Disclaimer: Authoress does not own Yugioh or Black&White


-

((C'mon, we're almost there! Push harder!)) Laurel cried, yelling as loudly as she dared.

((We're pushing as hard as we damn well CAN!)) Ripclaw bellowed back.

The very next evening, right at sunset, Laurel had snuck back to the hole. The three imprisoned Creatures had been waiting for her. After hearing her plan the previous night, Tap-Tap and Soup had both been eagerly looking forward to any chance at freedom. Ripclaw, skeptical and cynical, had been less than enthusiastic about it but was willing to help anyway. Now he and Tap-Tap were shoving Soup through the barrier-membrane while Laurel pulled on the cow's hooves with her paws as hard as she could manage.

The barrier crackled alarmingly and both Soup and Laurel were in serious levels of pain, but after only ten agonizing minutes the cow Creature suddenly slipped through, almost crushing Laurel underneath her when they both landed on the dirt.

((I think I like this idea,)) Ripclaw chuckled, watching the two Creatures now on the other side of the barrier pick themselves up.

((That's excellent,)) Laurel sniffed, ((Because you get to go through next. Is everybody ready?))

With only a minimum of shoving and swearing, Ripclaw popped through the barrier. Laurel made certain to sidestep the wolf's fall, letting the other Creature land face-first in seawater. Tap-Tap was the last of them out, and turned out to be the easiest to free of the trapped three as well. The sheep had a level of pain tolerance that was more than slightly frightening to behold.

Sheep and cow both eagerly dunked themselves in the seawater, glad to be free. Ripclaw shook himself dry and moved to stand beside Laurel.

((And now what, Oh Ingenious One?)) he inquired.

((Now we must find Cassaka's weak point and use it to free our masters, of course,)) Laurel answered, ((Surely, after being her guest for so long, you've managed to discover something we can use?))

((Grrr…nothing,)) Ripclaw admitted, ((Except that her voice is torture to listen to…and I used to think that my master was a expert in torment!))

((His boss has always be-e-e-e-e-e-en evil,)) Tap-Tap suddenly added, ((I remember that mine was go-o-o-o-o-od once…))

((Even when your stupid master stopped fooling around with his goody two-shoes act,)) Ripclaw snarled at the sheep, ((He was never anything like mine!))

((And my mistress is the most evil spirit here,)) Soup pointed out, ((Even though we're immune to her voice, we might as well still be stuck in that hole again for all the good it does us.))

((Doesn't she have a weakness? Even just one thing that could possibly be used against her?)) Laurel asked Soup.

Soup's face scrunched up as she thought. For several long minutes, there was no sound save the faint lapping of waves against the shore. Tap-Tap and Ripclaw, for all their groaning and moaning, truly did want to get their own masters back.

((I think there's one thing that can stop her,)) Soup finally answered, ((It happened so long ago, I'd almost forgotten about it…Creatures and animals are immune to her voice, but if a human or a god became deaf, they'd become immune as well. And the only thing that can break the spell Cassaka puts on humans and other gods is if her victims hear her name said backwards.))

((Backwards!)) the other three Creatures chorused in disbelief.

((Yeah,)) Soup said, ((But it has to be said out loud, not telepathically. So that's why I've never been able to use that information before.))

((And where are we supposed to find a deaf human?)) Ripclaw demanded, ((Humans are never born deaf…and I'm not exactly an expert at ear removal.))

((But you'd love to learn,)) Laurel said.

((Naturally,)) Ripclaw replied with an extremely toothy grin.

((What about a-a-a-a-an old human?)) Tap-Tap wondered.

((What are you bleating about now?)) Ripclaw snapped.

((The pi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ink lady makes all her really old and sick people leave the village,)) Tap-Tap mentioned, ((Humans go deaf when they ge-e-e-e-e-e-et old, don't they?))

((Tap-Tap, you need to lead the way to where those people are sent,)) Laurel said with a purr, ((I think we'll finish this 'Akassac' goddess off yet!))


