The Shadow Sands

by Yami-AJ Yu-Yu-InuCaptor

Ancient Egypt,Atem the pharaoh Bakura the thief, their paths will never cross…unless the things Bakura wants the most are in the hands of a pointyhaired ruler, and the shadows draw near…. The downward spiral begins

4. Labrynth Labours

Yami AJ: Welcome to another chapter of the brain mush that is the Shadow sands! :holding light saber and wearing black cloak: As you probably don't know, I LOVE STAR WARS! I saw revenge of the Sith and it was so COOL! Poor Obe-Wan Kanobe, he was there 'YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BATTLE AGAINST THE SITH, NOT JOIN THEM!' and Akikin was screaming 'I HATE YOU!' and Obe-Wan was saying 'YOU WERE MY BROTHER ANIKIN! MY BROTHER!' what others lines were good……. :pushed to the side by Bakura:

Bakura: I AM STRAIGHT! I AM NOT GAY! :has light saber, wearing black cloak:

Yami AJ: :pushes Bakura: NO ONE TAKES ME AWAY FROM MY OBSESSED STAR WARS FAN MOMENTS!... Anyway, IT'S ALL PADME'S FAULT!

Padme fans: :prepare to stab and stone:

Yami AJ:o.o;;;Hey, I didn't know there was a real following for Padme….I like Padme as much as the next person, but the true reason that Anikin seems to join the dark side is because he wants to save Padme, so if Padme was never pregnant he wouldn't have gone to the dark side in order to save her from dying in childbirth…..I know it isn't really Padme's fault, I just want someone to blame for Anikin turning against Obe-Wan and Master Windu, and getting all disfigured from the burns he receives from fighting with Obe-Wan…… YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY FAVOURIRE JEDI A. SKYWALKER! Anyway, the characters of the Shadow sands will be acting like fan boys and girls and re-enacting Star Wars scenes… ACTION!

Ash::hold up card that says 'Sen is Obe-Wan, Bakura is Anikin, Mahado is Yoda, Shada is Master Windu, Renora is Padme, Kaiba is Chancellor Palpatine, Thoth is General Grievous, Yugi is R2, Mana is a Jedi, Isis is a Jedi':

Sen: :has light saber, wearing dark brown cloak, standing on moving platform that's in the middle of a rushing river of molten lava, fighting with Bakura: WHY BAKURA!

Bakura: : wearing black cloak, fighting with Sen, light saber is knocked out of hand: YOU!

Sen::jumps onto high ground: GIVE UP BAKURA! I'm on higher ground! Just give up….

Bakura You underestimate my powers :jumps and lands on edge, falls and begins to get burnt: OWWW! THAT BURNS! SHIT! CRAP! HELP ME DAMNIT! : pulls self out of lava:

Ash Ummm…Bakura. The lava is actually computer generated, those aren't your lines and you can't get out of the lava.

Bakura Whatever. :moves back: AHHHHHHHH!

Sen::shakes head sadly: Why Bakura-

Bakura: THOSE AREN'T YOUR LINES!

Sen: We're allowed creative license, we had add or change a few words. Anyway. YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP US DEFEAT THE SITH, NOT JOIN THEM AND DESTROY US!

Bakura: AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Sen: YOU WERE MY BROTHER BAKURA!

Bakura::burning really badly, legs are burnt, skin is peeling and stuff: I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!

Yami AJ: ;.; :sniff: That's one of the saddest moments in the movie. :wipes nose on Atem's shirt:

Atem: Oh Ra. NEXT SCENCE!

Thoth: :has 4 light sabers, wearing robotic armor: It will be a pleasure for General Grievous to take your life, Jedi scum. Wheeze :makes deep breathing noises:

Sen: Oh really?

Thoth: General Grievous thinks so……Thoth does not know. He is going to read. :walks off:

Yami AJThat's the problem with having bibliophiles.

Joey: Bibliophile? What's that? Someone who stalks books? HAHAHAHH!

Others: :stare::crickets chirp:

Ash:A bibliophile is someone who loves and collects books. They love to read, and Thoth is obviously an obsessive bibliophile.

Joey: Really?

Yami: NEXT!

Shada::activates light saber as door opens: Chancellor, you are under arrest.

Kaiba: Oh really :smirk: We'll see about that.

Mana, Isis and Shada: :rush forwards: AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Kaiba::looks at nails as a wall of fangirls appear blocking the hit: Thank you fangirls.

Fangirls::dying or already dead: WE LOVE YOU KAIBA! :die:

Joey: :talks out walkie-talkie: clean up on set seven. NEXT!

Mahado: : has cane and white robe: defeat you, I must. Evil, you are.

Kaiba: HAHHAHH! Foolish Jedi, you cannot fathom my power. MWAHHAHA!

Mahado: :activates light saber: The jedis I shall avenge.

Kaiba: MWHAHAHAH! :activates his light saber::him and Mahado stand there: Want to grab a coffee?

Mahado: I'll take a hot chocolate :him and Kaiba leave with light sabers:

Ryou: NEXT!

Bakura: We can rule together, you and me Padme : Glares at Yami AJ: WHY IS RENORA PADME! I DON'T LOVE RENORA!

Renora::glares:

Others: SO, WHO DO YOU LOVE?

Bakura; I'M NOT GAY! Forget it. We can rule together, you and me Padme.

Renora::eyes rim with tears, backs up and shakes head: What's happening to you Bakura? You're walking down a path that I can't follow….you're breaking my heart….

Bakura: Good…I mean, No, Padme….

Renora: Obe-Wan was right about you…..

Sen: :appears in doorway holding burger: Sorry O.O :eats bacon-cheese burger:

Bakura::points at Sen: YOU! YOU TURNED HER AGAINST ME!

Renora NO BAKURA!

Bakura: You're with him…..

Renora PLEASE BAKURA, PLEASE LISTEN!

Bakura::begins to choke her using the force: COOL!

Sen: NO BAKURA! :uses force on Bakura:

Bakura::drops Renora:

Renora: X.X :gasping and wheezing:

Shefnu: o.o;;; Renora can act?

Haktep: How'd you get the force?

Joey: with the mystical powers of the authoress, nearly everyone has it.

Others:start slamming things against walls: WICKED!

Yugi: BEEP BEEP! :arms firmly at sides, spins around:

Yami and Atem: What's wrong with him?

Kaiba; He's being in character. He's playing the squeaky annoying, lackey robot. Know your place Yugi :throws coffee on Yugi:

Yugi: :squirms on floor and pretends to spark:

Random Voice: Hey…Where are Anzu and Tristian?

Yami AJ: Who cares. Oh yes, please welcome Varon, Amelda and Raphael to our happy :cough: dysfunctional, crack-pot :cough: family!

Duke: Why are they here? It's already crowed in the large infinite white space with random sets in it.

Yami AJ::shifty eyes: Ummm…..ok…..

Varon: You don't like us, then do something about it, mate.

Amelda and Raphael::crack knuckles and Duke walks away:

Bakura: HEY! Why are there Yami AND Atem? They're the same person.

Yami AJ: Yeah you're right :snaps finger and Yami disappears:

Yami:I don't care.

Bakura: HEY! Isn't that guy with the big hair called VALON not VARON?

Ash: :slides over to Bakura: HIS NAME IS VARON! DON'T BELIEVE THE AMERICAN DUBS! :begins beating Bakura with the metal part of her light saber:

Everyone: :suddenly begin to his each other with light sabers then all begin to beat up Yugi because he's still making squeaking noises:

Yami AJ: TIME FOR DUMB RAMBLINGS!

Everyone::gathers in a circle around Yami AJ covered in bruises and scrapes:

Yami AJ: Yami AJ is very thankful to her reviewers and gives them many thanks. She's very grateful for the good things they have said about her crappy writing, and would like to inform her reviewers that they are all better writers. Yami AJ's other fic has done the impossible, received more than 10 reviews per chapter. Hopefully the Shadow Sands will do that well, but if it doesn't then blah because my few reviews are just perfect :Ash throws potato:

Disclaimer: I own Yu-Gi-Oh. suddenly all bishounen dressed in skin-tight leather suits or their underwear

Kaiba: WHAT? This leather is making me sweaty clothes rip off

Yami AJ: n.n Ok, so if I owned Yu-Gi-Oh it'd be a bit like that and there'd probably be so yaio but it isn't like that, so I don't own it.

Bakura: Awww….does this mean I don't get to keep the suit?

Enjoy the chapter, happy reading people!

………………………………………………….

Terrible Truths: Labyrinth Labors

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

'When the secrets are known to all it will be too late……..too late for the words, too late for the actions…too late for the things that could have saved just one more life……but do not worry, I will give you the most valuable gift in the universe; time. Use it wisely, because you never know when yours will be over…..'

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Sound was not an option as the thief climbed the stairs, the bar shrouded in silence. Wood shards had been removed and walls cleaned in an attempt to hide that anything had happened. Two doorways stood neglected as the bandit placed their gloved hands to the only other door left; the door that stood at the end of the hall, covered in luminescent fragments of spells of protection and minor offense. The marks glittered in the darkness, growing dim on the practiced chants of the blue-haired magician.

They opened the door, feverishly praying that there would be no creaking of wood as they crept inside. Alone in the cold room they held the book in one hand, placing it on the floor before shutting the door behind them. The space was circular and as large as the main bar, a pool of water shimmering in the centre of the floor. Heavy stone tablets were along the walls, carved with smaller markings and rectangles. The darkness remained practically undisturbed, all the lamps in the window-less room left to hunger for a flame. The only source of light was a small bowl lamp that threatened to go out as the quiet one retrieved the book from the ground. They treaded slowly, gazing at their exposed face in the dark pool. A scroll on the floor rolled off its pile the green eyed one automatically in fighting stance.

A sigh was expelled in self doubt, the book-keeper stepping into the water, watching as ripples traveled across its surface. Marks shone on the ground beneath their feet, the whole ring shining with blue-green symbols, as they made their way to the small raised circle in the middle.

The golden cover had not closed properly after opening yesterday, but the silver covers did not look like they would soon be released. Sitting cross-legged on the island, the gloved one read the gold covers by the light of the magic markings. The silver covers were hard to read, the letters were raised, not engraved. Fingers traced the glyphs, brow creasing in confusion, and frustration that it was taking so long to understand even one line. The pages were encased within the silver, the thief abandoning the idea of ripping them out.

"You're so difficult," the crouching figure mumbled to the book, holding it closer to light. The floor creaked, the thief dropping the book in alarm. They inwardly screamed as the book hit the water, the front cover submersed although the back was left dry above the water. The thief picked up and book and knelt with it in their hands, staring at the golden cover that had escaped the water. " 'Some live by the spell and others by the blade, but through the merger of two souls will the darkness fade… the trade is of soul, blood is the key, offer up both and gain the impenetrable lee(1)…. '….That wasn't there yesterday…Thoth knows it…." The thief whispered, messy blue tresses falling in emerald eyes.

"And I know that the moon doesn't need company," a voice said from the doorway. Thoth looked up quickly, standing up immediately as Sen entered the room. Thoth's brother stood in his large nightshirt, long hair out of its regular ponytail, but still freakishly neat. Sen looked at the book with worried eyes, smiling when he saw the water droplets shimmering on the golden cover. "I know you want to open it T-"

"No. Thoth doesn't want to open it…..it's weird…."

"You bet your ass it's weird," Ari mumbled, messy red hair in his face. "I think we should burn it." He looked at Sen and ruffled his immaculate hair, making sure that the pale one's hair was just as untidy as everyone else's.

"That's silly Ari," Fasen objected, scratching his head. "It's covered in gold and silver….how exactly would be burn it."

"Same way as I would burn you. With fire," Ari replied bluntly.

Thoth and Sen rolled their eyes. "Thoth, why didn't you wake us up?" Fasen questioned, sitting in the same way Thoth had been on the edge of the pool.

"Thoth…Thoth wanted some alone time…..besides, it's too early…." Thoth whispered, crossing the water-ring to stand beside Fasen.

"Exactly," Sen and Ari said in unison. "That's why you're going back to sleep."

"Huh?" Fasen stood up and took the book from the Thoth, patting his head with a smile.

"You're going back to sleep. You need your rest; it's going to be a big day."

"Stop talking at the same time like that."

"Make us." Thoth slowly walked forward and bit them both in the arms.

"Time for bed our sissy, little, sister," the three chimed.

"Thoth is not your sister," Thoth grunted, crossing his arms. "You are more girl and Thoth and you call him a girl?"

"We know, but it's fun to call you a girl. Maybe we should call you a girl all day to make it go faster." Thoth pouted.

"Thoth really hates you guys. You suck."

"You know you love us," Ari said, throwing Thoth over his shoulder. "You better stop whining or we'll let Renora see you without your wrappings." Thoth was instantly silent.

"If we can't call you sissy sister, can we call you lover boy?" Sen joked as he picked up the lamp, following Ari out of the room as Thoth declared his eternal hate for the other brunette and the red-heads. Fasen winced as Sen yelped a second later.

"Thoth, don't punch Sen," Ari yelled. "You have to pinch or kick him." Ari whimpered as Sen punched him. Fasen sighed. He raised and eyebrow when he heard stomping and another voice.

"What the fuck is your problem," Asami asked in her white night-shirt, eyes slits as she glared at them.

"Morning Sami," Thoth said, from over Ari's shoulder, his wrappings covering his face from the nose down.

"Yeah, morning Thoth. Good to see you're our reliable alarm. As I was saying, what the fuck is your problem?"

"Asami, watch your language," Ari said.

"Hypocrite," Thoth coughed. Ari glared at him.

"I want to postpone the explanation for as long as possible, so what do you think you're doing awake so early?"

"But As-" Sen began.

"Yes I said to wake up early but there isn't even a crack of light. If you're going to be awake, keep your damn noise down for shit's sake," Asami said warningly, waving her finger at them.

"You look ugly today," Ari said with a grin. Asami's eye twitched and a vein throbbed in her head before she punched Ari in the jaw.

Ari: X.X;;;;

"It's too early to be a bitch, Ari," Asami hissed. "I'm going to tell your WO-MAN to beat you."

"Oh, kinky," Ari said. "You're a pervert Sami!" Sen sweatdropped. Thoth was silent, not catching the 'wrongness' in the statement. Asami didn't respond, Sen wondering if she had actually meant to be perverted.

Fasen closed the door and gave Asami a tired wave. "Shut up," Asami hissed.

Fasen smiled all the same. "Good morning, Asami. Did you sleep well?" Fasen asked. Asami stomped over to him.

"I'm going to skin you, and then I'll eat you," Asami said, biting Fasen's arm.

Others: O.O;;;

"Is it time to wake up already?" Shila asked from the end of the hall, clinging to a wide-awake Bakura. "I'll…go get…..breakfast…..uh huh…" Shila yawned, curling up on the floor.

"Be careful on your walk down the stairs, the only people not lying on them are Rayeel, Renora and Oberon," Bakura informed them, shaking Shila.

"I'M AWAKE!" Shila shouted, eyes barely open.

"How long have you been awake?" Asami questioned.

"Since Thoth woke up."

"Doesn't she look ugly today?" Ari said to Bakura. Asami punched him again.

"You're just in the mood for pain today, aren't you?" Asami questioned. "Where's Senna?"

"Senna can hurt me all she likes," Ari said slyly to annoy Asami and disturb Sen and Thoth. Asami punched him.

"Stop twisting my words," Asami ordered hitting him again.

"Let Thoth go, if Asami misses she'll hit him," Thoth demanded. Ari dropped Thoth on the floor. "Shithead."

"Language," Sen said quickly.

"Fuck," Asami said for no reason.

"Crap, shit, damn-it," Bakura mumbled.

"Bitch, whore, fuck," Ari continued.

Sen's cheeks had actually turned slightly pink as the three spewed profanities, the blue-haired magician grabbing Thoth and Fasen and pulling them away. He walked into a half-awake Renora, backing up when he saw the angry look on her face.

All: Oh no O.O;;;

She scratched her head and took a deep breath. "Why," she breathed, pausing for a moment. "Why can't we all just get along?" she asked, finishing with a weary smile. They all let out a sigh of relief.

"Really, Renora dear?" Shila asked rubbing her eyes.

"NO YOU IDIOTS! GET YOUR SORRY ASSES BACK INTO BED! THE ONLY PERSON THAT IS ALLOWED TO BE AWAKE SO EARLY IS THOTH AND THAT'S BECAUSE HE'S DEAD SILENT! FOR FUCK SAKE WHAT SHIT-HEAD IS AWAKE AT THIS HOUR!YOU'RE WORSE THAN RAYEEL! AT LEAST HE SAYS HE NEEDS HIS DAMN BEAUTY SLEEP! GO BACK TO SLEEP YOU BITCHES!"

Renora walked down the stairs, the group in the hall silent for a while. "It could have been worse," Shila sighed. They all stared at her doubtfully.

"Yeah," Bakura sighed as he walked away. "We could all be naked."

Others::Face fault: X.X

…………………………………………………………………….

Groups of soldiers spoke to each other in nearly inaudible murmurs, all waiting to be sent out into the darkness of the morning. The word 'sleep' had become a sudden obscenity in the palace, the mention of performing it or the complaint of lack of it resulted in harsh words and glaring eyes. Lamps stood blazing, the palace unusually bright this time of day. A few stars twinkled, the nearly full moon like a silver disk on a lake of black velvet. Clusters parted, bowing in respect as Nephthys entered the room, the Pharaoh nowhere in sight.

