S. Chensu: And now, for the start of the first official random author's note!
Naya: Holding a bottle of chocolate sauce Rock and pool, is nice and cool, so juicy sweeeeeeeeeet! Suddenly the bottle gains legs and jumps out of Naya's hands No, not the precious!
Yugi: Walking along, whistling tunelessly Life is brilliant, I am happy, everyone is happy, we're all friends... Gets hit on the head by the bottle of chocolate sauce Hello, what is this? Reads the label Chocolate sauce? What the...? Oh well, doesn't look like it belongs to anyone... Carries on walking
Naya: WHERE IS THE PRECIOUS? Sees Yugi and walks over Excuse us hobbit, could you help us?
Yugi: Who you calling a hobbit? I'll have you know I'm five foot tall!
Naya: Four foot three, five foot, it's all the same to us... Anyway, have you seen our precious?
Yugi: What does it look like?
Naya: Goes all gooey eyed The precious is the most wonderful thing... It's juicy and sweeeeeeeeeet...
Yugi: Looks at bottle and then hides it in his pocket No, I haven't seen your...err...precious at all.
Naya: You're lying! Now gives us the precious!
Yugi: I don't have it, honestly! Light bulb appears above Yugi's head Ok, I do know where your precious is. And I'll tell you if you play a little game with me.
Naya: What sort of game?
Yugi: Tell me what's in my pocket. And you only have one guess.
Naya: Thinks for a moment and then narrows eyes as he sees the brown stain on Yugi's trousers THE PRECIOUS! YOU HAVE THE PRECIOUS! NOW GIVE IT TO US! Leaps after Yugi
Yugi: How could you tell?
Naya: Stops in midair You've got a big brown stain on your trousers...
Yugi: Damn it, I have? Looks down Crap, and they're my best pair too!
Naya: ROAR!!!!!!!!!!
Yugi: NO, DON'T KILL ME! HELP ME SOMEONE! Yodelling is heard in background Oh no, I didn't mean /that/ sort of help...
S. Chensu (in Bakura mode): I'll save you my love!
Yugi: Oh no, oh no, I do /not/ want your help!
S. Chensu (in Bakura mode): Sees chocolate sauce Chocolate sauce? On my love? Wahoo! Proceeds to run towards Yugi in a manic manner
Yugi: ARGH! Runs on his short stumpy legs from both Naya and S. Chensu Don't hurt me!
S. Chensu (in Bakura mode): I don't want to hurt you; I just want to love you!
Yugi: That's even worse! Stops suddenly when he runs out of breath Fine then, have your stupid precious back! Throws bottle of chocolate sauce to Naya Fetch!
Naya: Catches bottle and hugs it close to self The precious is ours once more! Naya is FREE!
Yugi: Sits down on the ground Phew, that's tired me out...
S. Chensu (in Bakura mode): Not too much I hope /my/ precious...
Yugi: Oh God, not you again! Sighs as S. Chensu sits down next to him and looks at his trousers What am I going to do with these?
S. Chensu (in Bakura mode): I'll help you get them off if you want...
Yugi: No, that's quite all right... 00;
S. Chensu: Leans forward No, I insist...
Yugi: MAI, HELP ME!
Naya: We now interrupt this official random author's note for a STREKS newsflash, the episode can finally be posted up after being blocked for two weeks because of a deleted story so now it is brought to you by S. Chensu and Luff Inc.
Episode twenty-eight: Haunted copseMarie watched warily as she stood at the edge of the woods, wondering what the worse thing that could be in there. Maybe it was a big ferocious bear, or a slavering wolf, or a man following her, axe shining in the moonlight as it cut her down, no one able to help...
No, I must stop thinking like that, it'll only make me feel even worse... She thought and she walked forward in determination, not letting her fears get to her as best as she could.
She looked up at the sky, stuffed in between the small gaps in the trees and saw that it was now a orange colour, tinted by pink at one end and purple the other, showing the different stages of sunset. Although it looked beautiful it only reminded Marie that soon it would be dark and if there was one thing she hated, it was the dark. But she had to get through, to see Tails again. And not just him but everyone else too. Maybe she would even find out who that mysterious person was who helped her. She had never really got a chance to thank them and considering what they had done for her, she should really try to find them again.
"I wonder who they were...I recognise them from somewhere, I don't know why though. After all, I don't anyone who can do that sort of thing and the voice was different and so was just about everything else but it's just a...feeling." She said to herself, so she could hear something else apart from silence in the evening air. Silence usually meant there was danger about and she'd rather not think about that possibility...
