Ryou: *sighs* Get on with things 'SJ...

WSJ: Ah yes, right. Expect updates to be coming slower, because I'm devoting most of my time to this absolutly gigantic one-shot song-fic called The Child Who Suffers. It's already 60KB, and only about a third of the way done!!!! ).( I'm gonna die before it gets finished!!!

Bakura: *coughs politly* WSJ, if you do not get on to the story, I'm going to have to bring out Bessie... (Bessie is his "pet" flame-thrower)

WSJ: Okay, okay. Just one more note. This is all Fiore's fault!!!! (For info about Fiore and my other "new" muses, see my bio)

Disclaimer: YGO belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. *blinks slowly* Heeeeey... I wonder if he's related to the great Rumiko Takahashi, creator of Ranma 1/2 and InuYasha, among other animes... *wanders off to ponder this*

Ah hah, one last note! *sees Bakura glaring* I promise! I've desided what to do about the Ryou/Serenity. Personally, I love that couple, but I don't want those of you who don't to run away. So here's what I'm gonna do. This story will not be Ryou/Serenity, but once I'm done with it, I'll rewrite the last several chapters so they're filled with Ryou/Serenity goodness, and post it as an alternate ending. Okay? So you'll all be happy, and so will I! ^_^ Writing sap is seriously the best part...

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Sacrifice of Shadows

Chapter 3 -- Ring, Rod, Puzzle, Tauk, Eye, Scales, Ankh

Bakura got to his feet as there was a knock on the door, and opened it to reveil Joey on the other side. Serenity was balanced in his arms, and Bakura quickly stepped aside to let him in.

Joey glanced around the entry hall, and then peeked into the livingroom. "Where's Ryou and Yugi?" he asked as Bakura led him toward the stairs.

"Upstairs." Bakura answered. "We've got Yugi tucked into Ryou's bed, and we've got my bedroom all made up for Serenity."

"Do ya' know what's wrong with her?"

"Ryou's pretty sure he does. I've got my suspicions too. I'll let Ryou tell you about that." Bakura waited by the door as Joey tucked his little sister into the bed, shuddering at how pale she looked compaired to the white sheets. The two of them then went into Ryou's room, where the white-haired telepath was sitting with his back to the door.

Ryou of course senced when they came in, and turned to greet them, a solemn look on his face. It sent a shiver down Joey's spine. "'Ey, how do ya' keep doin' that Ryou? Turning around before we even say anything?"

Ryou blinked. "Oh, that's right! You don't know yet, do you? Just Yugi and Malik."

"Know what?"

"Ryou's a telepath," Bakura said as he guided the blond to a chair next to Yugi's bed. "A psycic, if you will. He can sence it when we come in. And that's how he was able to track the spell on the Millenium Items."

"Oooh..." Joey said, blinking. "So you can tell what's wrong with Serenity? What is it?!"

Ryou took a deep breath, then paused and bit his lip. "You understand about the Locking Rituals, right? About the Shadow Realm needing a pure heart once every two-thousand years?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what that's got to do with-" Joey stopped, and his eyes widened. "No,"

Bakura nodded sadly. "Hai. When we escaped three months ago, the Rituals weren't completed, and they still need a pure heart."

"And they chose Serenity's,"

The two white-haired teens nodded.

"Is there anything we can do?"

Ryou frowned. "I already tried the spell that Ishtar used to get me and Bakura out, using my psycic energy in place of shadow-magic, but they must have it blocked somehow. It didn't work. All I can think of is to go to the Shadow Realm ourselves and get her out,"

Joey jumped to his feet. "Let's go then!"

"Hold it Joey, it's not that easy! None of the Items are working, remember? I could probably get us to the Shadow Realm, but I don't know if I'd have the energy to get us back out again. And besides, you're not going!"

"What do you mean, 'not going'? She's my sister!"

"Joey! Our bodies would by soulless while we're in the Shadow Realm! I don't fancy Dad wandering in, figuring we're all dead, and freaking out! We need someone to stay,"

"Call Tea and Tristan! Or the Kaibas! Or Malik and Isis! You can't stop me from going along Ryou!"

Both of them were on their feet now, nose-to-nose. Bakura pushed in between them, clearly annoyed. "Ryou! Joey! That's enough! You're both acting like children! We're not leaving this exact instant, we have other things to do!"

"Other things to do?!" Joey rounded on the ex-yami, his fists clenched. "More important then my sister?!"

Bakura regarded him calmly. "No, not more important. But more pressing. We need to find out about the other Items, especially the Rod. Chances are that Malik and Ishtar are in the same state as Yami and Yugi. And something you said a moment ago reminded me of something else," He turned to his hikari. "Ryou, you said that the curse was focused on the yamis. If Briar-Rose set it for three, and you and I were no longer connected, where did it go? The Kaibas?"

Ryou's eyes widened, and he blanked out for a second as he tried to make mental contact with either of the Kaibas. He failed, and sighed deeply. "The Kaibas. I can't feel either of them."