"Rise," Nephthys ordered softly, a small piece of cloth clutched tightly in her hand. They followed instructions, heads bowed seconds later as Shimon came in.

"Stop wasting time with all this formal nonsense," Shimon said sharply. "Bowing to me is for show, and right now we have no time for entertainment."

"Those of you who can summon, raise your hands if you please." Out of the thirty or so guards in the throne hall, five raised their hands unsurely. "How powerful are you?" They looked at each other doubtfully, and shrugged as three summoners entered the room, bowing quickly and joining the crowd.

"Put these on," Shimon instructed, handing them Dia Danks. He watched as the symbol slowly filled with golden light. "My queen, do we use them?"

"No," she said quickly. "I will not risk it," she said in an undertone to Shimon. "Report to the main hall for further instructions." The guards and summoners bent low once again and left briskly, Nephthys sighing and hanging her head. She coughed roughly before turning to the other person in the room.

"My queen…."

"Shimon," she whispered. He nodded to show she had his attention. "Promise me you will always protect my dear Atem."

"With my life, my Queen," Shimon pledged.

"I know you will not let me down…" she said with a smile, walking down the hall Bastet in her wake. Shimon watched as she got to the end of the corridor, two guards that had been assigned to her protection walking off behind her. The short man looked at the floor, shaking his head. Blood dotted the floor, the pharaoh's adviser knowing it had been expelled when the queen coughed. He made his ways down the corridor, noticing something small on the floor. He picked it up, brow creasing in distress. The small cloth that Nephthys had been holding lay bloody in his hands.

"Oh Shimon," Nephthys said with her usual 'I have to cheer everyone else up' smile. "Have you seen my….."

She gazed at the crimson and white cloth his hands, picking up Bastet and continuing to smile. "It's getting worse," Shimon breathed.

"Don't burden you mind with unnecessary worries," she said calmly, taking the cloth and dropping it into a lamp. "It'll go away eventually." Shimon nodded in unconvinced agreement. She tried to remain cheerful-looking as she walked away, hiding how the absence of her son was killing her. She arrived at the door to her room, the guards bowing as they departed. She walked in and gave a puffy-eyed Akunumkanon a reassuring smile and a tender kiss as he gazed at maps and leafed through books of magic and other subjects that might help. The queen of Egypt wandered from the desk to sit on the edge of her bed, away from her husband. Bastet meowed, a tear falling on her tan fur. Nephthys cried in total silence, her pain something she did not wish to share.

…………………………………………………………………….

"Do I really dave to be died up like this?" Shin questioned, his broken nose giving him an amusing nasal sound.

"What?" Renora asked sharply, watching him wiggle as she sharpened arrows.

"He asked 'do I really have to be tied up like this,'" Oberon said.

"Yes. You do."

The inhabitants of the bar were dressed, armed, wrapped and tired as they sat in the bar, the only ones in the mood for food being Shefnu and Thoth. At least two bowl lamps illuminated each table, shadows moving strangely along the walls. Asami dragged herself downstairs, everyone listening as the squeaky step creaked loudly under her weight, the door to the girl's room opening a few seconds later.

"I guess we're all ready," Asami said softly, taking a seat as Thoth and Shefnu stuffed the last roll into their mouths. Asami went over the things that she had told them about the game one more time.

"Before we start, I have one question," Oberon said. Everyone looked at him. "What is the room at the end of the hall that is locked with magic?"

"Meditation room, store room….it has magic books and scrolls in it, it also has a safety ring and tablets" Shila informed him. He nodded and there was silence, a bug chirping outside. Asami placed two golden die on the table, raised eyebrows shouting multitudes of questions.

Asami took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, Fasen deciding she was taking too long. He dropped a small pile of parchment squares on the table.

"Since Asami is still searching for words we shall begin," Fasen said brightly, Ari and Sen picking up the chair that Asami was sitting on and moving it to the side. Ari gave a weak smile and held up the square showing a simple drawing; one tall stick woman, and a tall stick man with five little stick girls beside them. Thoth clapped.

"Oh Ra," Bakura said, slapping his forehead.

"One day, a beautiful lady with five daughters realized she was going to have another baby," Ari began as if he were telling a fairy tale to a five year old. "She was very happy and so was her husband. That day, her husband went out and didn't come back for a long time," he continued, flipping it over to show a crying, stick lady with a broken-heart. "She was very sad…"

The next card was raised. It was carefully drawn, the lady's hazel eyes artfully sketched, her hair more than three long lines sticking out of her head. The lady with a round stomach looked fearful, the five children behind her crying as they gazed at the black figure before them; their father. "But when her husband returned, he was someone she did not know…" Sen said. He flipped over the card to show the woman holding a baby, a blue-eyed black haired baby. "The baby was born and she was called Asami. The day Asami was born, her father died…"

Oberon was twitching slightly, Rayeel biting the tip of his thumb in discomfort. Fasen slowly raised his card, Asami looking away. Everything had been drawn in charcoal, the mother clinging to her daughter as she was dragged away by a black mass with angry, gleaming eyes. "Although her father died, something remained. The something that he had brought with him on his return. It remained, and wouldn't leave and it wouldn't let them leave either," Fasen said softly. "It demanded the thing that the mother could not give, her newly born daughter. And so it waited…waited until the oldest daughter was thirteen. Then it took her…"

"It was no longer so patient. It would not wait for any age, it began taking them at random, pulling them off into the night with no warning, insisting that all would be taken if she did not give up the one who was now five years old. The mother cried…she was helpless…she had one child left," Ari said, his card showing a properly drawn person kneeling on the floor, one short, blue-eyed girl beside her. The room was black, the others noticing the same wicked eyes and gathering that it was the creature behind them. "It could not take the last child, for some reason, she had to be willingly given. And so it struck a deal, a deal that all the daughters would be returned in exchange for one."

"The mother did not agree," Sen continued. "She did not agree at first anyway… It began to cut, not just her, the one it seemed to need so desperately; harming them both mentally and physically. It had no form, it could not be fought, the mother was slowly losing her sanity, guilt beginning to eat her away. Then it did the thing that she thought it would never do, it attacked the five-year old, nearly killing her. It said it could save her so the mother gave her up….she didn't know what else to do. As promised the creature returned her other daughters, their skin unscarred, but their minds shattered and their bodies lifeless." Rhea's firmly crossed arms had fallen limply at her sides; her eyes still bored slits as she began to sweat. Renora looked away as Sen lifted his picture, Senna's head jerking backwards in shock as Bakura turned his head. Sen had drawn a small body lying in a pool of blood; wrists slashed and neck bloody as a clawed had reached for it from the dark. The eyes were wide open; the once blue orbs a dead shade of grey.

"When Asami was returned to her a few days later, she was barely alive. Her body was marred, her hair matted with blood. She could not speak; she could not move….she was in a sleep from which she could never wake. It explained what it was doing to her….." Fasen whispered, holding up another card. Shila was currently disturbed by their artistic talents, peeking at the picture through her trembling fingers. Fasen had drawn the sliced skin and the bloody flesh, the ripped clothing and the parental tears, the kneeling mother holding her child and the fragile young body in her arms. But he had also drawn the figure of darkness in the shape of a man, a man with disturbing eyes and satisfied smile. "He needed a vessel. Something through with energy could be channeled and powers manifested, no matter how much agony it caused. He wanted a window…."

"A window to what?" Bakura asked, his voice coming out as a choked whisper.

"To the future," Ari explained. "Through Asami he would be able to gaze straight into it, with no limitations and unexplainable power."

"But he forgot something," Asami said standing slowly. "He forgot her mother…" They stared, waiting for someone to continue.

"Magic," Sen said suddenly. "She was being used as a magic conductor." Senna was nodding but Renora looked lost. Sen quickly picked up a reed-pen, scrambling for a wet ink-block and beginning to scribble. He drew a circle in which he wrote 'MAGIC' and then drew a square and called it 'ASAMI'. "Asami was to be used as something to pick up and redirect magic energy. We don't know how he was able to do this but he failed in getting the window."

"Really?" Renora said bluntly. "Could have fooled us. Looks like she's still pretty 'window-ish'."

Sen nodded, drawing two more squares labeling one 'NALA'. "Asami's mother, Nala, was somehow able to divide the window. Asami remained with part, and she took the other part."

"So the window was broken?" Shefnu questioned unsurely. Sen shook his head.

"The window was simply divided, but not separated enough to make the biggest of differences. Nala was nearly dying herself because of her to escape…but the window was divided two times more…"

"Another member of my family is an experienced user of magic," Asami said. "They were able to take another part of the window."

"So the window is in three parts," Kana said.

"Four," Asami corrected. "Part was sealed into an inanimate object."

Sen added another box to his diagram. "Since the energy was broken into four parts, each recipient got a smaller amount of information, making all 'its' efforts nearly useless."

"What do you mean, 'nearly'?" Rhea asked.

"A small amount of information is information none the less," Ari mumbled, his face partially swallowed by the darkness. "He could access the information of either of the second holders, one was too powerful and the other had no mind to bend into submission. But the thoughts of two could still be read."

"But that thing can't see that much into the future if all Asami has is a feeble quarter," Bakura murmured. Silence. "Right?"

Sen drew a circle and divided in into twelve equal parts. "We will pretend that this is the figurative window," Sen said, leaning forward slightly, his face slightly yellowed by the flames. He shaded half of the circle. "This is how much the window Asami still contained."

"W-What?" Rayeel stuttered.

Sen shaded four more. "Amount that was taken my Asami's other family member." One triangle. "Amount taken by her mother-"

"What da hell?" Shin spat from the floor. Everyone turned, only just remembering he was there. "Your moder takes done lousy piece and leaves do with dat huge burden das da kid? What kind of parent is she!" (AN: Shin's nasal remember, he said 'Your mother takes one lousy piece and leaves you with that huge burden as a kid'.)

Asami's fist tightened. "You d-d-don't know her," Asami breathed through clenched teeth.

"I think she was afraid. She didn't want to suffer the way she saw you suffering after that thing took you; she was just giving you a bit of help so she could tell herself that she tried to help you! WHY IS IT SHE LET ALL OF HER FAMILY BE TAKEN? WHY DIDN'T SHE EVER OFFER HERSEF! THAT'S WHAT REAL PARENTS DO! PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU WILL DO ANYTHING TO SAVE YOU! EVEN IF IT MEANS THEY GET HURT, OR THEY HAVE TO SUFFER! SHE WAS SCARED AND THE MAGIC BARRIER WAS A SICKENING EXCUSE, SH-"

"SHUT UP!" Asami screamed. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" There was silence, a cricket chirped outside. Ari looked at Shin, not with eyes of hate but with eyes of an uneasy agreement.

"Sit down," Haktep said to Asami. She glared at him.

"I don't have to listen to you."

"Sit down," he repeated firmly. She sat loudly, banging her fist against the table.

"Aren't you supposed to be in on this as well?" Bakura questioned. Haktep unfolded his arms.

"You could say that. Now that you are informed on the past, we will move forward to more recent events. Do not butt-in while I am talking. No emotional outbursts even if you are learning something for the first time. There once was a boy, his name was Sen. He was unnaturally, magically powerful at a young age. He could summon by the time he was six. His brother Ari was also unusually powerful but had more destructive abilities. One day Sen and his sister, Nayami, stumbled upon a house that was quite some distance away from their village. Inside this house is where Asami had been locked away for all her life. He broke the seal on the house, she was able to get out, but her mother was bound to the house and couldn't leave until she gave up her part of the window. She quickly agreed but the creature failed in giving it to Asami, instead it was given to a child nearly the same age as Asami, that child's name was Fasen. When the power was given to him it was amplified and he gained a stronger sight than even Asami. Fasen and Ari's mother had died and the one who looked after him didn't notice that anything had changed for a long time." Shefnu's mouth opened and closed, Shila's doing much the same. Bakura turned to Thoth, noticing the thief's face had drained become sickly pale, eyes glimmering in confusion and a mixture of other unrevealed feelings. "Asami's mother had gained freedom but it was short lived. She fell into a sleep and hasn't woken up to this day. Her mind exists in a loop of suffering from which she may never be free. She is protected by a ring in Asami's house, but it threatens the same fate to Asami if she attempts freedom."

"How do you see into the future?" Oberon asked.

"Sometimes in sleep," Asami whispered. "Sometimes if you blink you can see flashes of it…"

"Does it hurt?"

Asami stood up and rolled up her sleeve, Shin seeing that someone other than himself was bandaged. She undid part of the cloth, words carved into the soft flash of her arm. "Every time I see, a small piece of my soul is taken away…"

"But not with Fasen," Sen said.

"Why not?" Oberon asked.

"Asami sees fragments of what is to come although she has the largest piece of the window. Fasen's piece is one of the smallest, yet he still sees more than her. The sight chose Fasen as a child, that creature can not hurt him the way he hurts Asami. Trust us, we know."

"Let's summarize," Haktep said calmly, desperate to end the discussion. "Mass of floating darkness equals killer of Asami's family, partial owner of her mind and soul and possibly her father, we don't know. Why he came yesterday? Asami has been sealing off her mind. Her thoughts, which include the sights, are transferred onto a solid object, the scroll, making them unreadable since they are pulled from her mind. Reasons he hates Ari, Sen and Fasen. Hates Ari because Ari does actually possess the power to kill him but will not, because Fasen might die (Fasen has part of the sight which is connected to creature). Reason he hates Fasen; he can see large chunks of the future but his mind is sealed sometimes even from himself, what's more, his visions come more often than Asami's. And reasons he hates Sen; Sen took Asami away from him, he can't kill Sen, Sen's mind can not be infected, Sen will not give Asami back and lots of other reasons. He hates me because I know so much about him. He hates all of you now because you still won't give up Asami even after that little display yesterday. And for some reason he really hates you two," Haktep said pointing to Bakura and Thoth. Bakura gave Haktep a blank, uncaring stare, but Thoth didn't move or show any sign he had heard. "I couldn't understand why he hates you, but he does. Where do I get this information? From Asami's coded scrolls. Oh I forgot, reasons he hates Asami; she will not come back, she will not give in, she will not listen, basic Asami information."

A wick slipped into the oil and went out, no one bothering to re-light it. "I'm really confused," Shefnu said. "I don't understand…I've seen you sisters, alive, moving, dancing, making us food…how can they be…"

"I needed them," Asami said. "I brought them back." Sen and Ari looked away. Shefnu shook his head and Senna and Shila covered their mouths. Rhea didn't move, Renora looking to someone for answers.

"What?" Renora squeaked. "What's so bad about using magic to help yourself…" Asami's eyes were downcast, her expression emanating shame.

"To perform a revival spell you must drain all of someone's Ka (life energy) and put it into the dead person," Bakura explained harshly. "Not once, but over and over, like a broken jug that you must continuously fill."

"You don't understand," Asami began. "I was alone after they left me, they promised to come back but I needed someone. He said he knew a way…I needed someone…I felt so alone."

"Who did you kill?" Shefnu hissed.

"I don't know. Just some p-"

"Who!"

"I needed them…." Asami cried.

"WHO!"

"A girl, some women and some men," Asami admitted. "They looked sick anyway."

"What did the girl look like?"

"I don-"

"DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW ASAMI!" Shefnu shouted, standing up so quickly his chair tipped backwards.

"I think her hair was-"

"Light brown, looked kind of red?" Asami nodded slowly. "Grey eyes? Bandaged leg! BEADED BELT? BEATING HEART?" Shefnu screamed hysterically. Shila tugged at his arm but he pulled out of her grip. "Her earrings didn't match did they?" he asked, his voice a hollow plea. Asami shook her head. "They looked a lot alike but they didn't match…." Shila was staring wide-eyed at Asami when she realized when Shefnu was going. "She was loud wasn't she? Is that how you found them?" Asami nodded. Shefnu was nodding too, Senna's lip quivering . "And one of the women was kind of old looking; her hair was already turning grey…." Asami had stopped nodding. "But her eyes were still as young as ever…"

Malik meowed, rubbing against Thoth with no reply. "I don't know how I still remember so much about her," Shefnu said softly, looking into the dancing flame. "I still envy anyone with a sister…or a mother…."

It had sunk in for those who had not understood. "His sister?" Rayeel said horrified, briefly glancing at Renora. "His mother?"

Asami had not looked up from the floor; her fist was tightly clenched at her side as she spoke. "Another life was bound to be ruined by me," Asami breathed. "That's all I'm good at…or maybe I'm a better liar." No one spoke for a while.

"Did it hurt?' Shefnu asked. Asami looked at him, gazing in awe at the forgiving smile on his face.

"They didn't feel a thing…they didn't even know I was there….but it's still no excuse…"

"I never said it was," Shefnu replied. "But kids make mistakes right?"

"Not mistakes like that."

"Everyone's life is different. Everything happens for a reason, right? Well maybe that was meant to happen so today we could talk about it and I would have even more of a reason to help you win this game…." Asami stared at him in shock. "You didn't expect me to drop out did you? Now I have another reason to kick his ass."

Bakura sighed, watching as Shefnu began to give Asami a noogie. Shila had let her head fall limply to the table, sighing as Shefnu insisted he was simply having an emotional moment and he wasn't going to kill Asami.

"They're so weird," Bakura mumbled. No nod of agreement or single word reply. Thoth's head was hung low, eyes lost in the shadow of his wrappings. "Are you ok?" Fasen and Sen looked at each other, Ari saying that the explanation had run more smoothly than expected. Bakura watched Thoth stroke the hilt of his sword, the thief not answering Bakura calls. "Were you expecting rainbows and flowers?"