"It is dangerous to speak aloud in a place like this. It shows weakness..." Marie spun around in panic when she heard the voice but could see nothing, only trees glowing in the last of the light and in the far distance, a river, the one she had crossed over not long ago. How long ago was it anyway? There was little indication of time in this place and although the sky was getting dark, that did not mean it was night time. After all, she saw the various landscapes earlier and the skies seemed to be different for each one.
But I'm not supposed to be thinking about that. Where did that voice come from? She continued to look around her, still unable to find the source of the voice. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I cannot answer the first one but as to the second one...do you not want someone to keep you safe? Just think of me as your guardian angel." They seemed to say this bit kindly and so Marie tried to be relieved. At least they hadn't hurt her yet.
"Will you help me get to where I've got to get to?" She said, stepping towards where she thought the person was.
"Yes, I will help you. You deserve it, after all, you must find your friends."
Suddenly a wind swept through the air and Marie covered her face with her arm, squinting against the wind. Soon it died down and she looked up, gasping when she saw the person in front of her. It wavered in the air, like the atoms were struggling to stay together but soon they condensed into what was almost definitely a female, although they were still near invisible. It stood in front of her and looked down, see through holes where her eyes were supposed to be. Marie shivered slightly, turning around and walking forward hesitantly.
"How long will it take us to get there?" She asked quietly, feeling, rather than hearing the figure fall into step with her.
"As long as you need to take." It merely replied, seeming to shrug its shoulders.
"Are you not affected by this place then?"
"Yes, but not in the same way as you. This is what the place has decided to test you with; it is up to you to pass its test. I can only watch over you, I cannot interrupt in anything it decides to do." It fell into silence and Marie frowned, wondering what they meant by her being tested.
"Will it be hard?" She said nervously, shooting the figure a glance and it turned to look at her, laughing.
"It depends on whether you think you can pass it or not." It replied, continuing to chuckle to itself.
"What's that supposed to mean? How am I to know whether I can pass if I don't even know what it is?"
"Don't you? I obviously didn't think that bit would need to be explained to you." It paused in its talking. "Take a look around you, if you dare, and then maybe then you'll realise what it is."
Marie was just about to turn around until she heard the words 'if you dare'. What was nearby that was so bad? At least she wasn't alone anymore... So she looked around her and saw that the main colour was now black and suddenly the trees seemed to have grown by several feet, hanging over the path they were walking along, looking like fingers that were brushing through her hair while the wind seemed to run up and down her skin, going through her clothes and touching her everywhere. She shivered in fright, she had never experienced anything like this before and all she could tell was that she definitely did not like it. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to block out the feeling but failing as it increased, completely taking her over...
She heard a crackling noise and opened her eyes, widening them when she saw a wall of fire gradually going all the way around her. At first she panicked, thinking it was trying to hurt her until she realised that she couldn't feel any heat or pain from the flames. It was then she also noticed that the sensation of being touched didn't seem to exist anymore either. Soon it was completely gone, as was the fire and she sighed in relief until she saw that the figure was also gone. All that was left behind was a branch lying in front of her, a fire smouldering on the end, yet it wasn't burning anything. She picked it up, thankful for the little light it provided as she continued onwards.
Just think of me as your guardian angel... She gasped when she heard the voice in her head but recognised it as the person from earlier. It was nice to know she was still being watched over, even if she couldn't see them...
As Marie continued into the night, she soon realised the true properties of the flame. Despite the fact the branch was big, it was actually quite light to carry and the fire seemed to increase in its intensity whenever she felt scared. It dulled when she was going in the wrong direction too and soon she could feel herself travelling upwards to what she assumed was that strange black building.
She knew that that building was the centre of everything and that when she got there, she would see the others and maybe it would lead them to Sonic and Shadow too. But what happened if she couldn't get in, if there was another challenge she had to complete? What would it be and could she succeed? She suddenly thought back to the words of the person from earlier: It depends on whether you think you can pass it or not. Marie knew she could do anything this place threw at her; after all, she was here for a reason. And she wasn't going to stop until she found everyone again. She was going to prove her worth...
"But first you must complete the test." There was no tone in the words, like a robot had said them, merely an instruction. She looked at the steps leading up to the doors and started walking up them, her steps slowing down as she reached the top. She stared at the dragon on the front, rearing up, challenging whoever tried to enter the place.
"What do I have to do?" She asked, mainly to herself and was therefore surprised when she saw words appear on the door, erasing the dragon from her sight.
In Spring I look gay,
Decked in comely array,
In Summer more clothing I wear;
When colder it grows,
I fling off my clothes,
And in Winter quite naked appear.
