Prophecy

Disclaimer: Flamingos will take over the world with their one-legged ninja skillz!

"When legend becomes reality,

Three warriors of ancient monsters will rampage the earth,

Of light, dark, and element.

Look to the Heavens,

They will come from there…"

Chapter 16 – Triple Date

"Ha, haaaaa! Have a nice time, suckers!" Erica mocked, watching Jackie and Jennie walk off down the drive way from the front door.

Tien-Xiang stood next to the teasing girl and added in a fake sympathetic voice, "Aw, Erica, you shouldn't make them feel so bad! After all, you just might lower their chances of getting married!"

Jackie's uncle and Erica laughed hysterically and quickly closed the door when Jennie spun around and threw fist sized rocks at them.

"I swear I'm going to kill all of 'em when I come back…" the braided girl seethed.

Jackie simply rolled his eyes and dragged Jennie away to the center of Domino City for their unwanted date. They had a long day to go…

The two friends met with Joey and Teá and grimaced visibly when they were told it was going to be a double date.

"Do we have to?" Jennie whined.

Joey scratched his head, looking concerned at Jennie's reluctance to go around with the others. "Well, if you don't want to then we don't have to…."

Jackie glared at Jennie. If they didn't like them in a romantic way, that didn't mean they had to show it. Jennie caught the hacker boy's warning look and messed up her hair from frustration. With hair puffing out like an afro, she sent a vicious look at Joey and Teá as if it was all their fault. They looked back at her with blank faces.

Then, with a voice of hopelessness, Jennie sighed, "Oh, fine. Let's go all together."

"Yay! I knew you would like it!" Teá cheered. With that, she latched onto Jackie's arm and snuggled against him.

The boy's eye twitched. With a sharp turn, he stomped off with Teá, muttering inaudibly, "Let's just get this over with."

Jennie followed after him, dragging Joey along so she could catch up with Jackie. She didn't want to be left alone with the man now that they had agreed to go around together. Who knew what would happen.

The two couples spent the day in the movies (watched horror- Teá cuddled against Jackie in scary moments while Jennie gripped Joey's hand until it turned purple), the mall (Jennie fell asleep walking and Jackie was overloaded with clothes hand picked by Teá), and finally the fast food restaurant, which Joey, Jackie, and Jennie ran immediately into so Teá wouldn't pick some other godforsaken location.

When everyone got a seat, Joey went off to buy food (everyone cashed in) and Teá went to the bathroom to do girl stuff, giving Jackie and Jennie some alone time.

Jackie leaned back on his chair, eyes half-closed from sleepiness. "My God, this is the most exhausting date I ever went to."

The braided hair girl smiled mischievously, commenting in a sarcastic voice, "You have to admit, though, this date is pretty fun!"

"Yeah, if you like to be pushed, clung to until suffocated, and pulled around for four hours straight!" Jackie scoffed, sitting back up, taking off his glasses to rub his tired face.

Jennie laughed out loud. For a few moments, the situation seemed to be a bit lighter. Even Jackie was able to crack a smile at the girl's cheerfulness. After that faded, however, the atmosphere grew bored and weary once more.

"Have any idea in how you're going to break the news to Teá?" Jennie asked.

Jackie lifted an eyebrow. "What news?"

"That you came from an alternate dimension and that she's a total friendship freak?"

"You make it sound so easy. What about you? What are you going to say to Joey?"

"Tell him that I don't like him."

Jackie smiled dourly. "Again you make it sound so easy."

"It is easy, you numskull!" Jennie snapped, kicking the hacker boy under the table.

A few minutes later, Teá came back and sat beside Jackie, chatting with the two of them. In the middle of it, though, Jennie felt the Exodia deck inside her pocket flash and spit out sparks.

Her eyes grew wide as she heard Joey's voice yell out, "Hey, dude! Why'd you knock that guy out-"

Screams started as a crash trembled the floor. Jackie and Jennie stood up as Teá cried out Joey's name. They all saw a tall black clad man standing over an unconscious Joey as the other bystanders hid behind tables or counters. He held out a small switch knife and pointed it at Jackie and Jennie. A dark black aura swirled around him for those who could see it.