"They lied to Thoth…" Thoth whispered. "Didn't he deserve to know the truth? Isn't he part of their family too?" Thoth asked desperately. Fasen turned to look at the pair, his semi-permanent smile drooping considerably.

"Thoth?" he asked. Thoth shook his head.

"Don't talk to Thoth," Thoth said.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? When were you going to tell Thoth? Or were you just waiting until Thoth HAD to find out? Isn't he part of your family? Doesn't he deserve to know?"

"We didn't want to burden you…you were already so scarred…we didn't want it to be worse, and we didn't know what 'he' would do to you if you got involved."

"So, what else aren't you telling Thoth?" he questioned, backing away as Fasen came closer.

"We were trying to protect you…"

Thoth squeezed his eyes shut. "THOTH DOESN'T NEED YOUR PROTETION! YOU DIDN'T ANSWER HIS QUESTION!"

Sen and Ari looked at Thoth, searching for something to fix the situation. 'Calm down...they were just trying to help you,' a voice echoed in the back of his mind. 'They're trying to help you.' He shook his head viciously.

"Stop being such an idiot, Thoth," Bakura shouted.

"Did you know, Kura?"

"No. If I did you know I would have told you."

"How does Thoth know? What does he know?"

"So are you going to doubt everything we say just because of one secret?" Ari asked, as Thoth backed against the door.

"Please, don't be so angry," Sen pleaded, not noticing as Thoth's hands fiddled in the locks. "We won't keep any more secrets from you."

"Your head was big when you were a baby," Ari said. "When you woke up and your plait was cut it wasn't Fasen, it was me."

"Your first amulet was the green stone," Fasen continued.

"Ari used to be a masochist (someone who hurts them self)," Sen added. "So was I." Everyone looked at Sen and he wondered if he should have chosen a better secret.

"Our mother said that you should have been bald because you hated to comb your hair," they said in unison.

Thoth's eyes suddenly opened wider than before. Our-Our mother? "Hawk," he said, his voice wavering. "You said…You said Ari and Fasen's mother had died…why didn't you say Thoth's and Sen's names too?" Haktep's mouth opened as he looked for a suitable reply.

"Thoth you have to understand," Fasen begged quickly. He had spoken too quickly; it was a desperate blurted plea. Thoth shook his head as if he was trying to shake away all he had learnt.

"No," Thoth pleaded. "No…."

Bakura wanted Ari to burst out laughing and scream 'YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE!' but it never came. He wanted Asami to climb on a table and announce that she was going to eat them if they didn't stop whining but she didn't. Rhea didn't finish Senna's witty sentence of insult. There was no Shefnu wisecrack, no Shila hard-slap, nothing….. There was silence until Thoth screamed, screaming in anger and confusion, hate and distress, betrayal and a sudden unexplained loneliness. Fasen took a step back, his hand over his heart as if the scream had injured him.

Thoth unlocked the last latch, and threw open the door, his bag already on his back and his saber in his hand as he ran off into the dark. Sen darted out a second later, jumping a table and gliding out of the door. Ari escaped the building after him, screaming Thoth's name as tore down the street after him. Bakura ran out after Fasen, the coldness of the morning slapping him in the face. He didn't know if he expected it to be brighter but he was still surprised by the sky's proud, unwavering display of black. He blinked rapidly and sped off after the red-head, screaming Thoth's name twice as loud as anyone else. Asami ran up beside him, her lip bleeding.

"What the hell happened to you?" Bakura spat.

"Shila slapped me…" Asami said in an undertone. "She said that I just ruined their lives…"

Bakura did not have sympathy to give, stopping as he saw Fasen staring into an alley way. His mouth was bleeding, and his eye was twitching, Bakura guessing he had been hit there as well. Bakura peered into the alley, watching Ari and Sen hold down a flailing, screaming Thoth. His wrappings had slid down his face and were now around is neck like a scarf.

Fasen looked at Thoth and tears rolled silently down his face, as he clutched Thoth's saber. Bakura listened to Thoth and knew that the blow had been swift and painful, the use of the first person told him so. "YOU'RE NOT MY FAMILY! DON'T TOUCH ME YOU BASTARDS!" Thoth screamed, attempting to break free of Sen's and Ari's grips.

"We are your family," Fasen said quickly, stepping closer. Bakura judged that Thoth had been the one to burst Fasen's lip and give him a bruised eye. "We've always been your family. Nehari (always) ( Author's Note: Remember that language that Haktep mentioned that is only spoken between the brother's four? Well I'm using it. Don't freak, I'll put translations)."

Thoth was panting from all the struggling and screaming. "Don't talk to me you stranger. I hate you. I HATE YOU!" Thoth yelled. Bakura could see them even in the dark, he watched as a tear slowly traveled down each of Thoth's cheeks. Sen's mouth was slightly agape as he looked away, long hair hiding his tear rimmed eyes. Bakura stared and continued to stare, not knowing what to do; he couldn't remember ever seeing Thoth cry.

"Please Thoth," Fasen begged. "You're my little brother, you always will be."

Thoth shook his head in bitter denial. "I HATE YOU! I HA-" Thoth was quiet, eyes wide as Ari slapped his face.

The other red-head was stationary, hand still out from the hit he had just inflicted. Bakura knew that Thoth's cheek had turned red. "Now, let's go home," Ari said, inwardly knowing that things would not just fall back into place. Thoth let his head fall against the ground, the long plait that was usually pinned up on his head falling limply to the floor. "Apologize to your brother." Thoth squeezed his eyes shut, not permitting another couple of tears to fall. "Apologize."

Thoth looked away from Ari only to meet Sen's injured eyes. "You don't mean it," Sen breathed.

"Even if you are my only real brother, Thoth means it," he growled. "I- mean- it. I hate you." Sen let go of Thoth's arm as if it had burnt him and shuffled back against the wall. He brought his knees to his chest and stared at Thoth with a smile. Bakura knew the smile all too well; it was the lost smile. The smile one gave because it was something to distract them from everything that hurt and burned inside, a smile that was fake but good for decoration. "I hate you even more," Thoth spat at Ari.

"No cake for a week," Ari said. Thoth didn't move from the ground. Sen turned slowly to Bakura, grinning broadly as he cried noiselessly.

"Did you just find me? Did you feel SORRY FOR ME? Where did I come from?" Thoth asked Ari.

"I don't know."

"WHERE!"

"I SAID I DON'T KNOW! YOU AND SEN AND T JUST….YOU JUST WERE!" Sen was singing cheerfully now, as Fasen cried into his skirt. "Our mother found you. You became our family."

"I'm not part of your family!"

Thoth's eyebrows arched in confusion as Ari hugged him. "I gave you your second amulet ever…it was the fish amulet that our mother had given me…I said you needed it because you couldn't swim…." Ari whispered as he rocked back and forth. "You were such a quiet baby, our mother said she wished that the rest of her children where so much so…your hair grew so fast, so had more hair cuts than everyone…" The others arrived; they had locked up the bar and were holding weapons and bags. They were silent, stepping back to give the group their space. "Do you remember when you met Bakura? Saiori said she was going to steal you because you were so cute….you were and still are just perfect…" Thoth wasn't answering or moving; his face was expressionless, eyes blank, lost and empty.

"Shi areb reh bakshari (I have no family)…I have nothing. I am nothing…"

Ari held Thoth even tighter. "Sahwan (never). D-Don't say that," Ari pleaded. "You are everything…we don't need to be related to be a family! We've been a family for so long without sharing a drop of blood, don't throw it away!" Thoth's arms wrapped around Ari, the thief unblinking as Asami hung her head.

"What's wrong with you?" Bakura asked stepping away slowly.

"I'll never have that…" Asami said.

"Didn't you just hear what he said? You don't need to share blood to be a family." Asami reached out to hug Bakura but he moved quickly to the side. 'I've had enough hugging for the week." She smiled. Sen was sniffing as Thoth whispered apologies and begged them to forgive him for his ignorance.

"Just forget it," Sen, Ari and Fasen said in unison.

"There has been much crying this week…." Thoth said from between his brothers. "Thoth thinks this should be the last time for a while…" They nodded in agreement. "There's also too much contact, Thoth still hates hugging."

"Did they fix things?" Haktep asked. Bakura nodded.

"They always do," the white haired thief reminded them. Bakura couldn't help but notice how people's eyes shined in the dark; they seemed to pick up the tiniest bit of light and glimmer brilliantly.

"Yes. But eating each others cake and giving bad haircuts isn't the same as finding out that two of your brothers….aren't technically your brothers."

"They're brothers as far as they're concerned. They're even more brotherly that you and Kana, so I think they can bend the definition." Haktep gave a small smile and nodded slowly. Bakura felt uncomfortable in the shroud of black, the hair on the back of his neck pricking up. Shila walked towards him, eyes narrowed.

She sighed but attempted to sound cheerful as she handed Bakura his bag, bow and arrows. "Maybe we can cut your hair later," she said, changing the subject as she held Malik. She noticed his gaze and smiled. "He would have been alone since Anubis ran out after you….I'll take him back…"

"Where is Anubis then?" Bakura asked. As if to answer Anubis came up beside him, eyes appearing to float in the air.

"That's the downside to having a totally black dog. They can just appear in the dark…creepy, right Malik?" Malik meowed. Bakura scratched his neck as it began to burn in warning.

"Bottomless Trap hole," a voice whispered. Bakura looked around, Shila staring at him in confusion.

"What's wrong honey?" she asked, disturbed by his expression.

"Didn't you hear that?' Bakura asked. She shook her head.

"Activate trap," it continued. Shila and Bakura turned quickly as they heard the screams of the ones behind them. The black void opened in the ground, their yells growing faint as they disappeared into the dark. Shila screamed, running towards the hole as a shimmering mirrored barrier appearing in front of her. Anubis growled low in his throat, beginning to bark loudly. Shila slammed her fist into the shied, being thrown backwards by it. "Fissure." Asami and Haktep reacted too slowly, a crack appearing in the ground below them. They fell, Bakura calling their names to no avail.

Shila pulled a shocked Bakura into the alley, where Sen and the others stood. Ari was writing in the dirt with a knife, drawing a large circle around them. "Get in," he ordered. They obeyed. Thoth and Fasen were crouched on the ground, drawing symbols and boxed-in pictures that Bakura had no hope of identifying.

"What's happening?" Shila asked.

Sen held up a burning piece of wood and shook his head. He pulled his sleeve up to show the words 'Piece Six' carved into his skin. "The game has begun," Fasen informed them.

"What?" Bakura shouted.

"The circle will provide protection as long as we remain in it…" Bakura watched as everyone else began digging through their bags. "Put on your Dia Dank."

"I can't summon…"

"It doesn't matter, do it anyway." This was not the time to tell Fasen that he wasn't his boss. He put it on and opened it, surprised by how heavy it was. The symbols on the sides filled with golden light, the group suddenly illuminated. The circle on the ground glowed a luminous green.

"Nice try," the voice mocked.

Bakura covered his ears as Thoth shook his head. Fasen and Sen glaring hatefully into the night (well it's more like early morning). "Did you hear that?" Ari asked in an undertone. Everyone but a confused Shila nodded.

"Activate trap, Magic Jammer." The circle began to fade, Malik hissing menacingly as Thoth drew more pictures in the dirt.

"No," Ari hissed. "Seven tools of the bandit!" The circle glowed more powerfully than before, but a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of Ari's mouth, a tiny fraction of the light on his Dia Dank disappearing.

"Sorry you wasted your energy thief. Mystical Space Typhoon." Shila gasped, already knowing what was going to happen. The ring exploded, green shards imbedding themselves in the walls on either side of them as if the circle had been something more than a ring of light. "Dark Hole." It was if someone was taking a huge breath as the wind began to ravage around them, hair becoming an annoying distraction.

"SHIT!" Ari shouted, clinging to the edge of the wall. Shila struggled to hold on, Malik flying out of her arm and into Thoth's. Anubis was slowly being dragged along the ground, Bakura reaching for him hopelessly. Fasen was holding onto Thoth by his collar, as he begged his skirt to stay down.

"If this is a game," Sen said.

"Why aren't we playing?" Ari ended. Ari smirked and as with everything Ari did, his entry into the hole had to be special. He smirked and did a cartwheel, finishing with a neat back flip into the void. Sen followed seconds later, entering with a simple back handspring. Fasen let go of Thoth but grabbed Malik, letting himself be dragged in by the wind. Shila didn't let go, her hand slipped and she also disappeared.

"You will go," the voice informed them.

"Shall we be synchronized?" Thoth asked Bakura. The one with the white hair nodded, the pair performing a back handspring, and cartwheel and front flip into the hole.

The opening shut quickly, the wind dying down to nothing more than a simple breeze. The night was once again still and undisturbed. "Good job my little bandits, full marks for entertainment value. Let's see how much you can score on game-play…"

…………………………………………………………………….

Atem slowly opened one eye, wiping ash from his face. There was something glowing in the center of the room, providing the inhabitants with a warm light. Atem was unthankful to recognize the room, the same room he had awoken in yesterday.

"Ouji-sama," Mana said with a smile, dried blood around her left eye. He noticed the long gash just above her eyebrow, and immediately asked how she was. "It doesn't hurt that much, look who we found." Atem sat up slowly his head throbbing as he turned to see the other future priests who gave tired greetings.

"How did they get here?" he questioned Mahado, looking at his scratched up hands and arms. "How did we get back here?"

"We are not sure. But this is not the same room we were in yesterday. Despite the disturbing similarities they differ in size," Mahado told him. The prince nodded, noticing that the room was in fact, bigger. "They landed in a room just like one we landed in."

"But how did we get here?"

"This place is a maze," Isis said. A long cut ran down her arm, but had been hastily bandaged, a line of blood staining the cloth. "A maze constructed using magic."

Magic; the word that Atem had for so long immediately associated with Mahado, Mana and fantasy was now becoming something that he feared and almost resented. "When we stepped into the maze we had taken four steps," Seth began angrily. "Then the fifth tile lit up. A question was written on it, a question that none of us could answer. We tried to continue walking but the ground opened and we woke up here." Atem didn't remember the ground opening; all he remembered as they stepped out was bright light…

"Ouji-sama," Mana called shaking his arm. He pulled away from her, his arm stinging as she touched it. He pulled up his sleeve to see the number 'one' carved into it. Mahado pulled up his sleeve to show a number three, Mana to show a number five, Seth to show seven, Isis to show ten, Shada to show eighteen and Karim to show nineteen.

"We think you need something to navigate it…" Karim said. "Not a map, but something that will allow you to pass through it."

The blue-ball of energy flickered, Mana poking it with her finger to bring it back to full. "Where is that girl, Nefra?" Atem questioned.

"She didn't come back with us," Mahado said. "We don't know where she is."

Something hit the ground in the tunnel, the seven automatically pressing themselves against the wall. Seth regained his composure and stood up, a scratch along the bridge of his nose. "Although it looks like you all want to go, I'll see what it is," he said sarcastically. He walked to the entrance, staring into the dark and wondering what he was supposed to be looking at. He saw nothing and returned to his seat. "Nothing…" he mumbled, a drop of water falling on his head. He looked up a small stream running from a space in the brick high above them.

"Water?" Karim said in disbelief.

"Where would it come from?" Atem asked everyone gathering around and watching a puddle form on the far from immaculate floor. Ears were pressed against the wall, eyes lighting up.

"Running water….a stream?" Mana suggested. The stream running down the wall became a fountain, water spurting out of it with plenty of force. "Ok, maybe it's not a stream."

Water began to run into the room from the tunnel, the group watching as shards of wood actually began to float in the ankle high liquid. It was rising quickly, up to their knees before anyone could think of something sensible to say.

"What do we do now?" Isis asked, posing the question everyone had on their minds.

No one answered, screams the only replies given as a torrent of water flooded the room. Mana looked around as she floated to the surface, the water slamming her into the wall. She knew the back of her head was bleeding as her eyes slipped closed and she drifted under. Atem swam to the surface, coughing as the water threw them around mercilessly. The light remained attached to the floor, the prince struggling to re-adjust to the nearly total dark.

"MANA!" Mahado screamed. "MANA!"

Seth was flailing, this telling them that he was either a bad swimmer, extremely panicked, or both. Isis swam to Atem, clinging to a piece of wood. "Hold on to it!" she ordered over the roar of the water. He nodded, watching as she dived under resurfacing about thirty seconds later. She wiped water out of her eyes as Mahado surfaced, eyes filled with fear.

"MANA!" Atem yelled. "MANA!" The light had gone out, the six on the surface plunged into blackness. Mahado continued to call as the water level rose, three things hitting the water in quick succession. Time was not taken to consider what they might be as the screaming continued. "MANA!"

A pin-prick of light floated to the surface, thousands more doing the same. It was not long before the surface shone with a brilliant electric-blue, someone breaking the surface of the water.

"Mana!" Mahado shouted, swimming over to her. She couched up water, taking ragged breaths before she gave a feeble 'hello Mahado-sama'. She was pushed onto a piece of wood by the one under her, Seth's jaw dropping when he saw who it was.

"YOU!" he screamed, pointing to Thoth.

"Yes," Thoth replied, blinking at Seth. (AN: Thoth does have his wrappings on)

"Thank you," Mana breathed.

"It is nothing," Thoth said quickly before turning back to Seth as he treaded water. "YOU!"

Someone else came to the surface, pushing red hair out of their questioning green eyes. "You're really bad at being thankful," Ari mumbled. "So bad that you could win a prize. Like a slap!" Thoth sweatdropped.

