Yup, this story is back on the roll! Here, we have Yugi being pulled into Brawl.

Cheery thought, huh?

Chapter Three; Lighten Up

"I really don't see why I have to come too."

"Lighten up, Shadow! Hey, I made a funny! Ha!"

"Hilarious."

Shadow the Hedgehog skated down the high street of Domino City, using his natural abilities to hide him from view. Next to him ran Falco Lombardi, who had to rely on cloaking devices that his team-mate Slippy had invented.

Shadow scanned the shops that lined the street, looking for one in particular. Zelda told me it was called the Kame game shop.

"Who names a shop after a turtle, anyway?"

Shadow snapped out of his concentration by the accented voice of Falco. "Quit talking, I'm trying to concentrate." He skidded to a halt at the end of the High Street. "Who are we looking for, anyway?"

"What, you don't know?"

Shadow harrumphed. "Zelda only told me the location. Not the person."

"Alright, cool down. His name's Yugi Mutoh. Got really crazy hair – like a star. Weirder than Sonics."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What did I tell you about mentioning that idiot?"

"You didn't."

"Good point."

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Falco pulled out a small hexagonal device and began tossing it around while Shadow pondered what to do next.

Suddenly, Shadow held out a hand. "Give me your communicator."

Falco was surprised. "But it doesn't work between universes."

"Just give it."

Falco pulled out a small gadget that sparked slightly. A small red light glowed on its casing. He placed it in Shadows outstretched hand.

Shadow himself pulled out a shard of some sort of crystal, which glowed a pleasant yellow in the darkness. Falco raised an eyebrow at it. "Is that…"

"A fragment of a Power Gem. It has the same properties as a Chaos Emerald, just not as powerful."

"Alright!"

Shadow held the two objects in outstretched hands, pulling energy from the Power Gem and funnelling it into the comm. unit. "Now I can just… Yes. Chaos Control!"

The red light changed to a soft green and the unit bleeped. Shadow flipped the cover and thumbed a couple of buttons.

"Fsst… Fzz… Whshhht…Fzz…ome in, Falco. What's your status?"

Falco grinned and took the comm. off of Shadow. "Fine, Fox, just fine. Shadow managed to fix the link."

"I can see that. Mission report?"

"I was kinda hopin' you would help with that. Patch me into Brawl hub, willya? I need to speak to Zelda."

"Will do." The comm. unit bleeped and the light flickered as the signal was transferred. Then – "Zelda here. Have you found him yet?"

"No, ma'am. I was hopin' if you could give slightly better instructions on the location of the kid. We can't find this 'Kame' game shop anywhere."

A sigh came down the line, sounding like a hiss of static. "I'll get Fox to send the co-ordinates of the dwelling he lives in."

"Right y'are, ma'am."

"And, Falco?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't screw up. You know how important this is."

Falco grinned. "But, Zelda! You know I'd never screw up on purpose!"

"Give the comm. to Shadow."

"Aye, ma'am."

"And stop calling me that."

"Alright, ma'am."

The line hissed and went dead. Falco passed the comm. unit to Shadow, who fiddled with a couple more buttons until a set of numbers appeared on the LED display.

"I've got the location." Without warning, he set off, his jet-powered skates enabling him to move at an extremely high speed. He didn't bother to look behind him to see whether Falco was following.

(Yugi, wake up.)

"Hmm…"

(Yugi!) There was a note of urgency in Yamis voice.

"Five more minutes…"

Yami inwardly sighed. (Sorry, Yugi…) He took over Yugi's body, and blinked rapidly to help his eyes adjust to the pitch-black interior of Yugi's small room. (I felt a presence, just for a moment, which I've never felt before. )

He grabbed the duel disk and jacket that were flung on the desk, and made to exit the door. As he touched the door handle, he received a violent electric shot that flung him backwards onto the bed.

((What was that?)) Yugi had woken up.

(It felt like some sort of binding. Somebody doesn't want us leaving this room.)

A breeze flickered through the open window, ruffling Yamis hair.

Wait – open window? It had been firmly shut when Yami had woken.

He turned, his deep purple eyes scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing appeared to him… Then he spotted a blur in the air.

Just a little blur, hovering there, suspended in mid-air.

(That's odd…)

Falco raced along a side-street, following Shadows energy signature. He shouldn't be far ahead, now…

He broke out into a long street, and had to skid to a stop in front of an oddly shaped building. He looked up at the sign, but couldn't read it.

"Dammit, Shadow, where are you?"

The energy signature left by his partner led around the side of the building and through a first-floor window. He looked up and flexed his knees, readying himself to jump.

He could hear voices inside the room.

"Show yourself!"

The blur shimmered and spread, resolving itself into…

((Yami…))

(Ssh, Aibou. I know.)

The figure in front of them was none other than a smirking Shadow the Hedgehog.

Yami's first thought was (This is Bakura's doing.)

"Who are you?"

"My name is Shadow." Shadow made use of his cross-universe powers to speak the language of this country – Japanese? – Perfectly.

"Why are you here?"

Shadow sighed, and spoke into the comm., patching into Falco's miniature communicator. "Falco, come in. This is Shadow. Where the hell are you?"

"Just outside your window. Want me to come up?"

"If you please. Don't rush on my account."

Yami looked from the spiky-haired hedgehog to its communicator. "What did you say?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "You might want to listen to everything I've got to say. It's important, and I don't have time to explain twice."

Then, Falco flopped through the window.

Yami jumped up. "What-"

Shadow glared at his partner. "Falco, get up."

Falco groaned. "This universe's windows are way too small." He stood, rubbing his beak.

Yami gazed, open mouthed, at the bipedal Falcon stood in front of him. "You're… Falco Lombardi…"

Yugi watched through Yami's eyes. ((I almost picked him on Brawl. He's a pretty decent character, but his play style is too rushed to fit my play type.))

Yami eyed the two characters. But he wasn't anything if he wasn't fair. "Start talking," he said, hefting his duel disk.

Ten minutes later…

"So, your universe has somehow pulled Bakura in, and in the interests of balance you want to pull me in too."

"In a nutshell, yes."

Falco muttered something to Shadow.

"Falco wants me to tell you that Bakura has been sighted with Ganondorf and Bowser. That is not good news, especially where we are concerned."

(Ganondorf and Bowser?)

((The main villains from Mario and Zelda.))

Yami sighed. "Very well, then. I just need to make a phone call."

OOO

Boop-Boop-Boop

"I'm sorry, Joey Wheeler is feeling too awesome to take your call right now. If you'd care to call a bit later when his head is slightly less swelled…"

"Very funny, Tristan."

"Sorry, Yugi. What can I do for ya? Baring in mind its two O'clock in the morning."

"Sorry, Tristan, this is urgent. I know you're sleeping over with Joey, but I need you both to cover for me. I've been roped into something, and I-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! What're you doing?"

"I can't explain right now. It's to do with Bakura."

"That scumbag… Well, kick his ass for us, Yugi. How long're ya gonna be away?"

"I don't know. If I don't show at school, you need to make my excuses, OK?"

"Fair enough. Good luck."

Yugi put the phone down and turned to Shadow and Falco. "Alright. I'm ready."

Shadow scowled. "About time."

He concentrated on the Power Gem he held in one white-gloved hand, and its light grew and enveloped the trio.

A second later, they had vanished.

The phone rang.

Bakura next! ^^