The Queen had a songbird that sang in the dark Chapter 4, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Well, if the last cliffhanger didn't bring anyone in, nothing will.

But I'll keep posting anyway...you know, for kicks and giggles.

Disclaimer: Yugioh and Black&White not owned here

Sitting on the padded window seat of an open window just down the hallway from him was a person. A sleepy-looking person whose was currently using his folded arms on the windowsill as a pillow as he stared out that window. And this particular sleepy-looking person just so happened to be sporting a head of very-recognizable tri-colored spiky hair.

"…No…way…" Joey breathed, daring to walk a little closer.

Hearing him coming, maybe, the person on the window seat stirred and looked his way. A few sleepy blinks later, and shocked recognition mixed with astonishment as Yami gasped, "…Joey?"

Which was all the encouragement the blonde needed: with a cry of success, Joey greeted the formerly lost spirit exactly as he would have greeted any other friend in this situation (with only the possible exception of Taya); a hug/headlock. Yami was laughing, Joey was laughing, and everything seemed fine now.

"Damn it, don't you EVER do something so STUPID again!" Joey exclaimed, once the formalities were out of the way and they had both caught their breaths, "No more jumpin' into any weird holes of fire or anythin' else that dumb or else, you hear me!"

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you yell at me for that," Yami replied with a wan smile, "Where's Yugi? And how did you even get here in the first place?"

"Botched portal sucked us right in, me an' Yug' an' even Malik…at least I think it was Malik," Joey explained, "But…"

"…But?" Yami looked suddenly far less enthusiastic.

"…I woke up over dat way by myself," Joey apologized, "Sorry…if I'd known this would happen I wouldn't'a let go of Yug'…"

"…Its fine," Yami said, although he didn't really look like he meant it, "I can sense him, somewhat, so I know he's alive…but now its four of us stuck here instead of just me…"

"Sorry we took so long getting here," Joey said, "But hey, its not like it'll be that long until Shaddi and Malik's sis fix the portal…"

"How long has it been, back in our world?" Yami asked.

"Week and a bit, maybe two weeks tops," Joey shrugged, "Why do you ask?"

"…In this world," Yami said, looking pained, "Time seems to move faster. As far as I was able to tell, I've been stuck here for about twenty years."

"Years!"

Joey gaped at the ancient spirit who he considered a friend in astonishment. If it had been him stuck here that long, Joey figured, he would probably have given up on any chance of rescue a while ago…any other morbid revelations were tossed aside as the sound of giant cats snarling at each other interrupted their conversation.

"Oh man," Joey yelped, "And you've been stuck with those monster kitties for years, man…you have my sincere pity."

Yami blinked, and actually smirked.

"I see I'll have to explain everything, then…you'd better come with me Joey," the spirit said, slowly rising to his feet and moving down the hallway.

Joey jumped up to follow and kept close to Yami's side: for whatever reason, Yami looked completely exhausted, like he was about to fall asleep where he was walking…maybe he'd spent the last couple of nights awake worrying about Yugi or something, Joey figured, but that didn't quite sit right in his stomach.

At least they didn't go too far, only to an open window down the next turn in the hallway. Yami gestured to Joey to take a look outside, and Joey involuntarily yelped when he spotted the two cat monster/Creatures having some kind of fight right outside. One was the Creature who'd carried Joey here, and the other was the huge Creature they'd hid from.

Much to Joey's astonishment, Yami leaned his head out the window and called down to the cats. Yes, down - the window was magically higher in the building than it should have been with only one flight of stairs.

"And just what are you two doing?" Yami asked.

Joey just kept feeling more and more astonished as the cats paused and turned towards them - towards Yami - with positively sheepish expressions.

((I was trying not to disturb you if you were sleeping,)) the bigger one said in a telepathic voice - it was a girl! - ((But Jake has already done that.))

((Not fair, Miss Laurel!)) Joey's ride protested, sounding like a real kid in comparison, ((You always stick your head in to see if he feels better, so why can't I bring something to cheer him up?))

"Cheer me up?" Yami blinked, looking over at Joey.

"Well, actually, he brought me over here," Joey admitted, pointing at the smaller cat, "He said a 'weirdo human' like me was just da thing to cheer his Master up…but if I can't do dat, at least I found you, neh?"

"…What's so funny?" the blonde asked next, completely flabbergasted as Yami started laughing.

The spirit was holding his sides and trying to suppress what sounded like some impressively loud guffaws. Even so, a pretty impressive set of chuckles were coming out. Joey hadn't even ever realized that Yami could do something as mundane as chuckling.

"…'Mm sorry," Yami forced out between chuckles - and were those other ones giggles? - "Of course…of course you don't know…"

"Yeah, I got dat much," Joey frowned, "Care to fill me in?"

Yami got his laughing fit under control and looked at Joey carefully. His eyes still showed his amusement as he said the strangest thing the blonde had heard yet:

"Joey, I am Laurel and Jake's master."

…After waiting for a few minutes for some sort of reply - and only getting an open-mouthed stare of astonishment in response - Yami sighed, took a seat on the sill, and gestured for Joey to do the same.

"Sit down, Joey," Yami said, "This story will take a while…"