-

Something was very wrong. Yuugioh could tell easily, and he could also tell that the green god and the yellow god, whose names he had yet to learn from Cassaka, could also tell. The day had started off as perfectly wonderful as every other single day he could remember - a fact that made him feel strangely giddy - but when noon came around and it was time to feed the animals…there were absolutely no animals to be found.

"But where could they have gotten to?" Cassaka was fretting, "The poor little things! What if they get themselves hurt somewhere? They might get lost, or be hungry…"

Despite Cassaka's always-pleasant tone, the three observing gods could feel an undercurrent of something strange in her voice. It almost felt…sinister…but that was silly, wasn't it? Of course it was.

The villagers were all on their knees, apologizing profusely over and over for not knowing where Cassaka's pet animals had gotten away to. There weren't even any footprints.

"That's why I put the barrier up," Cassaka sighed, "It would break my heart if something terrible happened to them, which is why I don't want them to wander away in the first place…"

-

((You, have a heart? I doubt it!))

Yuugioh jumped in midair, Cassaka's other guests jerking in surprise as well at the sudden noise. No, wait…that hadn't been a noise, had it?

'…Telepathy?' he pondered, wondering at the same time why that seemed so oddly familiar to him…

"It came from down there," the green god said after another moment.

And down there stood, unbelievably enough, Cassaka's pet animals! And with them was another animal, a cat of some kind. What was going on here?

"Oh, how wonderful! I was so worried that something awful was going to happen to you, but now that you've returned, everything is fine once more," Cassaka said, "And you've brought a new friend to join us, how simply marvelous!"

((Hearing the sound of your voice IS something awful happening to us,)) one of the animals said.

"Now, now! Don't be so silly," Cassaka crooned, "Now, lets all go back home!"

"Did you know those animals could talk?" the green god wondered.

"Maybe," the yellow god shrugged, "Seems kind of weird to me."

"…I think I knew that they could talk," Yuugioh said, "But I couldn't seem to realize it until they did talk. Is it just me?"

"No, I think I'm getting the same feeling," the yellow god answered.

"Extremely creepy," the green god added.

"Come now," Cassaka said, her voice suddenly somehow seeming a lot less light and cheery, "Enough of this silliness. We're all friends here, aren't we?"

((Why, of course we are,)) said the cat animal.

((We are?)) one of the others asked.

((Yes, we are,)) the cat stressed, ((That's why we brought these surprises here with us. Surprises to share with our friends. Remember?))

((Oh ye-e-e-e-eah,)) the sheep animal answered.

"Surprises?" Cassaka giggled, "Ooh! I simply adore surprises!"

((That's great,)) the cat creature said, ((Why don't your three gentlemen friends come down closer, and we'll all enjoy the big surprise together.))

The second Cassaka called up the invitation to come closer, Yuugioh found himself in a mini-war for the closest position to their enchanting hostess while still getting a good view of the surprises. As was usual, the green god won the best spot, and Yuugioh was stuck floating near the cat animal.

"Well? Let's have the surprises then!" Cassaka demanded.

((As you wish,)) said the cat animal.

All four animals opened their paws/hooves up to reveal…humans? Some of which were old humans to boot! It sure wasn't anything like he expected, Yuugioh had to give them that.

"Humans aren't much of a surprise," he mentioned aloud.

((No, but this is - say it!))

"Hello, Miss Akassac!" the humans greeted Cassaka at the top of their voices.

There was a very long and very, very quiet moment as the last word the humans said registered. It felt like the world had just gone into photo-negative. And it almost seemed like a dam had broken wide open inside Yuugioh's brain.

Whatever the animal's surprise had…no, he corrected himself, Creatures. They were Creatures. One of them was his Creature, but somehow he couldn't remember what her name was…

"I'm terribly sorry," Cassaka said, "But what did you just say? I must have misheard you, dearies."

The humans seemed to listen to something only they could hear, before turning back towards Cassaka and replying, "No…we…said…AKASSAC!"

