Yo, guys! It's been awhile! Took me forever and a day between work and life but here it is! The next chapter of Burial Ground! Enjoy!

DISCALIMER AND WARNING: I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR MONSTERS THEREIN. VIOLENCE, GORE AND SEXUAL CONTENT TO BE SEEN IN THIS CHAPTER. THIS FILM HAS BEEN RATED M BY THE AUTHOR'S CONSCIENCE ASSIOCIATION. PARENTAL AND VIEWER DISCRESION IS ADVISED.


A Rain Of Brass Petals

Yugi allowed himself to completely collapse in relief against the wall as Joey holstered his gun and rushed over to kneel beside his friend. He was forgiving with the flashlight, shining it close enough to see Yugi without hitting his friend's sensitive violet eyes. He took in his haggard appearance, bracing a hand to Yugi's shoulder. He looked terrible: His face was drawn and tight with pain, his once healthy pale skin was now ashen and slightly dampened from clamminess. His eyes were hollow and rimmed red. And it was hard to ignore the blood, wear and tear to his clothing. " Jesus Yuge, what happened to ya?" Joey asked, his voice filled with concern. Yugi shrugged one shoulder tiredly.

" Oh you know; Murder, monsters, rape, strangers in the dark, prophecies, psychos...basically all the worst parts of the Bible." Yugi rattled off dryly. Joey frowned down at him.

" This ain't the time for jokes, Pal." He chided bluntly.

" Wasn't making any. " Yugi soft countered. For a second time he looked his best friend over.

" What happened?" He asked again. Yugi shook his head dismissively.

" You first." He pressed. " How did you find me?" Yugi asked. Joey huffed, knowing Yugi wouldn't let up until he got his way. Joey surrendered with a tired sigh.

" I woke up in the dark. I looked around but didn't find anyone. Then I tried to radio for help, but my walkie didn't work. All it does is this." Joey reached around behind him and produced the black walkie-talkie. He clicked the radio on and a burst of static noise blasted from the small device. Yugi frowned in confusion as Joey clicked it off and clipped it back on to his belt. " Yeah. And I noticed after a while that it only does that when those monsters are around. Other than that the line is dead silent." He mused.

" So you've seen them too?" Yugi asked anxiously. On the one hand he was relieved to know that someone else was seeing what he was seeing. At least that meant he wasn't going crazy. On the other hand, what did that mean for Joey? What had he been put through?

" Yeah I have. Weird-ass look'in monsters right out of somethi'n between a horror flick and some dark lovecraftian novel." He said, shaking his head in disbelief. " But they scat real quick once I began taki'n shots at 'em. I wandered around for a bit, 'til I found some paper wrappers and bloody gauze on the ground. So I knew you was down here too, ya litterbug." Joey teased. Yugi snorted in good-humor and smirked at him in return. Smirking back Joey continued. " So I followed your trail, and I almost caught up with ya. I even saw ya. But there was this wizard look'in guy in purple with you?" He questioned. Yugi sighed.

" Yeah. He told me his name is Mahad, or The Dark Magician." He supplied. Joey snorted.

" Yeah, well, whoever he is I didn't trust him, so I decided to hang back and follow you until when it looked like you needed some back-up. I don't know if I tripped a switch or what, but the next thing I know I'm falli'n down a frigging slip n' slide from hell then down a trap door and I wound up in these tunnels. I've been wandering around down here shooting at monsters ever since. I honestly think it was just dumb luck that I found you, Yuge. I heard ya scream and I followed the sound. Then I saw you getting attacked and opened fire, and now here we are." He concluded. Yugi nodded thoughtfully as Joey let out a irritated huff. " Alright now pal, I spilled my guts so now its your turn." He commanded quietly. " What happened?"