"Where is Asami?" Sen questioned.

"FASEN!" Ari shouted, scanning the room for his other brother.

"No Bakura either," Thoth said. Sen sighed as he treaded water only just noticing the others.

"Oh! Prince! It's you! Again…." Sen said unsurely. "And your friends." He gave a wave.

"WE'RE MEETING YOU TOO OFTEN!" Seth yelled.

"Well, yes, I agree…"

"AND WE'RE NOT MEETHING UNDER PLEASANT CIRCUMSTANCES!"

Thoth waved frantically to Mahado, the magician waving back with a smile. The lights went out the room once again dark. "THOTH!" Ari shouted. The light came back on, Thoth apologizing again. "Was there water before?"

"No," Isis answered.

Ari raised his arm, Dia Dank dripping wet. "World Suppression!" They watched as a rectangle lit up on the golden object, the water beginning to bubble.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BOIL US TO DEATH?" Karim shouted. Ari and Sen gave him a disbelieving look as Thoth floated around on his back. Thoth looked at them and returned to treading water.

"Hey, are you guys wearing undergarments?" Ari snickered.

"Stop being so immature," Sen said out of the corner of his mouth.

"If they're not then if you were under water and you looked up y-" Sen slapped Ari the red-head raising his Dia Dank with a pout. "Activate Magic," he said dully. The water stopped bubbling becoming dead still as it began to swirl around. Ari was grumbling as they were spun around the room the water beginning to form a tall funnel. "Jump into the centre before all the water in gone," Ari instructed, jumping into the shoulder high circle of water in the centre.

They did as they were told, too confused to do otherwise. Mahado examined Mana's head, Thoth watching the fuss he was making. "Mahado-samaaaaaaaaaa!" Mana yelled, swatting him away.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked, Atem nodding behind him.

"Yes, I'm ABSOLUTELY SURE!" Ari raised his arm again, the water rushing upwards into the darkness.

"Now that that's over," Ari began quickly. "Let's leave!" The palace residents stared at him and then at his Dia Dank as he walked towards the tunnel. Sen grabbed his collar.

"Asami explained the rules and we need the die," Sen reminded him. "Or else we'll be sent back to the beginning every time we encounter a question block." Sen and Ari began a discussion as they wrung their hair and picked up their swords, leaving nearly everyone else oblivious.

"Thoth shall take the time to explain since you all look lost, and lost people are useless. We all are being used in a game. The objective of this game is to reach the exit before the other side. To navigate the maze you must have at least one of the golden die, if not you will sent to the beginning of the maze every time you encounter a question block. Because you are so beat up, Thoth presumes you must be on our side," Thoth said quickly, his Dia Dank gone.

"If you know so much about the game, is there a reason why we have these?" Mahado asked, pointing to the numbers engraved in their arms.

"It represents your piece number. It is supposed to determine in what order you play…"

"WHY AM I NUMBER ONE!" Atem screamed.

"Just because you are picked as the leader one does not mean you are the first to truly play, it doesn't mean that you will even have to actively participate in this challenge," Sen said. Atem contemplated that sentence and wondered why Sen couldn't just put everything in layman's terms.

"What he's saying is, just because you're number one, it doesn't mean that you're going first, if you even play at all," Ari said blankly. Seth was glaring at them, Ari sticking out his tongue and crossing his arms.

"Your hair makes you look like girls," Seth blurted out. Ari's eye twitched.

"What?" he asked sharply. Seth looked away. "Let's go Thoth." Thoth nodded, waving at Mahado and Mana, before Sen grabbed his collar again.

"Stop being ignorant Ari," Sen said. "I believe were involved in the game for some reason or another, and our meeting is not just a coincidence."

"Don't start with the fate crap."

"I never finished with the 'fate crap.'"

"Thoth wants Fasen," Thoth grumbled as Sen and Ari pulled each others hair, the palace residents shaking their heads. If these were their saviors, they were definitely going to die.

…………………………………………………………………….

Fasen and Bakura paced the room, Shin, Renora, Rayeel and Kana sitting on the floor as Rhea, Senna, Oberon and Shefnu leaned against the walls. A small fire burned in the middle of the room, dusty faces graced with orange light.

"Why isn't Shila here," Oberon asked. Fasen shrugged.

"I don't think we should stay here, we should try and move as quickly as possible," he said.

"Where are we going?" Renora asked.

"To the end of the maze, wherever that is," Bakura said.

………………

Asami got up quickly from the cold floor, polished white marble shiny enough to show her reflection. The room was white and icily frigid, and although she loved the cold, it seemed to sting. There was a large table in front of her, the surface just was white as the floor, with a large rectangle of water taking up nearly all of the table-top. She pulled herself into a standing position by holding onto the large wooden chair at the table's head.

"You're finally awake my dear," a deep voice said happily. Asami remained tight lipped, choosing not to reply. "You're hurting my feelings my dear…" Asami stepped back when she saw him come out from behind the other grand chair, an innocent smile plastered on his face.

"You-little-bastard," Asami seethed. He had taken the form of a little girl, a child no older six or seven. Her red-brown hair was neatly combed, and kept in a loose ponytail that came to her shoulders. She had bright, dancing grey eyes and a few freckles. Her tunic was a pure white, multicolored beads sewn carefully into her tan belt. She climbed into the seat opposite Asami and smiled brightly.

"How do I look?"

"You look like a bitch! How dare you!"

"Asami my dear, do I sense anger? None the less, I think I look adorable. I was very surprised that Shefnu so quickly forgave you once he found out you were the killer of his sister, isn't he a gem? And Thoth surprised me even more by forgiving his brothers for that life-long fib. Today is just a surprising day, my dear."

"I'm not your dear."

"You're hurting your father's feelings." Asami's fist tightened.

"Father? I doubt that even more now that you look like a girl." He shrugged (AN: he will still be referred to as a male although he has a female appearance) and leaned forward looking at his reflection.

"Shefnu's sister really was a pretty child…oh well. Let us begin!" Asami was disgusted by his amusement; he was doing to spite her. "I decided to use water as our window, seeing as how your dear Sen loves water so much. You'd swear he was a fish or something…after all, not even his dear brothers know where he came from so what's to say he doesn't come from a land of fish people."

"Shut up," she demanded, ice spreading from her hand to the table. Asami reached forward, placing her finger on the water, freezing it in a few seconds. The smooth surface shined, a picture slowly forming. "Bakura?" she said, looking at the scene displayed on the ice.

"Correct. Let's set the forces in motion." Asami reached around for die, noticing they were already on the table. "You don't roll them, send them down to your players." Part of the ice sheet melted, two small pools in the centre. "Drop one in each." Asami dropped one in, watching Renora curse as something hit her in the head.

"WHAT IS THIS GAME CALLED!" Renora shrieked. "PAIN TRAIL OR SHIT FEST!" Bakura picked up the die and looked at Fasen.

"You play first," Fasen said to Bakura, everyone getting up and walking to the entrance of the tunnel. Fasen created a small ball of light in his hands, everyone crowding Bakura and staring at the floor.

"I don't want to smell you," Bakura said dryly. "So step back." Everyone took a baby step back, Renora attempting to climb Rayeel to see something. Bakura dropped the die in their range of vision, five large floor tiles lighting up to match the side of the cube displayed.

"Let's go," Rhea whispered, the group shuffling into the tunnel up to the fifth step. "Now what?"

"Well," Fasen said slowly. "I don't know."

Others: O.O :fall on face:

"Oh, I know! We wait until we are presented with a challenge!" he said. The tile lit up Fasen reading the words that appeared. "Big Eye?" A large, tri-pronged red hand reached around the corner, claws flexing in anticipation. A lumbering red body appeared, large, bloodshot, blue eyes covering its ugly figure. The ground trembled slightly as its grotesquely muscled leg came down to the floor. Shefnu pushed past a grinning Bakura and a yawning Fasen,

"DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE TIME FOR YOU?" he screamed, opening his Dia Dank. "FLAME SWORDSMAN!"

Twenty-two seconds. That was the exact time it took for Shefnu to summon his swordsman, decapitate the creature, do a victory dance, proclaim his love for Shila and send his swordsman away.

Asami smiled, the one opposite her giving an unbothered shrug. "Your teams will lose anyway," he said confidently.

"No they won't," Asami said. "They just destroyed one of your pieces."

He let out a giggle. "Oh Asami! Those aren't my pieces!" The 'screen' quivered, Asami shaking her head. Ten black figures glided down a black hall, rolling a silver die to find how far they could move. Asami noticed the hands of the torchbearer in the front of the group; it was skeletal, rotting and a sickly green. It was the only one not wearing black and silver amour from head to toe and not brandishing a long blood slicked blade. Instead, it held a long scythe in its left hand, and the torch in its right. "They are, silly! Don't worry, I know my pieces are stronger and better than yours so I placed them in at a point that is more difficult to navigate."

"Where are Shila and Haktep." Grey eyes blinked in alarm.

"Oh goody! I thought you'd never ask!" The ice changed again to show Shila, blank eyes half open as she hung limply from the wall. Her arms had been sliced until just after her elbow, her stomach scratched and bruised.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" Asami yelled, leaning onto the ice. "SHILA! SHILA!" she screamed, hand pressed against the cold slab.

"Don't waste all your anger on her." The ice changed again, Asami's nose nearly touching the ice as the scene switched to Haktep. He sported all the injuries that Shila did, but his back had been scratched, flesh torn and bloody.

"Why….I haven't lost the game…Why them…."

He pouted crossing his arms in a childish fashion. "I never liked Haktep. I think I might dislike him nearly as much as Ari and Sen. He's always telling you things about me. He's always figuring stuff out….I don't like extra smart people, that's why I hate those four brothers. Oh and Shila. Shila, Shila, Shila….always cutting your suffering short by healing you so well, always forgiving you for getting blood in her bar, always helping you…."

Asami slid across the table, hands around the neck of the one who continued to smile. She squeezed harder and harder, not letting go as the skin on her hands began to sizzle and burn. He let out a snort, raising a small leg and kicking her back where she came from. "I hate you."

"Bad Asami! Were you trying to cheat? If you don't behave I'll give my pieces an unfair advantage and when they get to your friends, I'll have them gutted. Play the game like a good worm," He finished with a hiss. (AN: His name from now on will actually be 'He')Asami took the other cube in her bloody, peeling hand watching as their view changed again. Thoth was lying face down on the floor as Ari and Seth screamed at each other.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THOTH!"

"Nothing. Your little friend is just bored." He held a small hourglass in his hand and flipped it once. Asami was inwardly sweatdropping and hitting herself with a stick. She dropped the other die though the hole and watched as it hit Atem in the head, Thoth picking it up as he rolled over.

Ari looked away from a still ranting Seth, helping Thoth up. "Let's start," he said briskly. Thoth dropped the die on the floor, rolling a perfect six. Six tiles lit up, the group entering the tunnel in silence.

"Awww," the freckled one whined. "I didn't want Thoth to get the die! He's so lucky with the roll." He flipped the hourglass again.

Asami smirked. "I know. I also know that we can help our pieces, you weren't going to tell me, were you?" He was silent, leaning away from Asami as her eyes gleamed and she smirked malevolently.

"Pandemonium Watch-Bear?" Isis read. "That doesn't sound good."

"Nothing does lately," Atem sighed.

"You do," Thoth said. Atem stared at him, once again feeling uncomfortable. The prince absent-mindedly fiddled with his hands and looked at the floor. "You sounded kind of croaky before, but now you sound normal. Were you sick?" Atem shook his head, Seth glaring at Thoth. Thoth glared back with twice the force then moved to stand beside Ari and looked away.

"What's wrong with you?" Mana hissed at Seth. "They're actually protecting us and you're being horrible to them."

"Yeah," Isis and Mahado spat in a whisper.

"They could have left Mana to drown. They could have let all of us drown and saved only themselves," Karim continued.

"Yeah."

"What is your problem?" Shada asked.

"Yeah," Mahado and Isis said again, poking Seth.

"I find it weird that suddenly bad things start to happen to us, and we meet them," Seth said. "Don't you find it just a bit strange."

"I don't," Atem said. "They haven't hurt us once. Every time they've been seen, it's when they're helping us. If they were so bad, why haven't they left us yet? Maybe they're our guardians." Seth pouted and looked away.

Mana looked at the three in front of them, looking at how rigid their bodies had become. They were listening, heads turning in unison as their eyes scanned ahead. Sen threw a glowing sphere forward, the ball rolling into the corner ahead. A black fog rolled around the corner, moving slowly towards them. A huge silver link lay on the ground, suddenly quivering. The fog rolled back, a decaying, clawed foot taking its place. Yellow eyes shone from the mass of crimson hair that covered the mammoth bear. It squeezed its head around the corner, black foam spilling from its purple-toothed mouth. A giant silver collar was fastened around its neck, three huge chains attached to it. The fog stopped, back sand spilling onto the floor from the animal's mouth, the grains smelling of rotting flesh.

"Yay! My Watch-bear hates people with hair that is nearly the same colour as its own!" He squealed clapping his hands. The hourglass fell to the floor, rolling over again. "Ooops."

Asami smirked, suddenly filled with an unexplained confidence. "So does Ari," she hissed. The clapping stopped abruptly.

Mana stepped back as the bear's rotting leg clawed for them, Ari raising his middle finger as he raised his arm. "Oh my," Sen sighed as Thoth slapped his forehead. "You want to take my hair colour?" Ari asked the foam spewing creature as the wall began to crack under its force. "The only one allowed to do that is a sleep overdosing guy named Fasen."

"It that thing coughing up darkness?" Mahado asked, the glowing orb that Sen had thrown flickering as the fog wafted over it.

"YOU WANT DARKNESS?" Ari screamed hysterically. Asami crossed her arms in satisfaction, the one opposite her staring at Ari in horror as the thief's green eyes flashed wickedly. A rectangle lit up on his Dia Dank, the air growing still and cold. Isis breathed out, gasping when she saw her breath before her. Sen held another orb in his hands as the one in the corner went out completely. Ari smiled cheerfully. "FEAR FROM THE DARK!" Atem's eyes grew wide as he heard the ragged, wheezy breathing stepping back as something began to form between them and the undead bear. It rose slowly from the ground, a thin, purple hand with jagged, bloody nails. The rest of it followed shortly after, body undefined. Its eyes were a fiery orange, its fanged mouth twisted in a cruel smirk.

No attack was declared as the newly formed creature rushed forward, its blood-colored form blanketing the growling bear. Mana covered her eyes, the others watching as its body arched, the dead hand of Ari's monster piercing the huge body of the creature that blocked their way. Ari yawned as the hand was withdrawn, the bear dropping limply to the ground fur further reddened by its own blood.

"You better hope your pieces don't meet Ari," Asami said. He watched with wide eyes as Thoth rolled another six, the group walking over his dead bear and rounding the corner.

"You are allowed to speak to your groups, you better hurry, time is running out," he growled, slamming an hourglass down on the table.

"What do you mean?" she asked, chest seizing.

"I'm bored. If they don't get out by the time the sand has fallen, the maze will collapse and they all die."

"NO! YOU LIAR!"

"That's the way life is."

Asami climbed onto the table, pressing her hands against the 'window'. "SEN!" she screamed. "ARI!FASEN! BAKURA!"

Bakura looked up, gazing into the dark that lingered above. "Did you hear that?" he asked, stepping over a corpse that Oberon had mangled.

Fasen nodded, the others looking around in bewilderment . "RUN! GET OUT!"

"Is that Asami?" Ari questioned, legs covered in the blood of another unfortunate creature. Sen nodded.

"Asami!" Thoth shouted. Asami smiled hopefully.

"They won't have time to navigate the maze successfully," he mumbled, knowing that he never intended them to win.

"You're right," Asami admitted. "That's why they're going to cheat!"

"Cheat?" Renora said doubtfully. "How? Climb the walls?"

"No," Rhea smiled. "Break them."

"THAT'S STUPID! Ari yelled.

"SHUT UP ARI!" Senna hollered. The two were briefly silent.

"DON'T MOVE!"

"NO! YOU DON'T MOVE!"

Sen and Ari looked at each other, urging Thoth to roll another six. He rolled another six, and another, the pair running forwards before the creatures could arrive.

"Hurry," Thoth said, grabbing Seth's wrist and pulling him along, creatures growling behind them. Asami watched as they rounded another corner, peering intently at them.

"I can help my pieces," Asami remembered aloud. "You can't stop me….…." Her Dia Dank lit up, the one opposite her beginning to sweat, the sand not falling fast enough for his liking.

"Why aren't we being sent back to the start?" Isis asked as they tore down the illuminated pathway, the creatures behind them being dragged into the darkness, inhuman shrieks let out seconds later.

"Thoth is rolling," Thoth said, laughing nervously, as he threw the die up and down as they sprinted.

"I hate the smart ones," He growled. "You can help yours, but I can help mine…." He touched a part of the maze, Asami watching as it became engulfed in black.

Rhea ran into Fasen and Senna, they had come to a junction, the path to the left already lit up for them.

"Let's go then," Shin said after being totally silent.

Bakura shook his head. "Why is the left side lit up?" he asked doubtfully. 'This place isn't supposed to be easy, wouldn't this be helpful?"

"Sometimes it is best to take the path less traveled," Rayeel said. Bakura rolled again, only getting a one.

"Bakura!" Senna shouted. "What the heck is that?" They took one step, no instructions given. Bakura rolled again, the die landing on a five then flipping to a one.

"What?" Shefnu murmured.

