Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put them in. Everything else belongs to somebody else and that's just the way it's going to stay unfortunately. Thanks to all my constant readers, I hope you enjoy!

Sorry bout the messed up spacing btw

The One That Mattered

It took a lot of work to separate Yami and Seto. They both had had years worth of hostility brewing between them and the news of just what sort of relationship Seto had had with Ri was the final straw that had them both snapping. Tristan, Mokuba and Pegasus just barely managed to drag Seto off of Yami, holding him by his arms and shoulders while Bakura, Yugi and Joey did the same to a spitting mad Yami. Both had bleeding lips and it was obvious to everyone that they were both going to be various colors the next day. Bruises were already starting to form and Tea was willing to bet her boyfriend was going to look like a raccoon pretty soon. Her man might be king of the cards but it looked like Seto had him in the physical combat category. Poor Yami.

Snarling Yami flinched as Tea pressed her handkerchief against his bleeding lip. "This isn't over, Kaiba." His eyes promised all sorts of painful retribution and in the mood he was in disembowlment wasn't out of the question. Just when he'd thought things couldn't get any worse between them.

"You and what army!" Was Seto's sarcastic reply, his dark blue eyes saying plainly he was ready to dish out one hell of a beating if given the chance. He'd been wanting to do it for centuries after all.

"You know, you're missing what's happening with the woman you're fighting over." Pegasus pointed out dryly, rather amused by all this. Not that he hadn't seen this coming for years. Of course he'd never thought it would be over a woman, that was an interesting twist in their long standing hatred for one another.

That shutting both of them up they turned back to the screen to see the people in question discussing just what sort of test Rika was going to face since it was obvious that that little attack on the girls couldn't possibly be it.

I

"Well I doubt it will be on my mother, we're just not that close. My grandmother maybe but why would anyone go after her? She's a sweetheart." Rika was saying, tapping her foot impatiently against the concrete. "And I can't escape the feeling that it's going to happen soon and that this is where I'm meant to be!"

"Yeah, and it should be someone important that's threatened, if we're going with the idea that it's going to be like last time. I mean the only person you loved more then Yami was Seto." Her own face thoughtful Mai couldn't shake the weird feeling she had in her gut. She was pretty sure Rika was right, something was going to happen and soon.

"Do you think it will be tonight? Should we call and tell mom we won't be coming home?" Suzi asked, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. "Or better yet I'll text her so I don't have to explain why Henry and I are both suddenly staying over at your place. Then again...what excuse could I come up with for one guy going to a sleep over with three girls? Well at least one that wasn't really perverted."

"I don't remember doing anything in my past life to deserve this." Was Henry's groaned response to his sister's sly remark. Not to mention the fact that his parents were already half convinced he was on steroids or some other body altering drug. Now he was not only a druggie but the orgy type, one of whom present being his little sister! God but he must have been a baby killer or something equally horrific in a past life he couldn't remember at all.

"It's here, something is going to happen here. Someone important, a major part of my life..with me since I was a child maybe." Rika muttered, her mind tossing around ideas. It was the last part that had the light going on, her eyes widening with the realization. "Not here..but I need to be here to get to where I need to be. Renamon. Something is going to attack Renamon."

I

"Shit." Looking down at his wrist watch Henry winced as the glowing screen informed him as to the lateness of the hour. "Yamaki is so not going to let us in there at this hour. Or should I say security won't let us in at this hour without Yamaki's permission, which he won't give."

"Who's saying we're going to ask?" Was Rika's answer to that statement, the grin on her face making the other three wince in reaction. It was never a good thing when she smiled like that.

"Well, odds are we're all going to die again anyway." Suzi pointed out with a mischievous look on her face, trying to find the bright side of this. "Yamaki can't kill us for breaking in if we're already dead."

"That is so not comforting." Poor Henry, he could see they were going to be doomed to death even if they survived the unknown evil they were going to go up against. You'd think the gods would cut them a break every once in a while.

"Well, lets go do some breaking and entering." Mai announced with a careless shrug, knowing there was no point in trying to talk her cousin out of this one. Besides, who were they to try and go against their destinies? This was what they were meant to do, no question. "And hey, if it makes you feel better, Henry, you're actually finally in the sort of shape that would make taking out security guards easy as pie."

"Oh fun."

"Well if we're going to break in to a government building we're going to need some more brawn and one hell of a distraction. Just so happens I can provide both." Grin widening Rika winked at Mai then taking a deep breath called in reinforcements. "Latoya! Freya! Joshua!"

Three lights flashing Rika, Mai and Suzi felt every brain cell they possessed die a quick and wonderful death as the sight of a very wet Joshua appeared in front of them wearing nothing but a very small towel to cover up what was important. Wow. Just wow.