There was nothing he could do but tell his story. Yugi knew he couldn't evade forever. Joey was as stubborn as a mule. He wouldn't let up until his curiosity was sated. So with a world weary sigh Yugi began to talk. He recounted how he woke up in the dark, searching for help. He described in great detail the first monster he met...and killed. Yugi recounted all of the horrible creatures he'd fallen victim to since. And when he pulled at his shirt to expose the self-help stitches he had to administer, Joey's face properly turned green at the gruesome sight his bloody and bruised skin displayed. When Yugi began describing what happened when he met Mahad, his friend's expression grew dark. Yugi then began telling him the worst of it: Meeting Atemu. When he told Joey about the eerie physical similarly between them, Joey's demeanor turned incredulous at the idea that an apparent psychopath could share an identity with his best friend. And it got worse when Yugi told him about the Pharaoh's game. The cat and mouse way he was forced to play, the injury to his leg and the beastly monster Atemu had sicked on him to ensure he would win. But absolutely nothing he'd told so far could prepare the cop when he shakily recounted the drugging Atemu slid him... And the rape that followed. Joey's fists shook angrily as his friend then described the aftermath and his eventual escape back in to these tunnels, finishing quietly to their reunion. Joey sat in silence for several minutes. When he spoke, his voice was filled with anger and dark promise.

" I'm gonna kill 'em. Dat's it-he's a dead man." He declared, prepping his gun with an ominous jerk to the chamber, the gun giving a satisfying click to its master's will. Yugi shook his head vigerously as he placed a hand on the gun, even though he agreed with his friend one hundred percent.

" No Joey, you can't. Look, I've seen first hand what he's capable of. Going in guns blazing is not gonna work." Joey growled angrily and grit his teeth.

" Then what are we supposed to do?! Become his new pets?!" He spat. Yugi huffed angrily, his own irrigation apparent.

" The Pharaoh's been treating this whole thing like a game, so I think we have to, too. And in any game every player has a weakness. We just have to find his." He mused aloud.

" How?" Joey asked, his anger and desperation bleeding through his voice. Before Yugi could answer him, a high-pitched beeping sounded in the still air. The beep was followed by a static blast as Joey's radio began going haywire, seemingly of it's own accord. Yugi's eyes zeroed in on the device, his gaze suspicious. ' Didn't Joey just say that happens when-?' A low beastial growl vibrated outside of the door...followed by the unmistakable sound of metal scraping against stone. Both shot to their feet, Yugi stumbling due to his pained body. He knew that growl. He at once felt himself break out into a cold sweat as the static grew louder and Joey aimed the gun cautiously at the door. The Pharaoh's attack guard was back.

" That's him!" Yugi warned, his limbs shaking. Joey gripped the gun with both hands, his eyes locked on the door. Without warning, the trident shot though the door, the friends dodging the weapon barely in time.

" Shit!" Joey swore. The attack didn't stop there. The monster snarled in anger then swung the trident out, the metal on the door screetching as it was torn. Joey didn't hesitate. As the trident swung round again, the two ducked for cover as the officer opened fire. The shots rang out in the dark as the first two bullets hit the beast in the hand and upper arm respectively. The creature roared in pain then jerked back from the door, the trident scraping the door's metal wounds as it was withdrawn. For a split second, all was quiet. Then with a deafening bang the door was blasted open by the monster's powerful fist. The friends both dove to the floor as the doors flew off the hinges to bang to the floor around them. Yugi gave an involuntary cry of alarm as Joey opened fire again. Though his aim never wavered, the attack held only a little. The beast bled when shot, twitching in pain with each shot, but otherwise did not show any signs of slowing down as it walked towards them, growling threateningly.