It's a riddle... That bit was obvious; the bit she was worried about was the answer. It could be anything... But it can't, there has to be an answer otherwise they couldn't ask it...
She thought about things that changed throughout the year and wore clothes of some sort. She could have said a person but she didn't know anyone who was crazy enough to not wear clothes during winter but wear loads in the summer. Maybe she was looking at it the wrong way...
"Oh I don't know!" She huffed and slumped onto the ground, tired and wanting a rest. She stared at the scenery before her, leaves falling from the trees as she shivered from the wind blowing through the air. "Wait a minute!" She looked at the trees again. They were losing leaves but it was getting colder... "It's a tree!" She said gleefully and punched the air when the words lit up, the door gradually opening.
Marie stepped inside and wondered at the unlit torches. It felt like someone had been here recently but they hadn't done anything and she suddenly remembered the branch in her hand. She lifted it up to light the brackets on the wall and soon there were several crackling noises as they burnt away. Now she could see better she took a look around but stopped when she saw the light bouncing in front of her. Ignoring the room and what was in it, she stepped forward and ran her hand through the ball, gasping when she felt herself getting lighter...
Yugi: MAI, HELP ME!
Mai: Comes running onto the screen Sorry hon, I've got other, more important things to do!
Yugi: What could be more important than this predicament?
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): Me, heh heh...
Yugi: ARGH!
Luff (In Téa mode): Scanning the area manically Right, where is it, where is it?
Nasha: Where's what?
Luff (In Téa mode): The pig!
Yasha: What pig?
Mai: The pig known as the people. Luff's just had her story deleted for having too much Sprite in it!
Yasha: What, you mean that wonderful mixture of lemon and lime in a drink?
Mai: No, not literally! Some people are /so/ dense...
Yasha: Who are you calling dense?
Mai: You truly are a moron...
Yasha: Watch it or I'll use this on you! Brandishes a flamethrower
Mai: And what do you think you're going to do with that?
Yasha: Just watch and learn! Turns the gas on then presses the button Moohaha, I rule over all!
Luff (In Téa mode): PIG!
Yasha: Suddenly stops Where? Where's the pig? Sees a very fat pink thing cowering away from Luff and her roast spit spear PIG! Goes completely crazy and starts running after it
Pig 's true form): Please don't hurt us; we only wanted to protect the minds of the innocent ones...
Téa: Well they should have read the warning then, shouldn't they?
Pig 's true form): It's got nothing to do with us! Squeals loudly and continues running HELP ME!
Everyone else: NO!
Yasha: Mad glint in eyes Pig, pig, pig, pig... Continues chanting as the pig is finally cornered
Luff (in Téa mode): Now we've got you...
S. Chensu (In Cosy-Heart penguin mode): No, don't hurt him my friends!
Mai: Get out of the way, you stupid purple ball of fluff!
S. Chensu (In Cosy-Heart penguin mode): No, forgive the pig and feel your hearts warm up!
Luff (In Téa mode): Shut up! Skewers S. Chensu
S. Chensu (In Cosy-Heart penguin mode): I only wanted to be your friend... Dies
Luff (In Téa mode): Flings S. Chensu away Right, now that that's finished with, let's get back to the real problem...
Yugi: Yeah, the fact I've got a very horny tomb robber slobbering over me... No, not the shirt, please...
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): But you look so much better without it on...
Luff (In Téa mode): No, not that! The problem of the pig!
Yugi: I've /got/ a problem with a pig too!
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): Me? You're the only one out of the two of us who squeals whenever they're... Lowers voice hot and bothered...
Yasha: Yuck, we don't want to hear that!
Mai: I agree, let's finish the pig off! Turns back to the pig and finds it has gone ARGH, IT'S DISAPPEARED! Where the hell has it gone?
Luff (In Téa mode): I don't know but we have to find it now!
Yasha, Mai and Luff run off the screen
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): Finally, we're alone...
Naya: Hello, what are strange people doing on the floor with no clothes on?
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): DAMN IT, WHEN AM I GOING TO GET MY LOVE TO MYSELF?
Yugi: Never, hopefully...
Naya: Let's go and hunt some smelly orcs-es precious!
S. Chensu (In Bakura mode): You may have got out of it this time little Yugi but I /will/ have you...
Yugi: Hopefully not before the end of the story...
Naya: Next from the S. Chensu and Luff Inc. is an important notice!
Thank you for all the reviews, we're now feeling confident that we can reach one hundred before the end of the story! But until then, many thankies again and tell us what you think of any part of this story! Did you like the official random author's note or not? Did you like the chapter? Are you fed up of us not putting stuff up on time? If you have any comments, please feel free to tell us about them!