"This game is mine," He said, wiggling his small nose and giggling happily. Asami shook her head, digging through the counter drawer for something she could use. She picked up a handful of pieces, angry that she had no idea what they were used for.

"H-Haktep?" Kana cried, as they rounded a corner. He remained chained to the wall, eyes fluttering as he gave a smile. Rhea looked at him in disbelief, squeezing her eyes shut when she saw the rips of his back. Kana began to pull at the chains, shouting at the one who had put them there as he continued to smile at her. Shefnu and Oberon attempted to pick the locks, using knives, arrows, swords and anything else they could find.

"Get out," Haktep ordered.

"Shut up," Rhea demanded.

He smiled. "Asami said to get out…"

"Asami isn't the boss of me."

"You're absolutely right," Asami whispered, lying on the ice. "They can summon creatures and fly out of the maze."

"No they can't," the one standing on the chair informed her with a twisted smile. "The walls will grow taller and taller, they cannot fly over them. This is dragging on for too long, this was bad idea. Let's finish it." He snapped his fingers and Asami saw them on the floor, hundreds of thousands of scarabs that had undoubtedly been released from a chaos chest.

"You will not kill them," Asami growled.

"Are you going to stop me?"

"Yes," Asami said.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"You just told me how…."

"What?"

"You thought of the only way one could escape the maze, and that is if one of the game masters is in the game…."

"NO!"

"You've been inside my head all my life, don't you think I would learn how to get into yours?" she asked with a smirk.

"YOU'RE LYING!" he shouted, voice deepening to an infuriated boom.

"You wish," Asami said, climbing onto the table and ramming her foot into the ice. His body began to change, eyes returning to a blazing white. "WINGWEAVER!" The Dia Dank lit up, blue wings unfolding in a blinding flash of light.

"YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY ASAMI!" he screeched, snake-like fingers reaching for her.

She jumped away, slipping on the ice and falling to the cold floor. He was quick to react, shapeless figure wrapping around her leg. A feather landed on his body, the dark matter briefly sizzling before he brushed it away. Asami kicked him and the ice cracked in half. "YES I WILL!"

…….

Atem panted as they ran down another passage, voices yelling above him. They had found a girl not much older that Isis, body cut and bleeding. Sen had taken less than two minutes to heal her, Mahado and Mana gasping at the speed of his healing spells. "I don't know how I got there…." she said, Ari carrying her so they could move as quickly as possible, Sen at the rear, activating traps and summoning monsters.

"TURN AROUND!" Asami screamed. "YOU'RE RUNNING TO A DEAD END!"

Both groups looked up. "WHO?" They all screamed.

"ARI AND SEN, TURN BACK AND GO RIGHT! FASEN, KEEP GOING STRAIGHT!"

"BACK?" Shila shouted, as they backtracked, and turned in another direction.

"FORWARD?" Bakura called. Ari ran into Senna, dropping Shila and landing in a heap on the floor.

"ARM CANDY!" he and Senna yelled in unison, Senna throwing her self on top of Ari. Thoth and Renora turned away as Senna began to kiss the life out of Ari, Mahado attempting to cover Atem's wide eyes.

"Not now!" Sen and Fasen said, pulling the two apart. They next pulled Shefnu and Shila off each other, Oberon grabbing Shila and hugging her. "Not now! NO hugging until we get out!"

Bakura looked at Atem, glaring at those of the palace as he backed up into Thoth. "Freaky day we've been having, huh Kura?' Thoth said with a smile. Bakura hugged Thoth then pushed him away.

"Yeah whatever," he mumbled, crossing his arms. Thoth sweatdropped, as Sen briefly healed Haktep and Fasen poked to Atem's hair.

"Hello again, prince," he said happily.

"Hello, Fasen," Atem said, smiling and pointing to Fasen's hair. Bakura's jaw slipped open, disturbed by the fact that Thoth had been right about Atem remembering their names.

"Oh lookie! The price of Egypt!" Senna and Rhea said, poking him. "He's real!"

Atem wondered how they could suddenly be so calm in the midst of all the current danger. They, along with Kana bowed and shook the hands of those who they had just met.

"Did you hear what Asami said?" Sen questioned the others.

"She said that only the game master is able to fly out of this place…" Mahado said.

"So that means we need her now," Seth huffed.

"KISS MY ASS, MY DEAR!" Asami screamed. They all stepped back as something crashed into the ground, chunks of ice glittering on the floor. Wingweaver's wings slowly unfolded, her arms opening to release a bloody mouthed Asami.

"You have a way with words," Shefnu said to Seth.

"We have to leave, now!" Asami screamed, holding up the hourglass. "We're going to lose! He cheated, he cut a clear path for them straight to the exit." Sen whispered to Asami and they watched as he held onto her ka monster, attempting to rise up. Asami cursed quietly when she found that she couldn't fly up.

"no," Shin squeaked, being one of the few to actually notice.

"EXACTLY! NO! HE'S NOT GOING TO WIN!" Senna boomed, pumping her fist into the air. She presumed he was talking about 'Asami's father' winning. "HE'S NOT KILLING MY ARM CANDY!" Bakura didn't know if he should admire Senna's devotion to Ari or fear it.

"AND HE'S NOT KILLING MY COOK!" Shefnu said, pointing to Shila.

"For Ra's sake," Bakura mumbled.

"OR MY COW FODDER!" Shila said, pointing to Shefnu.

"He wants to see cheating? Let a thief show him," Bakura smirked.

"Hold on to your undergarments kiddies," Senna warned. They stepped back as her Dia Dank actually began to vibrate. 'THOUSAND DRAGON!" The wind stopped for a few seconds, tearing through the tunnels with tremendous force upon its return. The walls cracked as the creature formed, large wings toppling the immense labyrinth walls directly around them. Renora cheered as Senna's dragon fully took shape, breath warm on their faces.

Rhea opened her Dia Dank. "Who said they get to have the head start?" she questioned. "GRAVITY BIND!" The black clad figures only five steps from the entrance stopped dead in their tracks, the creature watching from above shrieking in anger. Their ghostly bodies twitched, glowing red as they were dragged through countless stone walls, coming to a stop as they landed in a dusty heap behind them.

The dark pieces stirred, Fasen coughing painfully as he slumped to the ground. They watched as blood dotted the walls upon each violent expulsion, the thief covering his mouth to dot his hands with blood. "What's happening to you?" Mana asked.

"I-I don't know," Fasen said fearfully. "Senna, get your dragon to kill them," Fasen said quickly.

"But I was going to get it to fly us out of here," she said.

Fasen shook his head. "No, you must kill them." Senna nodded.

"THOUSAND DRAGON! NOXIOUS NOSTRIL BLAST!"

"No time to watch the show," Bakura spat harshly as Atem watched Senna's dragon incinerate two of the soldiers of darkness. The scarabs continued to flow from every nook and cranny Senna ignoring the unmoving dark pieces to carry out scarab control. She ordered her dragon to fly as high as possible and torch the bug infested tunnels.

Isis stepped away from the walls, watching as they cried crimson, blood pouring down the walls surrounding them. Seth looked around, a faint clicking sound registering in his mind. It was familiar, Seth stepping backwards when he saw where it was coming from. "Another scarab…." he breathed. The single shiny beetle stopped dead as if it were taking in the intoxicating aroma of the blood.

"No, no, no!" Shila and Shefnu shouted.

"Get to the centre!" Asami ordered, the older thieves of the bar forming a ring around the 'outsiders'. Mana wheezed at the remaining soldiers stood, swords glimmering in the scarce light. The reaper did not stand up, but appeared to reform, body having no true shape to conform to.

"Nay, duelo len compass!" Ari ordered. Thoth nodded, getting on his knees and pulling a knife from the inside of his boot. He ran around them twice, drawing two circles.

"Why can't we just fly out?" Shin asked desperately, watching as the sand moved against them.

Fasen shook his head. "I know something is missing," he whispered. "…I know it….." Mahado's eyes narrowed as bugs began to spill down the passages, Renora stifling a scream as they overflowed over the walls.

"If you know then say it!" Bakura shouted, throwing the die at Fasen. The die fell to the floor, Bakura watching as the six dots lit up.

"WE NEED THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST IN A ROW!OR ELSE….." Or else was never a good way to end a sentence.

"Or else what?"

"We'll return to the beginning…." Ari turned to Thoth, everyone else staring at the damp thief.

"All Thoth needs is a one……" Thoth said. "Thoth can do it…."

"Can you promise a one?" Mahado asked as the hungry beetles began to encircle their ring of protection.

"Thoth can promise a one…….Thoth promises'…"

"DO IT FOR FOOD THOTH!" Shefnu shouted. The golden cube took its time plummeting to the ground, spinning cruelly as the group stared.

Bakura and Thoth got down on the ground, eyes level with the object that could possibly decide their fate. "Thoth promised a one…..and that's what you shall get." Thoth picked up the cube and slammed it onto the ground, the single eyes of Horus that represented a one staring at them intently.

"THAT'S OUR THOTH!" the ones from the bar chimed. Isis and Mana clapped, Mahado and Atem shocked by the twelve-year-olds methods. Seth smirked silently, and Karim and Shada cheered enthusiastically.

The ground began to tremble, the blood that ran down the walls changing to thick, black goo. The circle in which they stood grew larger, bugs breaking apart as they were smothered in light. The circle's light extended skywards into the seemingly everlasting shadow, a column of light rising high above the towering walls.

"This day is messed up," Renora sighed flatly, sighing with relief as the coldness of the maze faded away. Asami looked at the hourglass, Shila's arm shooting up.

"TRANSPORT!" Shefnu shouted.

"TAKUHEE!" Shila called shortly after, a mini-bus sized bird with shimmering golden and bronze wings erupted from her Dia Dank.

Kana took her Dia Dank from a mumbling Renora. "WINGED DRAGON, GUARDIAN OF THE FORTRESS!" she yelled.

The creatures, formed, their respective summoners climbing onto them. "Prince," Shila said quickly, holding the edge of her bird's wing. "Climb on quickly."

"WE WON!" Shin shouted. "WHERE'S NEFRA!"

"That girl….." Mana whispered. Shin turned to her.

"Have you seen her?"

"She disappeared after we returned to the start….I'm sorry…."

"We don't have moping time right now," Rhea informed him shortly.

"She's the one of the reasons we're here," Shin reminded her angrily. "I WON'T LEAVE HERE WITHOUT HER, RHEA!"

"YOU LEAVE I'LL FIND HER!" Asami shouted.

"NO! SHE'S MY SISTER!" Fasen pressed Shin's neck, the teenager falling unconscious.

Bakura watched as Shefnu gave the palace residents a leg up onto either of monsters that bad been summoned, Sen ordering Shila and Kana to leave with those of the palace.

"Where is the exit?" Seth asked, not making his doubt a secret.

"We'll just have to make one," Fasen mused. "Off you go."

"I get to do it," Senna and Ari exclaimed.

"We don't know where we are, what if we're under a sand dune and the sand falls straight in and smothers us to death?" Oberon said.

Bakura paid little attention, wondering why Thoth was not providing him with information on the recently summoned creatures. Fasen gave him the answer.

"What magic is binding it there?" Fasen asked, desperately, Malik meowing loudly in his hands. Ari left Senna to plot demolition as he covered Malik's mouth, the cat falling asleep.

"I don't know," Sen replied. Bakura pushed past Renora to see that they were looking at. Thoth's hand was stuck to the die, the golden circle in which they had once stood glowing an angry red. Thoth attempted to wrench his hand from the golden cube, his flesh beginning to burn as he knelt on the ground.

"Do something!" Bakura ordered as if those around the young thief were doing absolutely nothing.

"What's happening to him?" Atem asked from the back of the metallic-feathered bird.

"His hand is stuck to the die," Isis said. Shila sat in front of them looking at Shefnu with questioning eyes.

"SENNA, HOW'S THE ENTRANCE COMING!" Haktep shouted.

"THEY NOT BLOODY DEAD!" Senna shrieked. "THE DAMN THINGS AREN'T DEAD! CRAP!" she screamed.

Ari looked away from an apparently calm Thoth, watching as the remaining dark pieces came to their feet, weapons reflecting the shocked faces of those who had wished them dead.

"WE HAUL NOW!" Shefnu screamed, running over Renora and throwing her over his shoulder, as he grabbed bags to lighten the load.

"PUT ME DOWN YOU WHORE!" Renora screamed angrily, watching as Rayeel climbed onto Kana's Ka monster and pulled her up after the bags. "NO! I CAN FIGHT!"

"That's why you need to get out," Fasen said. "So you can fight for tomorrow…."

Oberon's arm came up his Dia Dank lighting up once again. "Harpie's brother!" he shouted. They watched as another set of wings unfurled, the creature speeding upwards in a red and black blur, they watched as blade-like appendages on its arm ran along the ceiling screeching loudly, the sounds varying at different points. "There!" he shouted when the sound was the loudest. "DEMOLITION!"

"I call!" Senna shouted. They nodded, Senna's arm extending again that day. "AND THE WINNER SUMMONSSSSSSSSSSSS, SERPANT NIGHT DRAGON!" The black dragon came forth, almost serpentine body darting upwards.

"SPIRIT BARRIER!" Ari shouted. They all squinted as a blue grid appeared above them casting more light into the darkness.

"Go!" Fasen shouted to Kana and Shila.

"Serpant Night Dragon," Thoth said in awe. The thief looked around in confusion as the circle began to pulse, wrapping ends flapping from the might gusts created by flapping wings. The die began to sizzle beneath his gloved hand, the twelve-year old watching in horror as marks began to move from the floor onto the die, soon flowing over his tingling hand. "Sen!" Thoth called. His brother came quickly as he finished a temporary holding spell on the opposing pieces. Sen looked at the markings that began to move on the outside of the circle, watching with fear as it began to spin beneath Thoth. "Ari! Fasen! Kura…."

Chills ran down Atem's spine as Thoth screamed, voice high and strained in pain and anguish as tentacle-like objects burst from the ground wrapping around his arm and searing all the skin that it touched. Asami was panting in anger as more followed, standing straight up and convulsing slightly before they smacked themselves into Thoth's other arm, abused his back and snaked around his abdomen, becoming white-hot constrictors. His green eyes were wide and blank, mouth closing slowly as crimson poured from once perfect flesh. Bakura's lungs forgot how to function once again as his friend stopped screaming and slumped over in a bloody, unmoving, ripped heap.

Something exploded above as Senna's new dragon broke through, Ari's barrier quickly covering the hole. Shila removed her Dia Dank and stuffed it onto Mahado's shaking arm. "When you get to the top, do not worry. Takuhee will get you safely to land and will protect you until someone comes for you," she explained rapidly, jumping to the ground. Sen, and Ari were pounding on the barrier that had appeared around Thoth, preventing them from entering the ring.

"We can't just leave you," Mana said, head jerking back when she saw that Sen's temporary holding spell wore off.

"You will have to. Good luck our prince, good luck friends," Shila said.

"I WILL STAY!" Kana shouted.

"You're going!" Haktep said.

"Make me!" Kana yelled defiantly.

Haktep smiled sadly. "If that's what it takes to protect you…." Fasen came and whispered a few words, Kana's eyes slipping closed. "I know you will take care of her…until we come for her," Haktep said to Seth, putting his sister's Dia Dank on the soon-to-be-priest. Seth nodded.

"OFF TAKUHEE AND WINGED GUARDIAN!" Shila yelled. Isis felt sick as they rose into the darkness, a pain of guilt plaguing her weak and tired body. She watched as Senna's Thousand Dragon and Serpant Dragon, and Oberon's Harpie's Brother congregated at the spot they had come from, shouts of attack being screamed repeatedly.

Mahado's eyes stung as they came closer to the grid, Mana gripping his arm tightly from behind as she sniffed looked at the shiny feathers in horror.

"NO!" Renora screamed. Seth didn't need to ask what had happened, the screeches of their Ka monsters telling them enough. Mana looked back, screaming when she saw one of the dark soldiers on the tail of the bird, sword slicked with red. She and Mahado bunched up to Isis and Atem, as Seth, Karim and Shada attempted to get away from their hitchhiker. Rayeel took the Dia Dank from Seth.

"ROD OF THE MINDS EYE!" he yelled as his dragon flew unorthodoxly as it was stabbed. The soldier was stiff, sword and armor glowing.

"WHAT THE HECK DID THAT DO!" Renora asked.

"Lessens this monsters attack," Seth answered.

They didn't get to summon a monster as bands of black rose from the ground, their monsters shattering as they were crushed.

Haktep rolled away from a swirling blade, staring intently upwards at those falling towards him. "Vampire Lord," he whispered. Renora screamed as pitch-black bats surrounded them, much to their disbelief taking them slowly to the floor. Seth caught Senna as she fell against him, blood flying from her mouth as her Thousand Dragon exploded and the light on the Dia Dank decreased. Karim looked to the hourglass Asami had put in the corner; the sand had stopped moving, the grains covered in a cold crystal-like substance.

Rhea pushed him to the ground, rolling over and firing two arrows directly into the throat of their attacker no avail. It pulled them out if they had been a slight discomfort which only succeeded to cause more annoyance. Atem and Mana were grabbed by Ari and pushed behind him, Oberon and Shila fighting against another soldier with little success. Fasen woke Kana up, the pair pulling out Dia Danks. Mahado gave Shila back her Dia Dank, insisting she would need it.