"It seems like we have another nice visitor from the shadows," Jennie commented, almost looking bored. Cocking her head, she wondered in what Erica was doing now…

Erica wearily walked down the stairs after she fed the Kaibas. For some reason, she felt nervous and scared. Was this feeling linked to her two friends?

'Nonsense. I bet they're having a good ole time,' Erica smiled, but this did not soothe her anxious senses. Feeling that it was high time to get tea to comfort herself, she walked to the kitchen.

When she arrived there, she saw Tien-Xiang reading the newspaper on the table. Quietly, Erica brew herself green tea and sat across from him, reading the articles upside down. After a few seconds, Tien-Xiang looked up and folded the newspaper.

"What do you want?" he sighed.

Erica didn't answer right away, but asked slowly, "How do you think we'll live through this adventure? How can we? What if…we…we die? What will happen to us after that?"

Tien scratched his head. "Do you want me to be blunt or assure you that everything is going to come out alright?"

Erica laughed and replied, "Blunt, please."

"Alright, now. Where should I start…?" Tien-Xiang's eyes dimmed. "When I first came here, I asked exactly the same questions that you asked me. How will I survive? What if I die? Would I come back home or would I just not exist? I guess the idea that being stuck in this world was good enough to force me to find a way out of this place…But sometimes being alone in a situation that you know isn't real can be discouraging and can make you think that death is easier. I have learned, and you must remember, that you are never alone and can always find help in the strangest places. That is where you can set your hopes and perhaps that is where you can get out at the end of the tunnel."

Erica stared at the man before her and smiled again. "And we're your hope, aren't we?"

"Yes, you three most definitely are."

Jennie swiftly ducked as the man in black slashed his knife above her. With a furious yell, she did a roundhouse kick that bashed against the man's ribs and pushed him to the tiled floor with a back kick a second later.

Backing away from the flailing knife's range, she went into her stance and remarked, "I learned that from Tae Kwon Do class!"

When the male began to stand up once more, Jackie snuck up behind him and bashed his head in with a food tray. The blade that the man held spun under a table as he fainted dead away.

"And I just made that up!" Jackie continued after.

As Teá quickly ran over to Joey to see if he was alright, people came out of their hiding places and cheered when they saw the duo tie the unconscious man up with rope from the broom closet. After telling someone to call the police, Jackie and Jennie walked over to Joey and Teá.

Jennie beamed at the hacker boy and said, "My fighting skills rock!"

"And so does my pick pocketing skills," Jackie whispered, holding up a familiar black card.

Jennie pretended not to notice as she asked Teá and Joey if they were all right. Teá nodded and winced at Joey's random cursing and swearing that he'd beat up the punk who knocked him out.

Jennie grinned wickedly. "Sorry, Mr. Blonde, but we already did!"

Joey gawked at the braided hair girl in disbelief and even more so with Jackie.

"Hey!" the hacker boy snapped, pulse popping out. "Even if I'm a computer geek, that doesn't mean I can't fight! SO STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

The other three started to snicker and then laughed out loud. Jackie just rolled his eyes in defeat. Sometimes things were better left alone.

The police came a while later and took away the black dressed man. Teá and Joey left the restaurant with other customers, but Jackie held Jennie back.

In a serious voice, he said, "I'm certain that that was one of the Shadow Realm minions."

"Yeah, I know." Jennie nodded gravely. "But why didn't it use any special powers? It only attacked with a flimsy pocket knife."

"Maybe it's because the Realm needs to conserve its power since it lost so much by attacking us, but I didn't realize it needed it this much. Wait, maybe there's a purpose to all thi-"

Jackie was interrupted by shocked shouts outside. When the two went through the doors, they saw a police man holding empty handcuffs as the other officers ran around, yelling about a missing person. Jennie spotted Joey and Teá and as they ran over to them, the braided hair girl asked what had happened.

"I don't know, but that man that attacked Joey literally vanished into thin air!" Teá replied, shocked herself.