The friends scrambled to their feet, Joey cursing as the next shot only yielded an empty click. " Fuck!" Yugi crouched down as the beast banged the weapon to the floor, clearly in a bid to challenge them. Joey hastily emptied the empty magazine from the gun and struggled to insert the next set with shaking hands. The beast growled, smiling in anticipation through it's fangs. " Yuge! Get behind me!" He urged. Yugi didn't need telling twice. He shot to his friend's side as Joey successfully inserted the fresh mag. Wordlessly he reached down and jerked a hidden steel knife from his right boot and handed it to Yugi. Yugi took the knife shakily and held it in a backhanded defensive stance. Joey took aim. " Get ready to run." He warned. Before either one could blink a bright blast suddenly shot out beyond the doorway and knocked the monster down. The monster roared in anger from it's place on the floor. And as it lumbered up slowly what came through the door was the last thing either man expected to see: A being that clearly did not belong to the dark remnants of this world. He-somehow they knew it was a he-was clad in armor, standing at what Yugi guessed was at least eight feet tall. The helmet was white and blue, a black visor and a white mouth piece hiding the man's face from view. At the top of the helmet was a gold crescent moon, a brilliant red ruby at the center. The suit he wore was mechanical, from the blasters on his robotic arms to the white and blue engines on his legs and feet. A sturdy crimson chest plate pulsed with power as the lights from the wires raced across his chest just under the surface. Blue sturdy plates protected his shoulders and hips. Red metal pads rested on his knees. The robotic soldier strode in to the room as if he owned it...then stood in front of them protectively as he aimed the blaster on his right arm at the monster.

" Joey, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Yugi asked cautiously.

" You mean the big damn transformers robot standing by the scary pissed off demon?" Joey asked, his tone flat. But stranger than the robotic warrior's arrival was how...familiar he felt. He had seen him before. Yugi was certain of it. But for the life of him he couldn't think of where! The question itched irritatingly at the back of his mind, just out of reach. The robot turned his head slightly to look directly at Yugi, and he could feel his eyes on him. For a moment both man and machine simply stared at one another. Joey watched the silent exchange curiously. " Hey Yugi? You know this thing? "

" Yeah, I think I do." He said, his voice soft.

" So it's on our side?" He pressed. Yugi nodded silently. Somehow through their shared gaze Yugi could tell the robot was smiling at him. Ahead of them the monster stood to full height, weapon at the ready... Then the robot jerked his head to the side in the universal ' get out of here' way. He understood.

" C'mon. Let's go." Yugi urged quietly, the beast roaring angrily as he pointed his trident at the lot of them. The robot turned around and began firing off another round of energy blasts from it's gauntlets as Yugi and Joey ducked and ran. They took off down the dark, endless hallway. Yugi looked back as banging and screetching sounds ricochet from the room. He was worried, and prayed that not only would they make it out...

But that their strange protector might survive, too.


The room was cold, but then, it had always been. He sighed in boredom where he lay naked on the bed, absent-mindedly stroking her hair as she continued to suck him off in an attempt to pleasure him. But Atemu was oddly hollow whereas once upon a time, this would have been quite the pleasant distraction. But ever since he got to taste his Yugi, to hold him, to take him as his own...nothing else seemed to measure up. Hell, it was more like a challenge than any actual want that had him wishing he could cum already. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Yugi and not this woman sucking at his dick so enticingly. He imagined it was Yugi's hands massaging his hips and legs and not hers. It helped to arouse him, and after a few more minutes, the end goal was finally reached and Atemu sighed with relief as he finally came, the witch on his lap drinking up all of it.

She said nothing-a blessing. When she had once been human, all the woman ever did was talk and play at seduction as if she knew how. In life, she had been a gift to him from a lord in the mysterious east. Vivian had been her name. With long black hair, eyes shaped like a cat's and skin as pale as fresh milk she had been quite the exotic beauty. But her beauty was only skin deep. Like her father who gifted her, all she wanted was to insert herself in his court and in his bed, vying for a position of power within his realm. Like all the rest, when the curse came she too eventually succumbed to the true her hidden beneath her silk kimonos. She had not changed very much. It seemed she was one of the few who lived their lives with honesty-be it good or ill. She had never hidden her ambitions from him or her nature. So he wasn't too surprised when her appearance was only slightly altered.

