Chapter 2:

It hurt, it hurt a lot. His head throbbed and his throat screamed for water. Ryou struggled to open his eyes but the bright light above him hurt.

"Oy, sorry bout that" A strange voice said. "I jus didn't want ya ta run out and be caught by those poachers. They'd probably sell ya as a slave."

"Wha..?" Ryou finally sat up and opened his chocolate colored eyes. It was apparently early morning.

"I didn't mean ta knock ya out, and for awhile I was fearing I'd hit ya ta hard." The person speaking was sitting of the ground next to him, concern showing in his honey colored eyes. He stood up suddenly, and Ryou noticed the tall, lanky frame topped with a mess of gold hair. The stranger offered Ryou a hand.

Ryou accepted and found himself hauled up to two feet.

"Hi, my name's Jou." The strange man, wait no that's what was weird.

"You're a fairy!" Ryou cried out as he noticed the ears and things clicked into place. "Wow, I'm Ryou, and…." He looked around for Yugi. "Oh no! Where is Yugi?" Ryou cried frantically looking around. He hit the ground again in shock as he remembered. "Oh, no" he repeated in a gasped whisper. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Oy, what's wrong?" The fairy bent down to comfort the pale boy.

"Yugi was my only friend left, and now he's gone."

"Why?"

"Those hunters took him…" Ryou whispered through the curtain of hair that now covered his face.

"Well they can't have gotten far, and me being who I am, I know this forest inside and out. I'll help ya find those creeps and rescue your buddy!" Jou hauled Ryou to his feet and dragged him off in a random direction that Ryou hoped was the right way.

"The village was destroyed my lord."

"No survivors?"

"No survivors my lord. No one could have survived that attack."

"Oh what a shame that the race is now extinct." The shadowed figured smirked sarcastically. "Now that shapeless king's little pet truly is priceless. I guess everyone will suspect him. Money after all is the key to war." A smile broke out across the man's face, though it made all those near shudder. "You are dismissed."

The messenger scurried out of the room quickly.

"My lord?" A servant got his attention. "The Druid Council is wanting to speak with you about a spell they discovered. They claim it will wipe out the shape shifters completely, even those in hiding."

"Interesting, send them in immediately!"

"Are you sure this is wise?"

"Very, the shape shifters want to remain neutral but the sorcerers are going to try and destroy them anyways. If the shifters want to survive they will ally themselves with us. They have been helping us secretly all along anyways."

"I trust you Bakura."

The two creatures entered the room with airs of arrogance, even though they were apprehensive. The alliance needed to work out smoothly.

All of the shifters in the room were seated at a table, when they saw the two vampires enter they stood and bowed. "Greeting Pharaoh." The chorused.

Yami internally let out a breath of relief as he bowed and greeted back. They knew the vampire customs, therefore they probably wanted this alliance to work just as bad as he did. "This is my Head General and Top Advisor Bakura." Yami gestured to his right where his best friend stood.

They joined the shifters at the table.

"I am Marik, current Alpha, these are my advisors and family." He gestured to his right and left where two older shifters sat. "Isis my sister and Rishid my half brother." Rishid stood to the right while the only female in the room stood on his left.

Yami was internally thrilled how well things were working out, the Alpha hadn't brought any one unnecessary to the meeting just like they had arranged. The King of Vampires cleared his throat suddenly, gaining the small groups attention. "I am sure you are aware that we offered our allegiance before," the guests suddenly looked uncomfortable so Yami began speaking a bit faster. "but it was decided on both sides that it was unnecessary. However it has come to my attention that the sorcerers who we vampires are at war with are about to begin a new campaign to wipe the shape shifters extinct. Earlier this month they tested a new weapon on a village, and the village became desolated and destroyed with no survivors."

Apparently the shape shifters had not heard this information before because they all paled and gasped.

Yami sighed sadly. "There's more. This wasn't an ordinary village of humans. It was the last of a now extinct race." He paused again for a calming breath. "The Hikari's."

"What?" Marik suddenly jumped in his seat. "You mean there is no more? No villages, towns, cities, kingdoms?"

The vampires were slightly surprised at his reaction. "No, that was the last village."

"I once witnessed the destruction of a Hikari village." Marik whispered sadly. "It was the worst thing in my life. Like all the happiness I'd ever had was killed with those people."

"It's one of their powers, bringing happiness I mean." Bakura spoke. "Along with many others."

"Brother," the woman suddenly spoke up. "I have no idea, and I'm pretty sure Rishid doesn't either, about what you are talking about."

"Hikaris are, I mean were, a race of human-like creatures with extra-ordinary powers, much like ourselves. They could shape shift like you and fight like us with speed, strength and teleportation. They controlled magic like the sorcerers and also controlled an extra magic similar to the shadow warriors except shadow magic is useless against them. Basically they were unstoppable in powers." Yami explained.

"With all this power they should rule the world, yet I've never heard of them till you speak of their destruction." Rishid pointed out curiously.

Bakura smirked and looked away. "Funny thing about Hikaris. They are shy, gentle, and NEVER used their powers. It's a wonder we know about them at all."

After reveling in the new information for a few moments, the group felt somewhat bonded by their shared knowledge, and the negotiations ran perfectly smooth.

Marik walked happily out of his new allies domain with his brother and sister at his side. Everything had gone well, and with the vampires offered protection, the sorcerers were becoming less of a threat. Now, however, was the time to act quickly.

Though Ryou really did trust the forest fairy in knowing where they where headed, he still worried about catching up to the hunters. What would happen if they reached the end of the forest before Ryou and Jou? And how were they supposed to get Yugi back anyhow? Did fairies fight? Could he fight? His head swarmed with questions that he didn't know the answer to.

Ryou, lost in his troublesome thoughts, stopped paying attention to where they were going, and ended up running straight into the fairy. Jou had stopped suddenly, and was staring suspiciously at a tree.

"Jou? Is everything okay?"

"It isn't supposed to be here."

"What isn't?"

"That lizard thingy." Jou pointed down at the base of the tree to a strange looking white lizard. Upon being pointed at the lizard puffed up and made a strange noise, like it was trying to roar.

Ryou cautiously walked forward, noticing the lizard didn't run, but stared with discontent at him through startling blue eyes.

"Something is weird about this lizard."

"It's probably poisonous" Jou offered while backing away.

That's when Ryou noticed the strange blue stone sitting next to the creature. He reached to pick it up but stopped when the obviously protective creature lunged at him. He grabbed the stone and quickly backed away from the now infuriated reptile.

"it's a magic morphing stone." He said softly. "but the magic has been drained. I bet this lizard isn't a lizard at all." As he was observing the stone suddenly glowed. Ryou dropped it in surprise, and the lizard leaped on top of it becoming consumed in the glow. The small white lizard began growing, and Ryou and Jou dived behind a tree, afraid of what they'd done.

The light quickly disappeared. Jou and Ryou peeked out from behind their tree.

"What have you done?" Jou squeaked accusingly as they looked at an enormous lizard. It roared full volume and very clearly as it stretched it's great white wings. Jou and Ryou clutched at one another shaking. Then it suddenly glowed again, becoming smaller till the glowing vanished.

Now where the little lizard once stood was a tall man with chocolate hair and sea blue eyes staring straight at Jou and Ryou's tree.

"What have you done?" Jou gasped appreciatively, and Ryou stifled his laughter.

TBC

Well there it is, most characters and plot introduced. Thank you for reading and please let me know if you like it. If you read the first chapter before, and just skipped to the second chapter this time, please go back and read the summary at the beginning of the chapter. Thanks!