"Okay...I can die a very happy woman again now." Suzi said after taking a rather loud gulp. "Hi, Joshua..it's really nice seeing you again."

I

"Do I know you?" Joshua asked then realizing all the women in the group were staring at him, not to mention how cold he suddenly was, it didn't take long for things to click in. Cheeks going red he muttered a few words that had jeans and a shirt appearing. "I'd just got out of the shower." He said by way of explanation, turning as Latoya quickly changed her knee length silk nightgown to a long sleeved shirt and a skirt.

"Well if it isn't Aries." Freya purred, walking over to run fingers up Henry's arm. "Long time, no see, handsome."

"You look like you were out clubbing." Henry commented, taking in her very brief tube top in fire engine red and skin tight black pants.

"And that's exactly what I was doing since Bakura left me in that stupid hotel room with nothing to do. Some top secret meeting with his little friends or something." Freya answered with a careless wave of her hand. "So what's the emergency that you dragged me away before someone could buy me a drink?"

"We're on our way to a place that will take us to where we need to be." Rika explained, smiling at the sight of Suzi and Latoya hugging as Suzi informed the other woman as to who exactly she was. "Now we just need a vehicle to get there in."

"We've got the van, about a block from here." Suzi piped up, grinning as she gave Latoya one last squeeze before letting go. "We were at the movies when we got this strange urge to walk this way."

"Mana?" Joshua repeated, a delighted smile on his face as he made the connection as to who this girl was once Latoya referred to her as Mana. "Hey, you, long time no see."

"Okay, happy introductions and good to see yous later. Right now, lets get to the damn van." That being said Rika headed towards the theatre with everyone hurrying to follow her while they called over greetings and caught up with their old friends.

I

Arriving at the van everyone quickly piled into the vehicle with the girls taking the back seats while the guys took the front and passenger seat. The guys talking strategy about what exactly they could expect in the Digital World the girls caught up with each other since Suzi was out of the loop so to speak.

"Do you think whatever we're facing will be from the Digital World?" Henry called out to the back seat, breaking into their conversations. "If it is then I don't see how any of these guys are going to be much help. No offense." He added, sending Joshua an apologetic look as he came to a stop at a stop sign.

"Who can say." Rika said with a sigh, turning that troubling idea around in her head. "Then again, it was just me versus the bad guy last time. Maybe I'm meant to face whatever this thing is alone again. Maybe you guys won't be allowed to help."

"But then why resurrect Suzi and I?" Henry pointed out, following her line of thought. "I mean these three it's understandable because Isis arranged for them to return to this world and they never really died. Suzi and I croaked in the past though, we didn't have any magic spells casted on our behalves as far as I know. The fact that we were brought back, there has to be some reason. I can't believe that they'd bring us back just so that we could sit on the sidelines and watch you possibly die again."

"He's got a good point." Latoya agreed, hoping against hope that Aries was right about this. She didn't know what she could do but this time she wanted to be able to do something. She hadn't been able to save anyone, only stand by and watch them pass away before her. She didn't know if she could take it again, not when she'd been given this chance to possibly make a difference.

"Well we won't know until we get there." Joshua reminded them, not about to sink into the pits of despair just yet. This time he wasn't going to fail and they were going to beat this thing. He wasn't going to let himself even think otherwise.

"Yeah, we gotta live so that we can hold our Male Awards night again." Suzi added with a grin, trying to back Joshua up in the whole think positive mindset. "After what we've seen, I think it's obvious that Joshua here's going to do some dethroning in certain areas."

"Oh not that again!" Henry groaned, this topic not something that put him in a positive frame of mind at all. Feeling Joshua's questioning gaze Henry wasn't surprised when he asked just what Suzi meant by that. "Apparently these women used to get plastered once a year and have a little award ceremony where they award titles to us men like we're horses on show." Henry explained, turning his head briefly to send Suzi a dark look before turning his attention back to the road.

"Really?" Raising an eyebrow Joshua turned in his seat so that he could look at the women in the back. "So just what titles would I earn once you have this little drinking party, hmm?"

I

Sharing looks the girls automatically got into a huddle, talking amongst themselves as titles were suggested, discussed and either agreed or disagreed on by a vote. They were two blocks away before Suzi announced the results on their impromptu judging. "Well to be fair, this is all of us and we're not drunk either unfortunately. But, between the five of us we've decided that you'd rank first or runner up in five of the categories, Joshua."

No one was surprised when his response to that was to ask which ones he'd placed in. Typical male, Mai thought with a smirk, having a feeling that Joshua was going to drive Joey nuts. Especially if Serenity and the hunky former slave hooked up. Now wouldn't that just be icing on the cake, she thought wickedly.