Her hair was still long, silky and black. Though her doe-brown eyes had been stained crimson, the color weeping it's way down to stain even under her eyes-as if she had wept blood. Her milky skin now held a bluish hue, like a corpse. He always did suspect she was dead inside. Her nails were long now, stained permanently red like her lips. The kimono she slipped back on her body was one of the grander ones she would parade herself around in at one of his festivals. She affixed her fanning gold hairpieces back in to her locks-befitting of a princess-and then picked up the skull scythe that she now always carried with her. It was true Vivian liked to witness the executions he often held at the palace. It seemed like sport to her. Now she had the means to satisfy her bloodlust as well as her lust for his body. Yes, in many aspects she was the same. Only her voice was the biggest change, for now she had none. It was a side-effect many met when transformed. In their truest, most monsterous forms as beset on them by the curse, one became more animal than human. They followed only their most primal instincts and most basic needs when like this, and possessing a mind more animal than human...many like Vivian lost the ability to speak. But this didn't seem to bother her much. As long as she got to kill and fornicate in the same day, she was satisfied.

And like all of his monsterous subjects, she was always eager and willing to please him.

As he sat up to dress himself she walked to the door, the scythe scraping the stone floor as she walked. She paused at the doorframe, sending him a sensuous smirk before turning and disappearing from his view. The silent promise would have once enticed him. Now all he felt was frustration. His body had been pleasured to a form of completion, but he was still unsatisfied. Atemu finished dressing then began making his way to the throne room, his thoughts only of Yugi. His bright violet eyes, his soft, silky skin. He had been furious when he returned to find his little light gone. Though he would concede; It was bold of Yugi to venture once again in to the darkness. Especially when both knew what was waiting for him there. The monsterous animal had appeared in his realm recently, and seemed to relish in the idea of hunting down Yugi. He had herded the boy to him once before. Perhaps he may do it again. Atemu reached his throne and all but slumped down on it, resting his chin on his hand as he covered his lips with his fingers.

Already he craved for his touch, starving for it like a man in the desert would pine for water. He longed to have his light writhing in his embrace, bucking his hips beneath him and screaming his name in wanton ecstasy. He had no patience any longer. Atemu wanted him now. He closed his eyes and mentally searched out the twisted souls loyal to him. He beckoned to them slowly as shadows swirled and danced through his fingers. They were here. He opened eyes, regarding the creatures hiding in the shadows beyond his throne. They slithered silently in the darkness, their yellow and red glowing eyes watching him excitedly. The energy in the air was palpable, brimming with the thrill of the hunt and the joy of a kill. Their electric energy hummed through the Pharaoh's veins, uplifting his spirits. " Bring me the boy." He commanded slowly. The hidden creatures responded in a series of clicks and hisses. Atemu smirked at them and continued. " Rip him, bleed him-break him if you must...but please, do try to show some restraint. I want him alive."

They all bowed low to the ground, then simmered away like smoke as the shadows claimed them to aid in their bidding. Atemu settled back in to his throne like a cat and smiled to himself.

His Yugi would be back in no time.


They walked along the dark hall, guided only by the glow of their flashlights. They hadn't been able to run far. Yugi's injuries, to his regret, had slowed them down. They heard no signs of pursuit, and after some time the radio had gone silent, so Joey insisted they take it slow. Having no place to disagree, Yugi conceded. But He kept the knife Joey gave him at his hip-strung through his belt, and Joey kept his gun out and aimed ready for even the slightest of movement. The halls all looked the same. Yugi knew there must be more secret doors somewhere. With any luck perhaps they might stumble on one. When met with random crossroads, they simply picked a random hall and kept going. The walls that were once made of flesh and vein soon gave way to the typical stone hieroglyphic walls one would expect to find in an Egyptian tomb. Yugi supposed that must mean they were going the right way.

That is, until after one turn to the right and through a long downward-sloping hall they came to a very different sort of place.