"Get up!" Bakura ordered Thoth as he pounded away at the force-field between them in vain. He hung his messy head slowly, turning when he felt like something was touching his neck. He jerked back wards, a semi-transparent hand millimeters from his exposed skin, reaching for it with an unbridled longing. Kana ran to Bakura, the thief frozen when he saw what was happening. Every time a soldier was destroyed it reformed as two more beings, Shefnu clutching his stomach as his Flame swordsman was destroyed.

"How powerful are they?" Isis asked, trudging through the black goo that was pooling on the floor. Senna shook her head.

"What are we going to do?" Rhea breathed, the human inhabitants clustering around the circle as the twenty or so soldiers moved forward, the reaper floating ghostly before them. Senna's Serpent Night Dragon let out a stream of black energy destroying eleven of the troops in one attack as Rayeel activated a magic barrier.

"We're going to fight until the end," Senna declared, her voice showing off bravery that she currently did not possess as the soldiers reformed. Rayeel's Dia Dank glowed and he stepped forward, pushing Renora behind them.

"I will be dead two times over before they touch you," he said. Renora's eyes were wide as she clutched her brother's arm, shaking her head sadly.

"W-What's are we going to do Mahado-sama?" Mana whispered fearfully as the archers among them loaded their bows and kneeled in anticipation. Mahado could not find an answer to give, throat tight as the sound of metal against metal rung in his ears as swords were unsheathed. Arrows were fired, the first line of soldiers falling as the next row stepped forward only to be impaled with knives and a new load of arrows. Those in the palace were sure of one thing; nothing human would be able to survive the onslaught the dark pieces were receiving.

Sen turned to look at Atem, the prince standing beside a silent Bakura. He gave him a smile that was meant to comfort him, but the prince saw it as a goodbye gift. Ari stepped out in front of all of them.

"For them to be destroyed, they must all go at once….." he said. " The warrior of destruction must be summoned."

"NO!" Haktep shouted.

"We don't have a choice….I will go out and fight them….you will get out," Ari said, his voice steady as if he had practiced.

"NEVER!" Senna yelled, the barrier around them beginning to fluctuate. There were protests as Ari insisted he would stay as they escaped, those of the palace wheezing as the shield around them began to waver.

Seth looked at Thoth's young body, fist tightening in anger. "He has helped us many times….and we can not help him," Mana said sadly. She looked at Bakura who remained kneeling on the ground.

"Please get up," Fasen said, eyes closed as he spoke to an unresponsive Thoth. "Please….help us Thoth…and Haku…." Fasen pulled the Dia dank from Thoth's bag, cradling Malik in his other arm. He placed the object on the edge of the ring, slowly pushing it through the red barrier. "You will help…I know it….."

Bakura listened as Sen said he would stay with Ari, and seal the spirits of the dark soldiers so they could not come back. "They're going to die….." Bakura said. "Why aren't you awake to talk them out of it?"

Shila pulled on Bakura's cloak. "L-Let's get ready to fly…ok?" she whispered to him, eyes rimmed with tears.

Bakura shook his head, voice lost along with his hope. "We can't leave them," Atem said. "We can't!"

Senna was hitting Ari in anger, pounding his chest with the little might she had left. "YOU, YOU, YOU IDIOT! YOU'LL COME! WE ALL LEAVE TOGETHER! WE DON'T ABONDON EACH OTHER!" she screamed furiously. "WE DON'T! WE DON'T! We Don't! We….." Ari hugged her and smiled.

"Have I ever lost when it matters?" he asked her. She sniffed and gave a squeaked 'no'. "Exactly…."

"I'll fight too, I can st-" Ari pulled off her Dia Dank and threw to Shefnu.

"You're already weak…..but you can help me…."

"How?"

"Say that you'll marry me, Senna…." He whispered in her ear. Her amber eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around him even tighter.

"There's nothing I'd rather do… my arm candy…." Ari closed his eyes as he pressed on her neck, his young-woman in his arms falling limp. He held onto her for a moment and kissed her forehead before giving her to Haktep. "You better take care of her until I get up there," Ari warned. Haktep warned as Senna's Dragon slowly faded into the dark.

"Why did he do that to her?" Shada asked unsurely.

"There was no other way he could get her to leave…." Karim said.

"You can't summon the soldier," Shila said holding onto Ari's shoulders. "If he is destroyed your Ka will be wiped out…you might die….." Ari showed no signs of wavering. "You can not summon the Magician….you can't…." she said, trying to convince Sen. "WELL YOU…YOU BETTER NOT DIE! YOU BETTER NOT!" She hugged both of them and told them that if they died she would revive them and kill them again.

"Hey," Rhea called, grabbing Ari's arm. "You better beat them…y-you better….You will." Ari nodded. Rhea raised her arm as the shield disappeared and the creatures opposite them flashed sharpened steel. "METAL DRAGON!" she yelled. A small orb appeared above them, Seth watching as the long, silver, black and red dragon formed, golden claws knocking soldiers to the side.

"ON!" Shefnu hollered. Those from the palace where slightly shocked, Mahado dragging Mana and Atem over to the enormous creature that was just as long as Senna's Serpant Dragon. Rayeel and Shefnu gave leg ups, Haktep and Oberon helping them get on. Atem shivered as he sat on the dragons steely body, the silver metal beneath him frigid. Shin was hauled up as Senna was carried on, Atem feeling sorry for Shin.

"Come on Asami," Shila called, watching as the sapphire-eyed one stared at the floor where Bakura remained.

"I must stay…this is my battle," Asami said. "Go."

Asami walked over to Bakura the young thief looking at the body on the floor with a glazed look in his eyes. "You are strong enough…you are good enough…perfect enough for us Thoth…" he said quietly, reaching forward and placing his hand on the energy. His glove burnt away on contact, his body numb to the pain as he reached forward, sleeve burning away up to the elbow. He placed his hand on top of Thoth's, and he dropped his die, the cube glowing as it touched the blood around the figure.

"What about Bakura?" Renora said as Shila's Cyber Harpie attacked a soldier, piercing armor and drawing acid blood.

"There is no way he will leave…." Rayeel whispered.

"He and his best friend are connected….he won't admit it, but he doesn't know how to let go," Kana said. Renora's face was blank as Metal Dragon's long body twisted, spiraling upwards after the screeching Harpie. Mahado stared at Bakura and said a prayer. Seth's previous thoughts on thieves had been re-written, Bakura's devotion to his friend not something he would have expected.

"Forgive us," Atem whispered, squeezing shut tear rimmed eyes as he saw the soldiers encircle the six who had remained.

"I won't abandon you," Bakura promised. "Never…" Fasen's eyes shot open as the Dia Dank in the ring began to glow, two golden rectangles lighting up.

Wingweaver deflected another blow as Fasen hoped for a miracle. Sen looked at Ari. "You know what must be done…." Sen said. Ari nodded.

"CONTAINMENT SPHERE!" he shouted. Asami looked at them doubtfully as she ordered her ka monster to blow up another cluster, ice engulfing the warriors of darkness closest to her. Wingweaver stopped in mid-flight, a blue bubble appearing around her and then her summoner.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Asami screamed, slamming her fists against her prison as it began to float upwards.

"We're saving one more person…" Fasen whispered.

"I don't need saving by you!" Asami yelled. "LET ME OUT DAMN IT!" Ari waved her his middle finger as he grinned, Fasen waved his normal tired wave but Sen just stood there; staring at her, into her, with that small smile on his face. "SEN! DON'T BE STUPID!" Sen stared at Wingweaver, the light monster, wrapping its arms around Asami. "NO WINGWEAVER!" Asami shouted. "WE HAVE TO GO AND HELP THEM! LISTEN TO ME!" she ordered. She squirmed to no avail, screaming as they got smaller and smaller, the distance between them and their killers decreasing by the second.

Atem squinted as the grid became visible once again, its blue light stinging his violet eyes. Asami's bubble quickly floated to meet them, the girl in the bubble sitting with her face in her hands. Shefnu summoned the Blue Flame Swordsman as they were attacked. Shila's Harpie and Shefnu's Swordsman fought alone, Wingweaver becoming a ball of light and settling into Asami's Dia Dank.

"What is the 'Soldier'?" Mahado asked Haktep.

"The soldier is a Ka monster of great power that is summoned by the brothers who we have left below," Haktep began to explain. "It takes a great amount of energy to summon but has only been summoned at full power once, but it is still dangerously powerful and can be summoned alone by only one summoner that I know of."

"Who is that?"

"Ari," Shefnu whispered as Rayeel summoned Rocket Warrior and continued to slaughter the countless creatures that blocked their exit. "He has great destructive powers that he sometimes can not control…."

"If they summon this monster is it stronger or weaker than when Ari summons it alone?' Seth questioned.

"It is equal; the reason they summon it together is so that they can share the pain, so no one brother has to take the heavy burden of such a high Ka demand."

"If they summon this soldier, will we win?"

"The Black luster Soldier is its name…and even such a creature can not determine this game…"

………..

Ari, Fasen and Sen's Dia Danks glowed in synchronization and the ground began to tremble, the reaper taking a ragged breath as it glided forward scythe at the ready. Sen's sword was already up, the spellcaster's chest seizing as the creature passed straight through him speeding towards Bakura.

"BAKURA!" Fasen shouted. The thief's body was slow to respond, eyes widening as the scythe hit his bag, the blade shattering. The monsters eyes glowed white from beneath its torn hood as it reeled backwards. The mini-militia of malevolence (2) halted their advance as the reaper resumed its place at their head.

"What just happened?" Ari asked. Bakura looked at his bag and Sen rushed to pull it open, slowly stepping back once he had done so.

"Please don't tell me it's…." Fasen began quietly. Bakura reached back with his free hand and felt something cold under his sore fingers. He lifted if upwards, gazing at the glowing, golden outer cover of the Book of Buried Pearls. Fasen covered his eyes and hung his head, Ari and Sen not having time to ask what he knew. Bakura let the book slide down his lap and it hit the barrier, red energy sizzling.

"Stall," Ari said watching as their opponents began to recover, swords out and bodies vacant of fatigue.

"Maha Vialo!" Fasen shouted, the Ka monster he called coming forth instantly.

"Time Wizard!" Sen called. "TIME ROULETTE!" The newly formed creature called out the declared attack, clock hands on its face spinning wildly. As they spun the soldier slowed down, each movement easily identifiable as it took so long to complete. They watched a sword fell in slow motion, the weapon taking more than thirty seconds to hit the floor. Bakura gulped as his realized he could not take his hand off of Thoth's, the glowing Dia Dank beginning to pulsate.

Bakura looked at the book on the floor and suddenly noticed something; he noticed that their hardships had begun on the days since they found the book; every where he turned it was there as if it were stalking him relentlessly; and what bothered him the most was the unexplainable fear the Brothers Four had of it…the fear of touching it, opening it and having anything to do with it. He picked it up with some difficulty and stared at it intently.

'I can save Thoth…..you need the blood….' Bakura gritted his teeth and shook his head throwing the book forward. It hit the wall of red and hit the floor, a crack appearing in the column. The lavender orbed archer stared at the spider-web crack and retrieved the volume with his foot. He assaulted the pillar again, watching with satisfaction as a shard fell to the floor and turned to dust. The hands of the Time Wizard began to slow, still giving Sen enough time to draw a symbol on the floor before they stopped.

""What if it starts to warp your mind….You can't play that," Ari said.

"I think he might have to," Fasen sniffed sadly. Their Dia Danks lit up again, Bakura watching as another rectangle on the Dia Dank in the ring emanated light. "ACTIVATE MAGIC! CHANGE OF HEART!" The soldiers halted their attack as the two-faced figure appeared on the field, side of darkness reaching forward before a soldier glowed and walked over to Ari.

"BLACK LUSTER RITUAL!" Sen shouted, his voice echoing strangely. He put his hand out, the Time Wizard, Maha Vialo and the soldier breaking into streams of light.

"WE SUMMON, THE BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER!" the yelled in unison. Bakura finished breaking the barrier, automatically stuffed the book into his bag and carefully pulled the damaged figure from the ring as the ground began to tremble. A large crack appeared, a single thread of light drifted upwards intertwining with the other brilliant streams as a sphere formed, dazzling as it radiated power. The curved sword erupted from the ball first, gleaming shield and armored form following shortly after. The sphere exploded, fragments piercing the bodies of some of the hissing minions to the dark.

Bakura's body tingled with a new hope as the soldier stood proud before them, the brothers smiling in satisfaction.

"Kura?" Thoth called quietly, mangled arm reaching upwards. "Did we win?"

Bakura looked down at the broken body in his arms and nodded with a solemn smile. "We always do when you're our roller," he replied. Lavender eyes squeezed shut as he accidentally touched Thoth's exposed stomach, the thief arching in pain.

"Thoth thinks that there is a 'HURT THOTH' sign somewhere," the green eyed thief joked, his friend noticing the ragged breaths that he now took. "Thoth thinks another rib may be broken….nothing that can not be repaired." Bakura carefully unwrapped part of the blood covered wrappings, ripped off a section and carefully began to wrap it around Thoth's torn middle. "Can you give Thoth the Dia Dank?"

"You won't need it….you doing have enough strength to be using it…" Using a 'Bakura mannerism', Thoth reached for the still glowing Dia Dank and placed it on his bloody arm.

"Did Thoth summon?" he asked, looking at the three glowing shapes. Bakura shook his head.

"It started glowing when they summoned the soldier…"

Thoth gazed at the Black Luster Soldier in awe, as he sat up with Bakura's help. He bit his lip, blood actually dripping from his clothing. "I knew he wasn't dead," Ari said.

"Why aren't you attacking?" Bakura asked, standing up slowly.

Sen pointed to the dark cluster, a body held in the middle. "They have Nefra…we haven't decided how to get her back alive and in one piece," Fasen said, smiling quickly at Thoth. Sen looked intently at his Dia Dank and sighed.

"Dimension Warrior," he whispered, another rectangle lighting up. The rip appeared in mid air, a hand reaching from within it and pulling Nefra away. The soldier looked around in confusion as the opening sealed and another tear appeared behind Fasen, Nefra's body slowly falling through it.

Ari smirked. "Kill time," he declared. He looked at Thoth. "Hey crazy man, you ok?" Thoth nodded slowly before falling flat on the ground again.

"Thoth's head is….really hurting," he said from the floor.

"It's the blood loss," Fasen said, turning to pick Thoth up. Bakura shook his head.

"Do your job so we can leave; I have better things to do than this," he said dryly, Sen and Fasen sweatdropping as Ari said that Bakura was absolutely right. The white haired thief crossed over Nefra's relatively unscratched body and knelt next to Thoth. "Can you get on?"

Thoth's wrappings only covered from the nose down since some had been taken to use as bandaging, and Bakura could see eyebrows coming up in doubt. "Huh?" Thoth asked. Bakura shook his head, and helped Thoth sit up again, pulling his friend's arms over his shoulder and pulling him onto his back. "Thank you Kura," Thoth whispered as he put his arms around Bakura's neck.

Bakura was happy that Thoth could not see his face. The thief wondered why he was so uncomfortable as he felt Thoth's breath on his neck or felt Thoth's chest against his back…he told himself to stop being stupid as he moved closer to the professional summoners. Sen gave a small smile, Ari's eyebrows moving up and down, Bakura glared at them. Fasen just stood there slightly confused as to why Ari's eyebrows were spazing.

"GET ON WITH IT!" Bakura shouted, the others twitching.

"Go team,' Thoth said as his eyes closed.

"He's out," Sen said. "Let's go!"

The three raised their Dia Danks, Thoth's Dia Dank glowing brighter than ever, his hand coming up even though they though he had passed out. "BLACK LUSTER SOLDIER, SOUL SLASHER STRIKE!" they yelled. The sword came up quickly, a high humming sound coming along with the white energy that gathered on the blade's tip. A crack defaced the ground as the walls began to crumble, a vicious wind roaring through the passages. Bakura attempted to hold his hair down as it stood straight up, Thoth's plait and Sen's flowing tresses doing the same. Ari and Fasen screamed that they needed a hair cut as the energy reached massive proportions, bathing them all in an almost angelic light. The Soldier's sword came even higher before it plunged into the ground, and made a fluid sweeping motion in the floor, the energy exploding across the floor. Nefra slowly sat up and rubbed her head, eyes wide as at least fifty soldiers were destroyed in one single, mighty sweep. She passed out again.

They all blinked as the light died down, all that remained were ashes and a few glimmering shards. "Woah," Bakura blurted out. Their smiles slowly faded, Bakura looking at them with questioning eyes. "What's wrong?" Bakura stepped forward, the reaper still standing among the debris.

"We can't kill it…." Ari whispered. "It's already dead…" The scythe came up slowly, a red ring of light appearing in the remains.

"We have to call back the soldier," Fasen said. "We don't know what it is doing and we can't risk it destroying the soldier …." Bakura watched in horror as the divine warrior came back, standing beside him. Ari touched his Dia Dank and the Soldier's form quivered before becoming a shining sphere that didn't go into Ari's Dia Dank, but into Thoth's. The other brothers stared, Fasen biting his lip.

"You know what you have to do Sen…." Sen looked at them, horrified as if they had uttered the foulest of words.

"Y-You don't know if that'll defeat him….you know what happens when I play it….it's supposed to be a last resort," Sen said desperately.

"THIS IS A LAST RESORT!" Ari shouted as the Ring extended outwards.

"Wait, you need a monster to kill the reaper….if the Soldier can't do it...what can?" There was a sudden silence as if they were already dead, Fasen's eye twitching.

"No, not now," he said, holding open his eye. "Anytime but now…." His eyes fell closed and he dropped to the floor, Ari slamming his fists against the ground.