Jennie and Jackie gave each other a look and both dragged their "dates" away from the scene. At the moment, running away from where the Shadow Realm was seen last was the best thing that the duo could do.

"Huh. You're awake," Erica observed, holding a cup of tea. She gave it to Seto and he drank it in small, cautious sips. She sat at the edge of the king-sized bed, next to Kaiba and watched him finish his drink.

"What happened?" he said groggily, holding his head. "Why am I here? Where's Mokuba?"

The girl answered back, "You got attacked by the Shadow Realm, was used as a human battery for it, and your bro is right next to you."

Seto looked sideways and seemed to relax a bit when he saw the raven-haired boy beside him. Then he gazed back at Erica, face skeptical. "You're joking, right? I mean, about the Shadow Realm."

"Sue me if I am."

"Ugh. Tell me what really happened. I don't believe in that foolish mockery."

Erica sighed, knowing that Kaiba wouldn't accept the truth. "A mafia group snuck in sleeping gas to make everyone in the house fall asleep, took over your home, my friends and I rescued you, and now your house is temporarily off limits by the enemy. Good enough for you?"

Kaiba gave a mean glare in response. The girl calmly looked back at him.

"You know, I've missed that look ever since you stayed unconscious in this bed," Erica said casually.

With a surprised blink, the man looked away and turned red. "Hah! You missed my death glare?"

"I already said that, didn't I?"

Seto took a peek at Erica's face again and blushed an even deeper shade of red when she still had that serious look.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Kaiba shouted.

The dark brown-haired girl raised an eyebrow and puzzled over in why her patient was so red. "Do you have a fever?"

"No!"

"Then why are you all red?"

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are."

"I think I should know if I'm blushing or not!"

"Well, you are blushing!"

"I'm NOT!"

With a pause, Erica noticed that during their argument, she and Kaiba had gotten close…very close. When Seto took note of this, too, he backed away to the headboard, nervous that Erica had realized something weird about his reaction. After a few minutes, Erica smirked and had a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, I get it," she said, laughing impishly.

Seto stammered, "G-get what?"

"You like Jennie, don't you?"

"WHAT! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT!"

"See, see! You do like her!"

"No!"

"You're rejecting it, so you doooo like her!"

"NO!"

"Yes, you doooo!"

"ARE YOU STUPID?"

"Seto and Jennie sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S—"

"I DON'T LIKE HER!"

"Oh? Then who?"

"WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU?"

"See! You do like someone and that someone is Jennie!"

"UGH! I don't like that idiotic girl!"

"Then tell me who you like!"

"NO ONE!"

"LIAR!"

Seto glared at the smiling female and growled, "Of all the people in the world, never would I choose her!"

Erica frowned in thought. Counting off several people, she started, "You like Teá?"

"No."

"Laurie?"

"No."

"Yumiko?"

"Who the hell is she?"

"Then who…"

"FOR GOD'S SAKES, DON'T YOU SEE?"

Erica grew wide-eyes and put her face in front of Kaiba's. "YOU'RE GAY!"

"NO!"

Jackie sat down on a park bench and watched Jennie walk away with Joey to some place in the trees. They both agreed to get this tiresome thing over with.

Facing Teá, he said in a serious tone, "Look, I just want you to know that I had a…um…great…time."

Teá reddened and looked admiringly at her knight in shining armor. He was so brave and handsome when he was fighting that mysterious man. The way his black hair floated when he dodged the black clothed man's moves and the way his eyes glittered in the fluorescent lights when he anticipated his enemy's attacks. He was witty, too, when he ended the fight and completed Jennie's sentence. What more could a girl ask for in a guy as great as Jackie?

"…And I want to do this again. Really, I do! But…as friends." Jackie finished quietly.

Rudely shattering her day dreams, Teá's happy face faded with a hurt expression.

"Well…you know. I never did exactly 'like-like' you and never intended to date you either…so…we're still friends, right?"