The walls were built like giant bookshelves. Slats to be counted to the high ceiling adorned each side of the hall. And housed in each slat was a coffin or a body. Some were encased in glass, others were simply there. Some even had an opened casket or sarcophagus containing a body inside. The dead lay sleeping all around them, the sheer number of them staggering. And they were all piled on each shelf, every nook all the way up to what Yugi guessed was at least a thirty-foot ceiling. Yugi automatically picked up his camera, turned it on, then began photographing anything that caught his eyes. Joey walked along beside him, shining his flashlight where needed for the necessary shots. " Of course you would want to take pictures of these things." He muttured, unnerved. Yugi shrugged this off as he adjusted the aperture for his next shot.

" I wanna document what I can, Joey. Besides, once we get outta here, we have to have some documentation of all the crazy things we're seeing. How else is anyone gonna believe us afterward?" He reasoned. Joey made a face as the flash of Yugi's camera made a small green snake slither out a skeleton's ribcage.

" Does it have ta be these guys though, Yuge?" He whined.

Though he was trying to stay calm, Yugi couldn't help but silently agree and shudder a little at the rows of skeletons lining the walls. It wasn't the dead bodies that creeped him out-after all, having traveled to untouched ancient burial grounds with his grandpa he was somewhat used to this sort of thing. No, what got him was the justified fear that these things would spring to life and attack them. And yet, with the fear there was also a strange sort of fascination. The expected mummies dotted the walls with their presence, but resting along side them were corpses from different eras. A knight lay to rest on the shelf beside him, the helmet missing-and apparently the head if the cobwebs nested at the dark hole weren't indication enough. On a lower shelf by Joey's hip were what looked like the remains of a family, all dressed in Victorian style clothing. A woman, a man... And two children. One boy, one girl. Yugi's heart clenched at the sad sight of the skeletal boy hugging yellow-boned remains of what must have been his dog and he forced his eyes away. Beside another mummy lay two skeletons, draped in simple cloth. On a higher shelf, to Yugi's fascination, was a samurai. And on the shelf behind him was a rotting corpse dressed in colorful, frilly frock like that of an eighteenth-century French nobleman. His gaze roamed beyond the wall to scan the other bodies. Different styles of dress and armor lined his sight. But curiously enough, there were also varying states of decay. Why? ' Grandpa would be all over these if he were here.' Yugi's camera clicked with each shot, taking both close-up and full body shots of all of them. He paused mid-shot of the samurai, and let a small smile tug at his lips.

" What's up, Yuge?" He asked.

" I just wish we were out of here and back with Grandpa. If he were down here with us he would be absolutely loving this place." He said, finalizing the settings. Joey made a non-commital sound in his throat as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Yes, doctor Mutou would be fascinated for sure. But LOVING this place? Weird monsters, big-damn bugs, spooky bleeding walls, psycho pharaohs and all? Joey wasn't all that sure. He watched as Yugi walked along the catacomb, snapping pictures where he felt it was necessary: Along the hall, a mummy, a skeleton in an old fancy dress, a headless suit of armor, a skeletal child and a section or two of the walls. The light provided by their flashlights gave the pictures an eerie glow as the shadows played along the bodies, and made the cobwebs glitter dimly through the dust. Joey leaned over curiously to look at the digital camera screen and shuddered at the creepy pictures as Yugi scrolled though them.

" All done there, Pal?" He asked hopefully. Yugi nodded.

" Almost. I just wanna do one more thing..." He switched over the camera's settings again, this time from photography mode, to film mode. He held the camera out enough that it might capture his face, then pressed the " record" button.

" This is Yugi Mutou...And to my last recollection the date was May fourth." Yugi sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. " To my best guess, I'd say It's been at least two days since the incident that trapped us here. My grandpa was invited to take part in the excavation of the lost city of Kul-Elna, and as a photographer it is my job to document what we see." Yugi shook his head, looking around himself . " At the dig site an earthquake hit and I myself fell through a fissure in the ground caused by the quake. And now I appear to be in a catacomb, located in the lost city itself ... But have to say that since my time here I feel like I'm trapped in a nightmare. All I've done is fight for my life and seen things I don't think the human mind can fully comprehend." He gave a dry laugh with little humor and smirked lightly at himself. " Lord knows I can't. But at least I'm not alone down here." He added lightly. Yugi looked behind him and then turned the camera to Joey. " Your turn." He said quietly. Joey cleared his throat and gave a small wave to the camera.