"FUCK!" he screamed. He began to shake Fasen, stopping when he saw the blood leaking from his mouth.

Fasen's body arched, and the reaper let out a low laugh. Bakura knew that Ari and Sen were thinking about summoning Buster Blader and The Dark Magician of Chaos, the monsters that were directly connected to their life force. "We have no other choice," Sen said sadly. "If I play the Seal then they might go to….our Ka monsters must save us….even if they do not possess as much strength as the soldier."

"Poor Senny-Wenny and Ari-Parry," a voice taunted from the shadows. Ari's eyes narrowed in loathing as the small 'girl' stepped from the shadows, twirling her hair around her little finger. "Looks like I win again!"

"No, they got out, we won," Ari barked.

"Nuh-uh! They still haven't found their way out, their navigating tunnels and Asami can't tell them how to get out!"

"What did you do to her!" Sen screamed.

"Your little bubble protected her, but now she's unconscious…she'll be asleep until...well until I feel like she should wake up…" Sen's face was blank.

"You never intended for us to win….."

"That's right my boy! YOU'RE ALL GOING TO ROT DOWN HERE! AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL DIE UP THERE!"

Cold took them over, Bakura's eyes widening as Thoth stirred on his back. "Sahwan…." Thoth whispered.

Fasen's eyes shot open, blank as his back arched and his Dia Dank rose to the sky. Sen and Ari watched as their arms came up without their consent, all spaces glowing fiercely. "Thoth….Haku," Fasen called, a line of blood rolling past his lips. "HAKU, NAY, SILENT MAGICIAN!" The robed magician appeared on the field, one closed eye covered by long silver hair. It hovered just above the floor, pale-red, white and black clothing covering its body. It threw die up in the air, the shining pieces engulfed in green light as they were caught.

Ari and Sen screamed as their Dia Danks tightened around their arms, light bursting from the darkness and striking their bodies. 'He' looked at them with wide eyes ordering his reaper to attack. It came forward, Bakura's pupils shrinking as its scythe came around swiftly, the blade shattering before it could touch any of them.

"Sahwan….Never….Never touch Thoth's family," Thoth breathed, eyes half open as blank orbs rolled back. His arm rose, Sen and Ari falling to the ground on their knees as light exploded from the golden objects on their arms.

"PLAY THE SEAL!" Fasen screamed, his eyes unmoving and his arched position no different.

"I Play the Seal…." Sen wheezed, a tear falling onto his Dia Dank. "I PLAY, THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS!" Bakura did not think such fear could be possible as the one who took the young girl's form began to scream.

"YOU SWORE NEVER TO PLAY IT AFTER IT TOOK HER, YOU SWORE!" he screamed. A spinning green circle descended on the field, strange markings around its inner edge; lines ran along the inside of the ring, forming a sort of star. Green light came upwards, trapping them within it.

"Thoth summons…." Thoth began, before twenty shimmering orbs filled the field. The reaper's scythe reformed, the creature of darkness growing larger so it towered high above them.

Sen's eyes lost all their shine, Ari's eyes joining him in the land of blankness. Their arms came up their voices mechanical and emotionless. They called the names of twenty creatures, ten dragons appearing in front of the each player.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" He screamed. "ULTIMATE SOUL REAPER, KILL THEM!"

"NAY, DARK PALADIN!" " Fasen yelled.

Thoth's eyes shot open, arm rigid as the dragons on the field parted to allow the Ka monsters arrival. Its bladed staff burst from the pulsing black ball that had overtaken the center of the playing ground, the warrior of darkness emerging completely in mere seconds. "YAMI!" Thoth shouted. A black mist drifted around them, Nefra's body under the fog.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS THOTH!" He screamed, body beginning to pulse and quiver. "I WON'T LET YOU!" he continued, screeching as his eyes became a blazing white.

Bakura stared at the new creature that Thoth had summoned, the white haired thief straining to stand as it radiated power, the dragons around it all laying low in respect. "DARK PALADIN! ATTACK AND DESTROY HIM!" There was no long waiting period for the energy to come together, the Paladin's blade shimmering, Bakura gasping when he saw the one of the creature's shining green eyes reflected in its blade. It spun its bladed staff with skill that surpassed perfection. It moved the staff through the air, impaling to reaper's tremendous body in a single, effortless motion. Sen and Ari's eyes returned to normal, the duo looking on in terror as the reapers body scattered into the hungry darkness after it let out an inhuman sound. The Seal quickly closed in on the figure who was once again a shapeless mass of black with a pair of blazing eyes.

Bakura let his breath out when Thoth's body once again became limp and Fasen sat up with a start, gazing at the scene in confusion before screaming shrilly. "YOU CAN NOT KILL ME SO EASILY, FOR I HAVE MORE THAN ONE SOUL OF GREAT POWER!" The magic ring grew smaller and smaller before floating up into the dark.

The white-haired thief fell to his knees as Thoth's head rested against his shoulder, eyes wide in confusion and fear. Thoth's nose wiggled and he held Bakura even tighter mumbling a few words and smiling happily. The dragons disappeared but the Paladin remained, eyes changing from green to a distant blue. It stared at Bakura, eyes resting on Thoth's form before it bowed its head and turned. "Are you ok Bakura?" Sen asked quickly as Ari reached for Thoth's body. He nodded slowly, lying to them and himself. He noticed that Ari was pulling, Bakura not remembering to let go of Thoth.

"Thoth can't summon….how did he do that?" he asked as Fasen struggled to pick Nefra up.

"I don't know….." Sen revealed.

Sen was quietly chanting as Ari summoned a dragon and they climbed aboard, Thoth's Paladin watching as they flew up before plunging it's blade into the ground. Fasen watched in amazement as flashing purple, blue, black and white energy broke through the ground, the maze crashing below them.

"Thoth just summoned a creature more powerful than the soldier," Ari whispered. Fasen nodded slowly, Sen staring off into the dark as his hair whipped around him. He head was low but Bakura could tell he was crying, noticing as a tear hit his clenched fist and rolled onto the dragon's scaly hide. Nefra awoke and began to scream, Fasen putting her back to sleep. Ari asked for Malik's whereabouts, Fasen pulling the sleeping kitten from his bag.

"Don't worry Senny," Fasen said, touching his brother's hand. "Thoth will not die….the Paladin will not lead Thoth down a dark path although it stems from the darkness. You should know that." Sen looked up , nose slightly red, and nodded slowly, looking at the figure in Ari's burnt hands.

"Good job," Sen whispered, closing Thoth's largest wounds. "Good job…."

Bakura wanted to say the same, but found himself unable to speak as Ari said he could see Shila's Harpie. He looked at the small smile that sat on Thoth face, a smile that told him that everything was just fine, and would stay just fine. He wanted to tell the smile that it was a big, fat, liar but he found himself forced to believe it. Thoth opened one eye and looked at Bakura.

"The reaper could not hurt Thoth's best buddy ever….Thoth and Bakura will always be there for each other, promise?" Thoth whispered, holding out a pinky. Bakura looked at Thoth's cut up hand and then at his own cut up hand, shaking little fingers with his friend.

"Yes," Bakura answered, Thoth's finger slipping out of his as he either lost consciousness or fell asleep. "It's a promise."

……………………………………….

Atem had found himself clapping when, the mysterious tunnels disappeared, Shila insisted she could see that others coming and Asami woke up. He also found himself struggling to hold onto the dragon as it avoided the debris that began to fall after the last and most violent shockwave. Mahado and Mana had loudly declared that they would hate to be on the receiving side of the attack that caused them

"Can't we just wait for them?" Asami groaned from the dragon, rubbing her head. A rock hit her in the head, the swirly eyed summoner changing her mind. "Ok, let's just wait for them on the outside!" Rhea nodded, tapping the dragon.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" everyone but Rhea, and the unconscious ones shrieked as the dragon rushed upwards and slid through the grid.

Mana's eyes shot open as she was bathed in cold, gripping the dragon with all her might as they came out under water. The dragon ripped through the water until it was completely out, Rhea letting out an annoyed scream when it disappeared. Haktep kicked to the top, Senna's eyes opening at just the right time.

"ARI THAT BASTARD!" she screamed as they broke the surface, hair plastered to her face as she looked around. The sun had nearly disappeared, the light left nothing compared to the growing dark. It was raining heavily, coming down in relentless sheets that choked them as they attempted to take large breaths.

"OUJI-SAMA!" Mana shouted as she was dragged along by the swift current.

"MANA!" Karim shouted.

"KARIM!" Isis shouted.

"ISIS!" Mahado shouted.

"MAHADO!" Shada shouted.

"SHADA!" Seth shouted.

"SETH!" Atem shouted, as the water came over his head again.

"STOP CALLING ME!" Seth yelled, swallowing a mouthful of water.

Night had rushed in as they all surfaced, the sun disappearing in its entirety. "KAISER DRAGON!" Rayeel shouted. Some almost forgot to swim as its gold and bronze body appeared, bat-like wings opening to provide temporary shelter. Its wings flapped loudly, cutting through the wind as its long body slithered through the air, roaring loudly as blue claws flexed on both pairs of legs.

"BAKURA!" Renora called, struggling to fight the turbulent waters. "THOTH! ARI? FASEN! SEN!" There was no reply.

Senna was cursing as she swam over to a struggling Atem, the prince panting as he swallowed another mouthful of murky river filler. She hooked his arm over his, helping him to stay above the water's violent surface.

"Thank you," Atem breathed.

"No problem," she said blinking water out of her eyes. "ARI! ARI YOU ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!" Her face darkened as she looked around frantically, the Nile appearing infinite as the rain grew heavier.

Renora continued to scream as she was pulled onto her brother's monster, hair and clothes sticking to her skin. "Thank you," Mana whispered as she was pulled onto the back of Rayeel's fearsome looking dragon. Seth, Shada and Karim were pulled on shortly after, wheezing in exhaustion.

"Shila!" Shefnu yelled. "SHILA!" he called even louder, his voice becoming hoarse. Rayeel looked to the back of his dragon from the front taking a head count; Atem, Senna, Shila, Haktep, Mahado, Isis and those who had remained in the labyrinth no where in sight. Asami called for Sen, and Senna called for Ari, Renora screaming the names of her friends. Kana looked at her Dia Dank the light barely at half.

"Hold my Dia Dank," she said, shoving it into Haktep's scratched hands.

"What's do you think you're doing!" Haktep yelled as his sister pulled off her shoes.

"I'm…..I'm going to save Fasen…."

"NO! You can't!" Haktep screamed. Kana smiled her sweet smile and Haktep shook his head, yelling and she dived into the churning water.

"KAISER SEAHORSE!" Rayeel shouted again, another creature appearing on the water. "Follow her!" he shouted, throwing the monster Kana's Dia Dank.

"I'm going to save Shila!" Shefnu and Oberon shouted in unison, standing up and attempting to dive into the water, only to be caught by the sapphire talons of Rayeel's dragon.

"Don't be stupid," Rhea said bluntly. "Both of you are even weaker than Kana and she can swim WELL. Unless you want to drown plant your butts here and be quiet so we can think." They were silent but the rain raged on, Mana breaking the silence in a big way.

"YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME TO DROWN!" she screamed, not diving into the water but falling sideways into it.

"MANAAAAAAA!" Seth screamed, Asami catching him before he fell.

Asami stood up and jumped into the water, lightning flashing across the sky. Their faces were bathed in a white light as it forked across the cloudy veil, those in the water stopping briefly.

Atem knew he had become a dead weight and hated himself for it, Senna not complaining as she fought the current and dragged them both through the water. She still called Ari's name although her voice was failing her, telling Atem that she didn't blame him for getting a cramp or being tired. She suddenly stopped talking and Atem felt very uncomfortable.

"What is it Senna?" Atem asked quickly.

"Something is coming…" she told him, treading water as slowly as possible. Atem was silent, biting his lip as he continued to shiver. "I'll try to summon…"

"No…you're on half power and you're not in any position to be summoning."

"Have you got a better idea?" she asked, looking at him with squinty eyes. Atem pointed up, Senna looking upwards and screaming in delight. "ARI!"

Ari smiled his lady-catching smile, soaking red hair hanging perfectly around his face as he extended a hand, Senna instantly reaching up to grab it but jerking back a second later. "Take him first!" she called. Ari nodded, grabbing Atem's wrists and helping him onto the back of the large, glittering blue bird that they sat on. Atem was quickly grabbed by Shila, his arms pulled up, his head and eyes examined, his legs stretched and his hands inspected.

"You look ok," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," Atem said quickly, not noticing the cold eyes that watched him. He glanced at Thoth's body leaning against Fasen, the red-head pointing to beside him. "MAHADO! ISIS!" he screamed, throwing himself on them.

"OW!" they moaned.

"I'm so sorry, are you ok? Are you really hurt? What happened to you? Where did you go?" Atem continued as Senna, Kana and Mana were pulled from the water, crowing onto Faith Bird.

"MAHADO-SAMA! ISIS! OUJI-SAMA!" Mana screamed.

"Fasen?" Kana said unsurely. Fasen smiled and held out his arms, the two hugging as Thoth opened an eye and declared his hunger.

"Senna and Ari, please," Sen said as the two made out in the rain.

"We're married. Besides, no one is stopping you and Asami," Senna said quickly. Sen and Asami's mouths opened and closed as they looked for appropriate comebacks, flying over to the other group.

"SHILA!" Shefnu screamed, standing up quickly and falling into the water. Everyone sweatdropped, Rayeel getting his Kaiser Seahorse to fish him out. "SHILA!" he yelled again, hanging from Faith Bird's neck.

Thoth rolled over as there was more kissing, Bakura crossing his arms and Renora making loud, obnoxious gagging sounds. "I think it's time for a transfer," Haktep said. "Palace people, please position your persons on the proper-"

"Get on the bird, and well get on Rayeel's fancy dragon," Shefnu said quickly. Everyone nodded as they began to move over the undulating Nile, Senna holding onto Atem's wrist and poking his hair.

"Another time, right princy?" she said, winking at him with a small smile. Atem blushed as she touched his nose.

"Not a chance spiky," Ari reminded him. "Good luck Prince of Egypt…..if this is what happens when we meet each other, let's hope we don't see each other for a while, right?" Atem smiled and nodded.

"Please be careful," Shila said quickly.

"I love your hair!" Shefnu shouted with a grin. "AND YOU, MANA!"

"Me?" Mana squeaked.

"YOU ARE GOING TO BE A KILLER MAGICIAN!" Mana grinned and shouted thanks, both groups insisting that they thought that their 'shouters' were the loudest people on the planet.

Thoth waited for Bakura to jump onto the dragon, passing the prince in a fluid motion with nothing more than a hard look. "Good luck prince," Fasen said softly. "Please remember, although things may appear impossible, there is always something or someone who can help you overcome your greatest trials…and one more thing, you are never too strong to ask for help; and trust me, help can be found in all sorts of places…."

Atem nodded, thankful that there was no riddle wrapped within the advice. Seth climbed on before Atem, mumbling a quick and barely audible 'thank you anyway' to the thieves. "YOU'RE WELCOME!" they boomed.

"Have a pleasant night, Prince," Sen said.

"WaIT," Atem croaked, voice uneven again. "I StiLL Don'T UNderstANd what you TOLD mE….."

Sen smiled. "Don't worry. You will know when you really need to…."

Isis and Mana climbed on after Shada and Karim, Thoth the last to climb onto the dragon. "Prince," Thoth said softly from beside Atem. "Many blessings to your family…Thoth also think your hair is cool. Good luck with the voice."

"Thank you…Thoth," Atem replied uncomfortably. "All the same to you….except for the voice thing because your voice is great, well it isn't great but there's nothing wrong with it, not that I'm saying it's bad because it sounds kind of good….and I can't see your hair but I bet it's nice, unless you're bald but I bet you're not….."

Thoth stared at Atem in confusion, the prince feeling very unsophisticated. Thoth smiled. "Thankies." Thoth was pulled by a moaning Shefnu, Thoth letting out a weak cry of complaint that his cat must be dead. Fasen shook his head and removed a sphere from his bag, Malik sleeping inside. "Malik has it better than all of us….."

"Prince," Shila said quickly. "Sen's bird will take you to your palace so do not worry. Hopefully we shall meet again under more pleasant circumstances, yes?" Renora peered at Bakura from behind Rayeel, cheeks flushing red when they made eye contact and Bakura raised an eyebrow. She sniffed and turned away, watching Atem out of the corner of her eye. He waved to her and her face got even hotter. Rayeel raised an eyebrow, sweatdropping when his sister punched him. Nefra had finally woken up, staring at Seth with her mouth open as Shin moaned that they had gone to a ton of trouble and Nefra had not even said 'thank you'.

"That girl is looking at me," Seth grunted. Isis rolled her eyes as the thieves waved.

"They really are good people," Isis said as Asami picked pieces of dirt out of Ari's hair. "They're strange but good."

Thoth waved with both hands ant Man and Mahado. "BYE THOTH!" they shouted as the bird rose higher, long tail skimming the surface of the water.

"Who's making dinner!" Shefnu shouted.

"How about you?" Oberon suggested.

"YEAH!' the inhabitants of the bar screamed.

"Awwww," Shefnu moaned.

"I don't want to die; you're cooking is poison, NASTY," Bakura said.

"Yeah, you're right…….shit…" They burst out laughing thunder rumbling along with them.

Their laughter was cut short as lightning stuck the dragon, its body shattering in an instant as the Faith Bird was also hit. The water had become more violent, the darkness more claustrophobic and their energy less than anything that could help at this time.

