be heard, coming nearer. Everyone turned and looked over the gate as five horses galloped towards them. Sin dragged Plague to the stairs as the horses trotted into the barn. Everyone leapt back as an old black Tennessee Walker mare with white hind socks lumbered into the barn. Ryoko watched her.
"There's Midnight," she mused to herself. A tall bay Arabian gelding with a blaze and white front left sock followed. "And there's Khemistry," Ryoko continued. A small bay Arabian mare followed her half-brother. "There's Asil." Téa took in a sharp breath as a small foal cantered after his mother. He was a dark gray with black legs, leg barring, ear tips, gray hooves, and red eyes. His spiky black mane and tail seemed to have blue highlights and his forelock had a jagged white streak in the shape of an arch. On his forehead was a white marking in the shape of an eye. "There goes Hiei." An older colt followed his younger brother. He was a liver chestnut with a light flaxen mane and tail. His hooves were the color of aged ivory and his purple eyes had black lines sharply curving under them. Like his brother, he had a white eye marking on his forehead. The horses eyed the newcomers warily before heading into the second pasture to graze. Ryoko smiled to herself and headed to the tack room.
"Hey, what was that last one's name?" Asked Bakura.
"Malik," she said as she opened the tack room door. Everyone turned to the human Malik, who was looking from the colt to Ryoko.
"Why?" He asked. Ryoko peeked out of the tack room.
"Because you're my favorite character," she stated as a matter-of-factly. Malik gazed at her with a blank and bewildered expression as she put up the shovel and emerged from the room, shutting the door and locking it. Wiping the back of her neck with a red bandana, she picked up her boom box and CDs and turned to everyone.
"Alright, people. Follow me to the house and we'll see what we can do," she said as she jumped the fence. After a short pause, the group followed her up the driveway.