" Uh, hey. My name's Joey Wheeler, and I'm Yugi's best friend and an officer with the Domino police department. As an officer I was hired to run security for the excavation of Kul-Elna." Joey smirked lightly at the camera before continuing. " But as Yugi's best bud, It's my job to make sure he don't get himself killed. As for what Yugi said, yeah. It' a...it's a horror movie fanatic's dream come true down here. Just take a look at where we're at now." He pointed to a wall lined top to bottom with mummies and Yugi focused his camera here. They walked along the walls, Yugi carefully filming the other bodies-mismatched by time periods and cultures amongst the typical Egyptian mummies. " I'm seriously just waiting for these things to come to life." Joey said pensively.

" Ugh. Don't even joke about that, Joe." Yugi groaned.

" Too late." Joey said. But still there was silence. The hall of the dead seemed to go on forever, and without proper light it was impossible to tell how much longer they might have to travel. A Tap. Both men stilled like deer at the sound. Yugi pivoted his camera around as Joey shined his flashlight around them.

" You heard that?" Yugi asked quietly. Joey only nodded, his gun up and ready. Tap. There it was again. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap, ta-screetch! Something was making noise along the wall. Was it tapping on the stone? Maybe the wood? Tap, ta-tap! It was difficult to tell. Crack! Joey and Yugi whirled around to the sound. It had come from behind them. It was a rotting, yellowed corpse with long white hair. Black socket eyes stared hollowly at them. It was lying on the bottom shelf on it's side-not moving-though it's clawed hand was pressed to the glass window enclosing it. The crack they heard it seemed, had originated there. Sprouting from it's hand was a webbing of cracked glass. Yugi zoomed his camera in on the sight as Joey shined his light carefully on the corpse. Nothing. Beeeep-buzzz-zzzzzzzzz! The noise was coming from Joey's walkie. The little red light was flickering on and off as the white noise buzzed in the air. Their eyes met at the familiar sound, dread in both of their gazes. Pound! THUD-RATTLE, RATTLE, RATTLE, RATTLE-BANG! They spun around to face the noises, Yugi trying though trembling breaths valiantly to not let his hands shake as he filmed the happening before him.

The coffins rattled at the lids, the containers of wood and stone vibrating violently as the air grew cold. A shattering of glass overhead had Yugi and Joey ducking for cover. The body crashed with a thud before them-one of the mummies on the walls. It jerked stiffly, then slowly turned it's head toward them, it's eyes dimly glowing yellow as it opened it's decayed mouth to moan aggressively at them. Yugi stumbled back, holding his camera up to film every second as Joey braced a hand to Yugi's shoulder. All around them the dead slowly came to life. A corpse rolled sloppily from one of the ground-level shelves. It was the Victorian woman in the dark violet gown. Even the spiders in her white up-done hair had come to life, the legs stretching and teasing the locks as they slowly crawled around the nest. She slowly got up, then her head snapped up to stare directly at them. She raised one bony hand to point at them...and scream in rage.