Atem's voice had disappeared along with his stamina, the prince barely able to breathe as the water assaulted him. His vision blurred as the screams grew louder.

His eyes flew open as he lay flat on his back, rain beating down on his sore body, the black blanket above him still hidden by pillows of grey. The water reached for his feat and he rolled to his side, Mahado's, Mana's and Isis' body strewn out in front of him. Several figures were gathered around them, shapes blurred and bodies distorted as they shouted commands.

"Atem?" a voice called desperately, the jagged-haired prince squinting at the person that kneeled beside him.

"Mother?" he replied weakly, his mother holding his trembling hand. He willed his vision to become something on the border of 'I don't need glasses', his mother's wide, hazel eyes swimming into view.

"Get up!" voices shouted from behind him. "I said to get up!"

He rolled over slowly, his mother's questions falling on deaf ears. Shila, Renora, Thoth and Oberon lay motionless on the river bank, their arms and legs covered in long red scratches. Atem glanced at his own arms which were no better. Haktep was awake, hands up in defense as guards ripped his Dia Dank away and held spears to his throat, others beginning to kick Thoth and Oberon when they didn't get up.

"Stop," Mahado wheezed, trying his hardest to sit up. The world spun around him, head pounding as his eyes slipped shut and he dropped back to the ground. Nephthys called to Akunumkanon through the down pour, her cries for the guards to move away from the thieves unheard. Atem coughed, his mouth bitter with blood as Thoth was kicked again, a red patch on the front of his wrappings, red tinting the puddle of water he lay in.

Akunadin crouched next to Seth, strings of foreign words flowing from his mouth. He wanted to fight and protest as he was lifted up in strong arms, rain caressing his face in a cold embrace that he currently could not deny. "No," he pleaded as he watched Thoth and Oberon being dragged away by their collars, Shila hastily thrown over a shoulder as Renora had been done while Haktep attempted to explain. Atem watched as the eldest thief collapsed on the ground, chest burning with a mixture of guilt, self-hate, anger and sadness as his body gave in and submitted to the dark, eyebrows creasing as he heard the guards say four words to the ones who had saved his life –yet again. 'You are under arrest.'

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'When your time is up you will cry…..cry because it is your fault that the secrets of salvation were never known. You shall weep until there is nothing left inside and you are empty, living only for revenge and the one thing that can fill you again; but until they are obtained you wait. You wait and remember the words, the actions and the lives…the lives that you were not strong enough to save……you were not strong enough then, but power will have a new meaning once you arise …..'

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(1) Lee not the most common of words; if I'm not mistaken (because I don't feel like looking for a dictionary), a lee is a sort of barrier or shield ( that protects one from the wind and other forces)

(2) mini-militia of malevolence I just kind of liked using all of the same letters. It's basically the 'little army of evil', but doesn't 'mini-militia of malevolence' sound better? 'Mini' is used but they still greatly outnumbered the living humans.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

All: O.O T.T

Bakura: WHAT THE FUCK! ARRESTED?

Thoth: JUST KILL THOTH ALREADY! WHY DID THOTH HAVE TO BE HURT SO BAD?

Asami: That THING is my father?

Shefnu: Where there donuts in ancient Egypt?

Shila: So, is the Cyber Harpie my inner Ka, or it is just a random Ka?

Atem: Hey, is Bakura gay? Is Thoth gay? Is Rayeel Gay….wait never mind. Am I gay? Is Oberon gay?

Mana: Thoth gets beat up really badly…o.o;;;

Seth: I'm going to kill you with the force authoress!

All: YEAH! :look around: Hey, where is she?

Joey: This is the end of the chapter, all ya' questions are answered when you enter the class room!

Ash: Thank you assistant!

All: :take seat in class room:

Yami AJ: Hello everyone! I know you will all have many questions, but I think I'll take maximum two questions from each person…..

Malik: NO, PUT THE QUESTIONS IN THE BOX!

Ash: Fine. :collects questions: AHEM! Question one asks 'why does Thoth wear wrappings all the time?'

Yami AJ: You should have guessed it by now... REVIEWERS WHO READ THE NONSENSE AT THE END OF THE CHAPPIES DO YOU KNOW WHY!

Joey: 'Asami's mother is alive or dead?'

Yami AJ: Her mother is alive; she simply exists in a coma like state.

Ash: 'Sen can play the Seal of Orichalcos, THAT ROCKS WOOOOOOOO! Where is Sen from?'

Yami AJ: I'M NOT ANSWERING THAT YET…SHEFNU I KNOW IT WAS YOU!

Joey: 'Thoth cannot summon; how was Thoth able to play the Dark Paladin?'

Yami AJ: That'll be answered in a later chappie so don't worry about it.

Ash:'Is Asami a horrible murderer?"

Yami AJ: I guess it depends on how you look at things. I don't see her as a murderer because she was young and she needed her family, so she found a way to get them. I know that Shefnu needed his family too, and the other people who had to be killed were needed by their families, but I don't see her as a murderer.

Joey: 'Who can summon the strongest Ka monsters?"

Yami AJ: I'll use Normal Yu-Gi-Oh attack and defense strengths to show my point. AT this point in time, the answer is technically Thoth. I'll do the math for you and you'll understand why. Normally, the answer would be Ari because he has enough power to summon the Black Luster Soldier (3000 ATK 2500 DEF), but Thoth was able to summon the Dark Paladin (2900 ATK 2400 DEF) in a weakened state but that's not what takes the cake.

As I hope you recall (since you just read it), Sen and Ari went kind of 'blank' and each summoned ten dragons after the Seal of Orichalcos had been played (EFFECT OF SEAL: Allows player to have up to 10 monsters on own field). The Dark Paladin is powered up for every dragon on the field so its total attack was 2900 + (20 500) 2900 + 10000 12900. His defense was 12400. Wait there is more! Thoth also played the magic card 'Yami' which increases the power of all dark monsters by 500. So Paladin's attack 12900 + 500 13400.

So, technically, Ari can SUMMON the strongest monster, but Thoth HAS THE MOST POTENTIALLY POWERFUL/ CURRENTLY POWERFUL monster. BUT I NOMINATE SENNA AS SUMMONER OF THE CHAPPIE, SHE WAS GREAT TODAY!

Joey: O.O Holy cow, 13400? :Gives Senna a medal:

Ash: 'Are Thoth, Ari, Sen and Fasen survivors of The village of Thieves; Kuruelna Village?'

Yami AJ: Bakura is the only true survivor of the village. Ari, Sen, Fasen, Thoth and their other brother briefly lived in Kuruelna, this is how they first meet Bakura and his sister. This will all be explained later but the brothers four did not have a real family and moved a lot before they went to live with Shefnu's family, then Haktep's family.

Joey: 'Why is Asami's 'father' so creepy? He's such a meanie, did you see how he made fun of people and tried to hurt them?"

Ash: Who wrote that dumb question?

Yami: Did someone not get that he's a creature formed of pure darkness?

Yugi::squeaks:

Malik: OH JUST FORGET IT! :uses force to stretch Marik's face:

Ash: 'What is Fasen's inner ka?"

Yami AJ: Oh yes, inner Ka! I shall list everyone's inner Ka at the beginning of the next chapter so make sure you read it.

Random Voice: Make sure!

Kaiba: WHY? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE?

Random Voice: Cause I'm a machine dumbass.

Ash: :kicks 'Random Voice's' speaker: Shut up.

Random Voice: YOU BETTER BE NICE TO ME BEFORE I SPILL SOME SPOILERS ALL UP IN THIS JOINT! YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING THOTH AND ASH?

Both::nod and back up:

Amelda: How did Thoth get into i-

Yami AJ: YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS! :laughs nervously: TIME FOR THANKIES! COME MY ANGELIC ASSISTANT!

Ryou: :floating around using the force: Oh of course.

Raphael: Jump higher kids :standing on chair and holding Thoth's gloves out of reach:

Varon: :holding Bakura's bow: A bit higher.

Bakura::throws them using the force:

Varon: NOW IT'S ON! :him and Raphael put on Jedi garb and Star Wars music plays in the background:

Random Voice: WHAT'S UP WITH YOU DAWG?

Mahado: Why are you talking like that?

Isis Who installed this 'Ghetto garb' chip on your machine?

Yami AJ: :sighs: it's the price you pay for not paying your electricity…..

All: O.o;;; Huh?

Joey: Do you think it's free to rent this infinite white space, feed all of you, keep you amused and pay utilities? NO! Yami AJ has to pay all of this on the reviews she has, so be grateful!

Yami AJ: Thank you Joey. :throws 'Voice' box in random hole: Come along Ryou! n.n

Varon: :points to Bakura and Thoth: YOU TWO FANCY EACH OTHER!

Thoth and Bakura::sabers come on: YOU BET IT'S ON!

…….

DarkAngel4u::sniffs: You read my yucky ficcy ;.;? YAY! It's good, really? Well I say I can't write and…umm….Ash says it…

Ash: NO I DON'T!

Yami AJ: Anyway, I say I can't write because I can't. n.n;;; Yay, someone likes the way the characters are! Is it really going on your favorites list, THANKIES! daces really pathetically since she can't dance: I LOVE YOUR REVIEW!

Ryou: sweatdrop Because Yami AJ is fond of all the prizes she gave away-

Yami AJ: stomping around in cleats

Bakura: stealing stuff magnetic tie

Marik: punching Yugi, Malik, Duke and everyone else; flashes 'JUST TRY AND SUE ME' wristbandMWAHHAHAH!

Ryou: Because she likes them all so much, she's giving you one of each hands multi-purpose cleats, Ninja socks. Magnetic tie and wristband You will also receive this Lay-z-boy recliner glitter falls from no where

Atem: dressed in evening down and heels Huh? o.O

Kaiba: Show off the gift……Simpleton. I'LL BEAT YOU ONE DAY YUGI!

Atem: sits on gift

Yugi: That certainly makes it more attractive.

All; O.o;;;;;; WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Ryou: IGNORE HIM! Here DarkAngel4u, have this bag of confectionary treats, and this all expense paid trip to-

Bakura: THEY'RE GOING TO CUT OFF OUR ELECTRICITY AND YOU ARE PAYING OTHER PEOPLES TRIPS! SEND THEM TO THE BEMUDA TRIANGLE! slapped by Ryou

Ryou: being slapped by Bakura Just take the ticket and pick a country…..

Ash: Ryou isn't as peppy this ending….

Varon: It's because Amelda ate his waffles.

All: THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!

Yami AJ Please select the bishounen of you choice to be received in the thanks for the next chapter, Bakura and Kurama (Yu Yu Hakusho) are reserved.

…….

StormySkys: Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for your great, kind of long review! She said it's AMAZING!

All: YEAH! n.n

Yami AJ: SHE'S GLAD TO BE READING IT!

All: YEAH!

Ash: SHE READ IT OUT OF ORDER!

All: Ye- Huh?

Ashcough ahem…..SHE LOVES THE OC's!

OC's: We're bad you know it! We're bad we show it! break into synchronized, spectacular dance routine that ends with flame jets

Actual Yu-Gi-Oh Characters: Like, whatereverrrrrrr!

Bakura: I'm the only thief not in the dance routine….sniff

Yami AJ: She likes you the most Thoth.

Thoth: Really? Someone likes Thoth? Thank you StormySkys, Thoth is grateful, so grateful, Thoth will give you his brothers! pushes Sen, Ari and Fasen forward Enjoy!

Yami AJ: You can't give away YOUR brothers, MY OC's!

Random Voice: DON'T MAKE ME SPILL SOME SPOILERS UP IN THIS JOINT, MY HOMIES! YOUR HEAR ME DAWG?

Allglare

Malikthrows coke in speakersspeakers blow up

Yami AJ: AS I WAS SAYING! StormySkys thinks that Thoth and Bakura would be cute together n.n.

Bakura and Thoth: NANI!

Others: AWWWWWWW, THAT'D BE SO KAWAII!

Yami AJ: That's what she thought!

Bakura: I AM NOT GAY!

Ari: Yeah, you're Bakura n.n!

Kaiba: You, reviewer, for your words you will receive a Duel Disk. No wait, never mind takes it back You will however receive a three hour pass to Kaiba Land. Hurry up and use it.

Joey: You will receive the Ninja socks, Magnetic tie, cleats and a new item 'CRITTER CAN 5000'!

Bakura: Are your friends being annoying, won't your brother go away? Then use CRITTER CAN to put them n their place.

Marik, Atem, Malik and Duke: talking loudly

Bakura: Like so! opens can and rabid ferret comes out and attacks them all BACK VLAD! ferret returns to can It's even more effective on crowds! opens can again and a whole pack of ferrets come out and bite people TA DA!

Asami:pushes Bakura aside 'This Asami girl', hey I-

Ari and Fasen: push Asami THANK YOU STORMYSKYS! We're giving you a ticket to Egypt!

Mahado: WE CAN'T GIVE SO MUCH STUFF AWAY BECAUSE OF OUR FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES! Please accept the dance routine as a gift!

Ari: Awwww walking away just jealous she likes us more….

Joey: Please pic the bishie of your choice…. sweeping ferret hair

…….

Kura Rocks!: YAY! You reviewed all the chapters and didn't say anything bad about them! Yeah leeches do suck! You also like the OC's snaps fingers

OC'sdressed up Goth style with various instruments hands other special items WE PRESENT YOUR GIFTS!

Ash: GO OC's her and Atem waving foamy fingers

Yami AJ: You can join in if you want points to real Yu-Gi-Oh Characters

Seth, Mana, Mahado, Karim, Isis, Shada, Kaiba, Bakura, Atem, Marik, Mokuba, Malik, Yugi, Varon and Amelda: run onto stage already dressed

Raphael and Duke: WHATEVER!

Yami AJ: o.0 Jeez…

Sen:pushed from OC's in a corset Just cause I'm one of the singers doesn't mean I have to dress like a girl!

Thoth: YAY THOTH GETS A HEAVY GUITAR!

Shefnu and Haktephitting people with drum-sticks

Senna and Renorahitting Seth with their drum-sticks

Yami AJ: GO PEOPLE! waves foam finger

Sen, Isis and Rheabegin to sing 'Bring me to Life'

Seth and Kaiba: WAKE ME UP!

Others: WAKE ME UP INSIDE!

Seth and Kaiba: CAN'T WAKE UP!

Others: WAKE ME UP INSIDE!

Ryou and Bakura: SAVE ME!

Others: CALL MY NAME AND SAVE ME FROM THE DARK!

Malik and Marik: WAKE ME UP!

Others: BID MY BLOOD TO RUN!

Bakura: CAN'T WAKE UP!

Others: BEFORE I COME UNDONE!

Yugi, Yami and Atem: SAVE ME!

All: SAVE ME FROM THE NOTHING I'VE BECOME!

Bakura: BRING ME TO LIFE!

Thoth, Sen, Fasen and Ari: I'VE BEEN LIVING A LIE! THERE'S NOTHING INSIDE!

All: BRING ME TO LIFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! bow

Varon: -eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee still holding notepasses out from lack of oxygen

Ameldadrags off stage

Ash: Oh, here Kura Rocks, take this gives a pass you and no none of your friends get a ride on the Blue-Eyes white jet, compliments Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba corp.

Kaiba; MY AMUSEMENT PARK! MY JET! I DIDN'T WARRANT THIS!

Joey: walking around with clipboard Nope you didn't.

Yami AJ: He did points to Mokuba

Mokuba: HI BIG BROTHER!

…….

NeferNeferiMy ficcy isn't not that nice n.n but thank you for the compliment! I say my writing sucks because I think it does…..you all know it's true!

Ash: glares and pays no attention

Others: play with instruments and dark make up

Yami AJ: Anyway, a million thanks for your review NeferNeferi! You'll keep on reading this and the YYH ficcy sniffs THANK YOU! Remember to pick the bishie of your choice! hands Ninja socks, cleats and a deck chair

Raphael: Why a deck chair?

Yami AJ: BECAUSE WE'RE SENDING HER ON A CRUISE TO THE CA-

Ash and Joey: As your assistants…..

Joey: We got ta tell you that we only have ten pounds and thirty pence sterling, twelve dollars and fifty cents US, seven euro and seventy-five yen left.

Atem: Where did all the money go?

Yami AJ: I took out a loan on this space and sets and stuff, and I don't have a real job…so there never really was any money.

Duke: Are you saying we're broke?

Senna: No shit Sherlock!

Kaiba; Well, I don't care, I have money.

Yami AJ: You have to help me pay! Not paying a loan is a crime and since all of you are with me you'll be viewed as an accessory to that crime!

Isis What? O.O

Rayeel: What exactly are you saying?

Ryou: We have to….

Yugi: Get jobs o.o

All: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Yami AJ: As everyone mourns the loss of their freedom, I would like to thank all those who have, are and will review. You make the world go round n.n. :lights go out

Bakura: DAMN IT!

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IMPORTANT…REALLY IT IS:PLEASE PICK TWO NUMBERS, THE FIRST NUMBER FROM 1-5 and THE SECOND NUMBER FROM 1-11. THIS WILL AFFECT THE FICCY SO PLEASE CHOSE A NUMBER, YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED!

We're off to find Jobs, pray for the world. Want to help us with our money problems? Donate a love gift of (1) review and receive eternal salvation for your kindness.

Well, not really but who cares?

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?
PLEASE CALL 1-800- GONNA –REVIEW, 1-888- WE- ARE- BROKE or 01144 HELP THE POOR!

Peace Out

……….