Unfortunately, that was a bad explanation because Teá started to cry, while blubbering loudly, "You don't like me because I'm not like Jennie or Erica, right? You want someone like them than plain old girly me that can't even kick butt!"

"Yes! I mean, no, I mean…uh…."

Teá cried even louder and people in the park started to stare.

Jackie panicked and said, "Don't cry! We're still friends…ah, dammit!"

Scratching his head, he wondered if Jennie was faring any better than he was.

"Well, Joey, I just want to be blunt, so I'm going to say—" Jennie started, but Joey held a finger up and took a deep breath.

"I know what you're gonna say," the blonde interrupted, "but after today, I figured out somethin'."

The girl cautiously moved away from the blond boy. "Something about what?"

"That even though you're cool and stuff, I've figured out that we've best be friends and not boyfriend and girlfriend."

"So…you're breaking up with me?"

"Uh…yeah."

Jennie was silent for a while, face blank. To people who didn't know her, she seemed shocked, but in fact she was thinking. Finally a ghost of a smile went on her face as Jennie said angrily, "So that's it? Only one day and that's it? You should have made up your mind whether or not to date me in the first place! Stupid dog!"

Then she ran off, leaving Joey confused and gaping at the speeding braided hair girl.

'What the hell is going on?' Joey wondered. 'Girls are so complicated!'

"No, I'm NOT gay, NO, I'm not cynical-well, maybe a bit-, and no, I DO NOT LIKE ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE!" Kaiba yelled.

Erica still had that foolish smile on her face and poked, "I know you like someone! You can't hide it from meee!"

In pure frustration, Kaiba grabbed the girl's arms. "FINE! You really want to know who I like?"

Erica nodded eagerly. Kaiba closed his eyes and held the girl tightly as he began his speech. What he didn't know was that her attention was suddenly distracted as she gazed out of the balcony window.

"I wanted to tell you this for sometime, so listen!" Kaiba said softly. "I have admired, been interested, and wanted to be close to you! I like you, okay? I only like you! You, you, you! Understand? YOU!"

Seto opened his blue eyes and looked at Erica in the face. However, she was staring at something else and seemed surprised when she realized Kaiba was looking at her.

Erica blinked and meekly shrugged at Seto's passive expression. "Uh…what? I didn't hear. I was distracted by a really annoying albino at the balcony."

The man released the girl, but had an exasperated and livid look. He looked ready to kill someone. Then a quick movement at the side of his eyes took hold of him and burned with fire at what he saw. That blasted Bakura had somehow gotten through the balcony door and was happily squeezing an irritated Erica.

"Greetings, my love!" Bakura cooed happily, kissing Erica on the cheek.

The dark brown haired girl rubbed his kiss off her cheek and hissed, "What makes you think that I won't kill you right now, Yami?"

"Because I'm in the body of sweet and naive Ryou!"

"Damn you."

Finally, the yami noticed that Seto was awake and was glaring at him such ferocity, it made him flinch. Bakura hugged the dark haired girl closer to him.

Seto got up from bed and commanded in a voice dripping with acid, "Get away from her. Right. Now."

Bakura jutted his jaw out defiantly. "Why should I?"

Abruptly, Kaiba lashed out at Bakura's head, making him release Erica. She quickly walked off and sat next to Mokuba, who was still sleeping. Now, the two men started to curse and fight with each other in ways and languages that was crude beyond recognition. With all the yelling and noise, this woke the little boy next to Erica.

"Where am I?" Mokuba asked. He yawned as he got up.

Erica smiled and pat the boy on the head. "You're in my house since yours is surrounded by mafia people. Ignore the two stooges over there."

The raven-haired boy looked at his brother and Bakura. They were still calling each other names.

"They act like children…" he drifted.

"I agree." Erica sighed. "Let's go downstairs and get something to eat. After that, let's play some chess games."

Erica pushed the little Mokuba out the door and closed it gently, so the sparring duel masters wouldn't notice their disappearance. Having those two in the same room gave her a headache!

When Jackie met up with Jennie shortly after their "break-ups," he found her laughing uncontrollably.

"What the...What's so funny?" he inquired.

