Author's Note: Everything I've thought up is MINE, everything else ISN'T.

Yay! I updated! A glitch had rearranged the chapters, so I fixed that. The contest page isn't there anymore, so if you're new just ignore the Contest-based comments for now.

Chapter 37- Okay, So Maybe Not A Mongoose…

The darkness didn't fade, only to change in quality. Bakura found himself floating in spirit-form, Ryou off to his right. Around them were the forms of Nessert, Nicole, B, and Heather, yet Andro was nowhere in sight.

"Where are we?"

"The Lowest Abyssal Plain, home to the Old Ones, some higher-level demons, and a few great Spirits."

This was stated with the matter-of-factness that they had come to associate with B, though this time there was slight awe in the berserker's voice.

"Why did you bring us HERE?"

Bakura was somewhat annoyed at the round-about way his host's new 'friends' acted. There was a booming from the darkness as something very, very big shifted.

"Because. If you turn into something temperamental, like a fish or something, this place will keep you alive. And if you do something stupid, instead of blasting us all to Hell this place will compensate for it."

A great, jet-black draconian head lowered into view, regarding the white-haired thief with amused, ember-red eyes. The head was nearly twice the size as the head of Osiris(1). Ryou started.

"Wh-who are you?"

The thing laughed, a booming, yet cheerful sound.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm hurt now…"

Heather pointed up at the dragon-head.

"That would be Andro."

"But…"

The eyes closed.

"I'VE TOLD YOU. I'm not human at all, what you see is really me. Hehe, that rhymed…"

Nessert nodded.

"Andro is an Archdemon, a minor deity. He just keeps being stupid so the Higher Dark Ones keep sealing him in a human form."

"Keeping your world from ending isn't stupid…"

"Bothering the Gods is, though… and ending the world IS your job."

"Good point. Isn't it yours also?"

"Only if Amun-Re says I should."

"Isn't he dead yet?"

"I… I'm not really sure."

"…"

Nicole rolled her eyes at the bickering duo, Bakura and Ryou sporting identical looks of confusion.

"But, wasn't he a king in his past life? And isn't she a mortal?"

"Yes, but that was just his first HUMAN life. This, right now, is his 8th. And Nes' is a mortal, but her… er… actions in the past have caught the eye of a certain solar deity and…"

Laura bounced impatiently.

"Come oooooonnnnnnn! We have to staaarrrttttt!"

Nessert and Andro both looked at the little were-child, back at each other, and nodded. The dragon sighed slightly and shrank down, becoming the familiar Gothic-giant. Nessert immediately took command.

"Alright. Ryou, Bakura. Close your eyes and relax."

They did so.

"Now, picture everything that makes you physically and culturally human. Let those slip away. Then you'll feel weird, but don't try to pull away from that or you'll never be able to change."

Ryou did so, pushing away language, and culture, and the familiar human body he had also had. Then, in the back of his mind, a soft, warm feeling began to spread. The feeling slowly seeped into his entire consciousness, then throughout his body. He could feel the 'world' around him becoming bigger, somehow. After a few moments the feeling vanished.

"Now, THAT'S interesting."

Heather sounded curious, her voice somewhat louder than usual.

"You two can open your eyes."

Ryou did so, only to notice that everything looked… off. His friends were drained of almost all color and seemed taller, bigger. The edges of things were blurry and he was very, very nearsighted.

"Congratulations! We have a ferret and a jackal (2)!"

Ferret-Ryou blinked and looked towards where his dark-half had been, suddenly finding himself face-to-face with a larger, goldish-furred shape. The jackal blinked back at him.

Nicole grinned, shedding her human form for the house-cat body.

"What do you think?"

"This is great!"

Bakura spoke first, unbridled joy in his voice.

"This is like- I can see use for this!"

Nessert snickered, Ryou's snow-white form bouncing over to his changed alter-ego

Osiris- The original name of Slifer the Sky Dragon

Ferrets- This little animals were, believ it or not, first domesticated by the Egyptians. Like cats, they were used as mousers, but they also occasionally ate what they were guarding and are very partial to eggs.

Jackals- Made famous by Anubis, jackals were an animal native to Egypt. The reason they were worshiped as gods was that the Egyptian logic was that if you appeased an animal, it would stop being a pest. Jackals would eat corpses, so they worshiped Anubis in hope that he would tell his living-incarnations to stop that. This is also the logic behink Sobek, the crocodile god.