"Right, I suspected that might be it. While they aren't technically a yami/hikari pair, they are really similar. Okay," Bakura quickly took charge. "I'll go to the Ishtar's to see about Malik and the Rod, then I'll swing by Kaiba Corp and pick up Kaiba to bring him back here. It might be best if everyone cursed or involved with the curse are in the same general vincancy. No use spreading the evil all over the city."

Bakura walked over to Ryou's desk and pulled open a drawer, grabbing the Millenium Eye. Joey had been expecting it, but it still surprised him. The Eye was casting the same sickening green glow as the Ring and Puzzle, though not as strongly. "I have the Eye here, so all that's left unaccounted (after I go to the Ishtars) would be the Tauk, Ankh, and Scales. We can't do much about that idiot Shaadi, he comes and goes as he pleases, but," Bakura looked over at Joey. "Would you be willing to go to the Game Shop and get the Tauk? I don't know where Yugi keeps it,"

Joey looked hesitant.

"I'll take care of Serenity," Ryou assured him quietly.

Finally Joey nodded. "I know ya' will. All right then, let's go. I'll get Tristan and Tea on their way home from school too. If all three of us are really going to the Shadow Realm," he cast a significant look at Ryou, although it was perfectly useless, "Then they can watch out for us all."

Bakura and Ryou both nodded, and Joey grinned in satisfaction. "Great, let's go," Once they both had departed, Ryou sat silent in the empty (figurativly) house. There was an unpleasent buzz in his ears, which he attributed to the curses. They were glaringly bright in his mental eye, one right beside him, Yugi, and the other in the next room, Serenity. He sighed and rubbed at his forehead.

The Ankh and Scales... They had no way of knowing if Shaadi was all right. Or... Did they? Ryou settled back into the chair and closed his eyes, mostly from force of habit. He stretched out his sences, seeking to make contact with the Guardian.

"Tea! Tristan!"

The two teens turned as Joey ran up to them, waving his arms over his head. "Nani?" Tristan asked, spying the Millenium Tauk dangling from one of the blond's hands.

"We've got a situation here," Joey panted, skidding to a stop in front of them. "The Shadow Realm wants Serenity's heart!"

Tea gasped. "Like what happened to Ryou?"

"Exactly," Joey said, his face bunched in a frown. "Ryou and Bakura and I 'ave gotta go to the Shadow Realm to get her out, but we need you two to watch our bodies while our souls're gone,"

Tea and Tristan exchanged glances. "I have no idea what you just said Joey," Tea said. "But lead on,"

Bakura could tell that his suspicions were right from the first instant he stepped onto the Ishtar's property. The door swung open and Isis came bolting out to meet him. She was trying to keep herself composed, but it was easy to see the tears in her eyes. "Oh Bakura, thank Ra you're here! Something's happened to Malik!"

"I know," Bakura said gently. "The same thing happened to Yugi. We're all pretty much gathering at mine and Ryou's house, so we can figure out what to do. I'm here to pick up Malik, and you if you want to come along,"

"Of course I do!" Isis nearly yelled at him. She took a deep, shaking breath and attempted to calm herself down. "Of course I do. Do you know what it is?"

Bakura debated whether or not to lie to her, and desided he'd might as well tell her the truth, since she'd find out soon enough anyway. "It's a curse. The Shadow Realm, probably led by Briar-Rose again, want another pure heart. They've chosen Serenity, you know, Joey's sister? Well, anyway, to stop us from interfering again, someone put a curse on the Millenium Items. As far as we can tell, it confines all yamis and their hikaris to their soulrooms, rendering their bodies soulless, and neutralizes the powers of the rest of them. I doubt Malik's hurt, but he'll have a doozy of a headache once he wakes up."

Isis sighed in relief. "Good, okay, let me go get him, and then we'll be off."

"You might as well go strait to the house," Bakura said. "I've got another stop to make before I go back there,"

Isis nodded. "All right then. And, Bakura?"

"Hai?"

"You're sure he'll be all right?"

Bakura paused. "As sure as Ryou can be,"

Isis looked puzzled, but let the comment pass.

(Guardian Shaadi?)

Shaadi jumped and nearly dropped the Scales and the Ankh, which he clutched possesivly in his hands. "Who's there?!"

(No need to shout, I can hear you just fine. We have never met, but I am a friend of Yugi Moto's. My name is Ryou Bakura. You sold the Millenium Ring to my father, and I hold it now.)

Shaadi blinked. "I did not think the Ring had the powers of telepathy," he said cautiously.

There was the equivilant of a mental chuckle from Ryou. (It does not, those are powers of my own. But this is no time for dicussing that Guardian. We are in grave times. What of the Ankh and Scales?)

Shaadi's eyes widened slightly. "They will not work for me!"

(I thought as much. They have been placed under a curse. It would take too long to explain, Guardian, but we are working as hard as we can to remove it.)

"We?"

(Myself and the Spirit of the Ring, as well as several friends of ours. No need to worry Guardian, we shall save this world... Again...)

The voice faded, leaving Shaadi to puzzle over Ryou's cryptic words.

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WSJ: *grins* I don't know hat else to say about this...

Chapter 4: Ryou and Bakura try to talk Joey out of coming to the Shadow Realm, but aren't successful. Not even when they remind him of the dangers. Gee, I wish I had an older brother like that...

God bless minna-san!