Jennie sputtered out, "I…I acted like I was…was upset with Joey for breaking—"

The girl broke out in laughter again.

The boy crossed his arms and in amusement he said, "And when you saw Joey's face, he gave you a look of sheer shock, not believing that you would be so upset over his speech, right?"

The girl nodded and looked up at her friend, still giggling. "How did yours come out?"

"Bad. Teá started crying and ran off to who knows where," he shrugged.

"Jeez, what'd you say?"

"Don't give me that look! I said that I rather have her as a friend!"

"Oh. I just thought you were acting as your usual ruthless self."

Jackie shot a glare at Jennie, but she simply smirked and ran up the hill to their home. With an angry huff, Jackie followed.

By the time they got to the mansion and entered, the duo saw Erica playing chess with Mokuba and Tien-Xiang reading a book nearby. Upstairs, there were various disconcerting noises.

"Um…What's up?" Jennie greeted, plopping down next to Erica and Mokuba.

Jackie went upstairs, but five seconds later, he rushed back down with a confused face. "What the hell are those two doing?"

Erica moved her pawn and answered leisurely, "The two are trying to figure out who the alpha male is."

"They're acting like complete idiots!" Jackie commented, cringing at the sound of breaking glass.

Then Jennie pulled Jackie away by the arm just in time when Seto raced down the stairs and jumped over the railing, landing in where Jackie was. Bakura ran down as well and now the noise was brought to where everyone was.

"Damn albino! You are nothing, but a cockroach compared to me! Just a measly thing that won't back off!" Kaiba bellowed.

Bakura's eyes glimmered dangerously. "Oh, really? I could easily send you to the Shadow Realm for all your jabberings!"

"Hah! Shadow Realm? There is no such thing!"

"Oh? Then should I send you there myself?"

The yami's millennium necklace glowed slightly and the familiar cold draft swung around the room. Alarmed, Tien-Xiang got up, but Erica scolded, "Go home, Bakura! I don't want Seto to end up close to death again!"

That seemed to stop Bakura, but he was still growling at the arrogant man across from him. Jackie's uncle warily sat back down.

Jennie then sarcastically said, "Wow, Erica. You taught the yami to stop his evil necklace. Why don't you teach him how to sit, too."

Already aggravated, the dark brown haired girl went back to her chess game and ordered, "Bakura, sit."

Then albino sat.

Jackie had to hide his smile and glanced at Kaiba who was edging toward the kitchen.

'What now?' he thought with tiredness.

Erica slammed down her queen chess piece. "Seto, if you're going to get a pan and try to knock Bakura out, then you're asking for a death wish! Not from Bakura, but from me!"

Seto came back and sat angrily onto a nearby armchair. The others just stared. Jennie and Erica rolled their eyes at the same time. Men!

A/N: I AM DONE! Jesus Christ, I typed this whole thing in one day. I have a horrible headache, hungry (I skipped dinner just to finish this), and my fingers are cramping. The only reason why I'm not dead at the moment is because I may never have another chance this month to type up another chapter of this story, so I have to bring up the speed on my super slow typing skills. Uhhhhh….kill me noooooow….

Anyway, I'M SUPER HAPPY THAT I GOT SO MANY REVIEWS! I FEEL LOVED! LOVED, LOVED! LOVED LIKE COTTON CANDY ON A CANDY STICK! Ehh…okaaaay…too many computer waves have been sucked into my empty head…

Well, the reviews are: Skidoodle you are such a nice person! Your review made me want to continue the next chapter right away, Hi shame on you for forgetting to review…, carolsi13 Erica's driving rocks! You should see her in go carts! She goes crazier than Jennie, DarkHand27, Girl of Games yay, a new reviewer, Jennie who's actually candy-animelover600, and The Random Cat13666 another new reviewer!

I got seven reviews! Yay! Soooo, if you guys review quickly and I get at least four reviews, I promise I'll update again this week! If not then…you'll just have to wait until next month. WELL, THANKS TO ALL OF YA'LL AGAIN! SAYONARA!