"Well..." Rika began, deliberately drawing it out for effect. They needed all the amusement they could get at the moment. "We decided that you got runner up for best bare chest, best smile, best overall build and first for best flirt and sexiest wink."

"Who'd have thought Sirus would lose the title of best flirt." Suzi said with a shake of her head, giving a mock sigh. "Ah well, at least my man will still retain his title of best man overall."

"That he will." Latoya agreed with a laugh, patting Suzi's shoulder. "I think it will be a very long time before anyone overthrows Mahado in our eyes."

"Yeah, he was really the perfect guy, wasn't he." Rika said with a sigh, thinking of the priest fondly. He'd never really done it for her but he'd always been her favorite priest, well at least up until a certain someone had decided that she wasn't such a big pest after all, she thought with a small smile.

"So who was runner up for the best man overall?" Joshua asked, grinning widely now that he'd heard his rankings in their little game. Unlike Henry he preferred to see it as flattering rather than mortifying.

"Well lets see, first year it was Yami and the second it was Aries here." Suzi teased, leaning forward so that she could lightly punch her brother in the shoulder, enjoying the way he squirmed whenever she brought this whole awards thing up. Really, it was just too easy.

"Well this year, when you have a repeat of your little drinking fest, feel free to leave me out of the running."

I

"Awww, come on, Henry, lighten up." Rika playfully scolded, feeling only a little sympathy for her best friend. It wasn't a big deal after all, but he was probably focusing and blowing it out of proportion because that was easier then dealing with what might lay ahead.

"Whatever. Here we are." Pulling into the parking lot Henry quickly found a parking space near the building which wasn't hard since it was so late there would only be a skeleton crew in the building anyway. Everyone piling out Henry locked the van up then slipped the keys into his pocket. "So how are we going to do this, your majesty?" He asked, looking over at Rika who was studying the building, a far off look on her face.

"Well first lets see if they'll let us in. If not, we'll sic Freya on them."

"What do you mean, you'll sic me on them?" Freya demanded to know, her hands going to her hips as she narrowed her eyes. If they thought she was getting into a brawl with a couple of soldiers then they were nuts. She'd just had her nails done.

"As I recall, you never had any difficulty talking men into doing whatever you wanted them to do. What I meant was that if they won't let us in we'll let you talk them into it." Rika explained, doing her best not to get annoyed with Freya. After Henry's little lecture she figured she should at least make the effort to try and get along with the annoying little diva.

"Oh. I can do that." Freya agreed, relaxing slightly. If she had to fight she would but she couldn't see why she'd need to with Aries and Joshua around. They were men, beating up people was what they were born to do. She was a woman, she was put on this earth to look beautiful and tell stupid men what to do because they weren't smart enough to figure that out for themselves. It was just how the gods had made them.

"I know you can." Was Rika's response to that one. Everyone walking together towards the building Rika wasn't surprised to see that she didn't recognize the security guards at all. She'd never had a reason to come here this late after all. That wasn't good though since these guys wouldn't know her from Adam. It would have been a lot easier to get in if they'd known her and therefore trusted her enough to let her in without a lot of questions. Thankfully she'd brought her wallet with her on her walk, otherwise they'd really be up a creek without a paddle. Pulling that out Rika got out her ID card and held it up to the glass doors so that they could see it. "We need to come in, please."

I

Walking over to get a look at the card the middle aged man scanned it then looked at her with a stubborn gleam in his eyes. "Do you have permission to come in at this hour? We weren't told to expect anyone, least of all a bunch of kids."

Doing her best not to show her annoyance at being called a kid Rika managed a small smile. "No, we don't have his permission. See these two people with me? They're Jenyu Lee's children. The three of us and our guests need to get in there because something very bad is going to happen in the Digital World unless we're there to stop it."

Not surprisingly Rika's argument didn't work and it wasn't long before Rika and the guard were exchanging heated insults as they yelled at each other, Suzi and Henry trying unsuccessfully to talk their ways in as well. Rika was about ready to break through the glass and strangle the man which Joshua obviously sensed because he tapped Freya on the shoulder and whispered that it was probably her turn to try and get them in. Muttering under her breath about women who had no idea how to handle men Freya elbowed her way over to the front of the group and proceeded to try and explain, in her most charming voice, that they really did need to get in there and that it was a matter of great importance. Stroking the man's ego to the best of her abilities Freya soon figured out her little plan had backfired since he was so busy staring at her cleavage that she'd lay odds he hadn't heard a word she was saying. Joining Rika in the lets kill him category Freya was just about to join the princess in telling the pig off when a girl about Rika's age came walking through the inner doors and walking over to the security guard asked him what was going on.

"Alice, make him let us in!"