Cassaka shrieked and bolted upwards, knocking the other two gods to the side as she went. They didn't really seem to notice it - now all three of them were becoming disoriented.

"What…did they…DO!" the green god cried, spiraling erratically.

"My head…splitting," groaned the yellow god.

((Master, please tell me you recognize me,)) the cat Creature said.

"…Did somebody get da numbah of da mountain dat hit us?" wondered a familiar voice by Yuugioh's ear.

He head felt like it was ripping in half, two utterly conflicting mindsets attempting to drive out and eliminate the other inside his brain. Yuugioh sank lower as he vainly attempted to pull himself together.

"Don't stay down there with those nasty beasts," Cassaka suddenly called from wherever she had gone off to, "Come on you three, scoot over this way, chop-chop!"

((Tap-Tap, grab him!)) someone yelled.

In the same instant that Yuugioh attempted to dart upwards, a pair of enormous hooves slammed him down to the ground. Without even being able to remember anything clearly, this triggered a sense of serious déjà vu in him. As well as a case of full-blown panic. But no matter how hard he struggled, Yuugioh couldn't break free of the hooves' grip!

"Let me GO!" he cried, his glow wildly flickering as he thrashed helplessly.

((What do we do now? Your god's completely cracked, cat!))

((Um…Soup? What should we do?))

((Leave this to me,)) said a new telepathic voice.

Some of the humans were placed on the ground nearby. At a cue from one of the Creatures, three of them began speaking at once.

"Akassac, Akassac, Akassac!" they recited.

Every single trace of Yuugioh's mental turmoil vanished instantly. In it's place came memories that were painful to think about, along with an excruciating headache that hurt even worse. Still trapped underneath disturbingly familiar hooves, Yuugioh sagged into the dirt with a groan.

((Master?)) Laurel's voice cut in. ((Are you all right now?))

"…I think I'm going to throw up," Yuugioh mumbled.

"Ditto on dat one Boss," Luster added.

"What a horrible experience," Lupine agreed with a shudder.

((Tap-Tap, let go of him now,)) Laurel told whoever was pinning Yuugioh down.

"Wait, did she say Tap-Tap? As in Alastor's Creature, Tap-Tap?" Lupine gasped.

((Will he be good for go-o-o-o-o-od now?)) someone wondered as Yuugioh was carefully lifted into the arms of his Creature.

((I bet he'll go scurrying back to that pink witch the second she opens her filthy trap again,)) another of the Creatures sneered.

"…Laurel, do I dare ask…why you seem to be allied with both Alastor's and Dekos' Creatures?" Yuugioh finally managed to ask.

((Not just us, eyeball-brain,)) Dekos' wolf Creature laughed, ((Soup here actually belongs to the pink eyesore over there. Ain't life just full'a surprises?))

"This is interesting," Lupine noted, "I didn't realize that other Creatures could communicate telepathically…I wonder if all Creatures can do it?"

"And I wonder why dat was so important dat you had ta share it wid us right dis very second," Luster snorted.

((I'm really not certain if he'll be permanently cured,)) the large cow Creature, apparently called Soup, said, ((This is the first time I've seen anything like this. I guess covering his ears so he can't hear anything is a good precaution…))

As soon as Soup finished uttering the word 'precaution', Lupine and Luster both lunged for one of Yuugioh's ears. He jerked in surprise, but since he was still being securely held in Laurel's arms he couldn't get out of the way.

When each Conscience lodged himself in front of an ear, all Yuugioh could hear was the faint whirring noise that normally accompanied each Conscience. Normally the sound was ignorable, but when it was right in his ear it was both very loud and extremely annoying, drowning out all other sound.

'I am not going to be able to take this for very long,' he thought.

((I guess that'll work,)) Laurel said, purring in amusement at the sight, ((Now all we need to do is grab Dekos and Alastor.))

"I suppose if we must," Yuugioh sighed, his voice sounding very odd with his ears blocked up.