The cry seemed to excite the others as one by one-three by three the corpses came to life and began dropping, walking, crawling, slithering on their bellies toward them. " I TOLD YOU SO!" Joey screamed. He opened fire on the corpses, aiming primarily at the heads. Bang! Bang-bang-bang-bang...bang, bang-bang! Nearby mummies lost a head each due to Joey's weapon... But the bodies kept moving towards them. A shot to a shabbily clothed skeleton had the head snapping back, then he looked ahead at them and grinned, the hole in the skull not seeming to bother the skeleton one bit. The headless armor staled forward, one of the bullets pinging off the armor uselessly as it swung it's sword out at them. Jerking back, the blade missed them by a breath. Changing tactics Joey began shooting at the legs, succeeding in bringing some of them down to their knees. Again, however, they kept coming. The fallen ones crawled and limped their way. A bony hand shot out to latch on to Yugi's ankle and he yelped in surprise. It was the yellowed corpse who first broke the glass, it's white hair fanning out around it as it gaped up at him and gurgled low in it's throat. Yugi pulled his knife out in a flash and sliced at the thing's wrist, causing it to shriek and jerk it's slimy hand away. A shot. The corpse's head snapped back as blackish-green fluid oozed from the bullet hole in the side of it's head. They didn't hesitate any longer. They turned and bolted down the hall, Yugi only vaguely aware that the camera was still on and recording in his hand as they made their escape.

That is, until they were blocked.

They skidded to a halt as the light hit the figure before them. It was a soldier-or what used to be. He was sitting atop a black horse, it's head and ears covered with a silver spiked helmet. Red eyes stared threateningly at them as the animal huffed and panted, pawing at the ground in anticipation. His rider was also dressed with silver spiked armor, a long bat-like cape flowing behind him. The armor was red, covering the dead knight's lanky, bony body. He had no face, just a skull that smiled wickedly at them from underneath his silver helm. He dragged his sword along the ground, hoisting up his shield-which was crafted with the face of a demon. They didn't move back, knowing he would just give chase if they did. They could hear the rasping and groaning of the dead down the hall from them, looming ever closer in the darkness.

" We're trapped." Yugi said quietly. Joey fired, but was met with only a hollow click. Quickly he ejected the empty magazine out, then clipped in another.

" Last mag." He declared grimly. Yugi's eyes widened in alarm.

" You mean, that's all the bullets we have left?!" He asked nervously. Joey nodded once, his eyes affixed to the enemy.

" Yeah." He said quietly. Joey raised his gun as the horse huffed again, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

" I can't kill these things, but maybe the bullet can slow them down." He mused.

" The horse looks vulnerable enough. You could take it out and give us an opening." Yugi said. He hated the though of hurting an animal. But he had learned that down here, NOTHING was what it appeared to be. It was either it or them, and Yugi was voting for them. Joey nodded once, lining up his shot to a spot on the horse's head where it was not covered in armor. At the least he might be able to assure it a quick death. Yugi raised his knife as his body tensed up in preparation for an attack.

" Ready when you are, Pal." Joey confirmed. Before they could move, a loud rumbling to their left made even the head of the dead knight turn to the noise. Beside them a shelf of unmoving wooden coffins slid down through a slat in the floor, revealing a secret passageway. At the door was a girl. Yugi only had a moment to take in her appearance; Long, feathered brown hair brushing against caramel shoulders and wide, fearful green eyes looking at them beseechingly.

" Come! You must come, now!" She urged, her soft voice strained with panic. After aiming the camera at her once-just long enough to film her features, Yugi pressed the "off" button on his camera. Letting it fall back on the chord around his neck he began moving forward until a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

" Whattaya doi'n?! We don't know her!" Joey hissed quietly, eyeing the knight as it lifted his sword and the horse whinnied in excitement.

" You see another way out?!" Yugi challenged. Joey swore under his breath. As the knight charged the duo ran towards the girl and the exit. Joey wasn't quite fast enough. Just as he was running in to the passage the sword's tip caught the back of his shirt, and the blade slid along his back. Joey cried lout in pain and fell to his knees as the blood seeped from the wound in his back. " JOEY!" Yugi rushed to his friend's side, kneeling down to take his hand in an effort to get him on his feet. Growling in pain and frustration, Joey hastily turned around and opened fire. The first bullet hit the horse's chest, causing it to whinny shrilly in pain and fall over. Using the distraction, Joey grimly aimed at the opening at the horse's head and fired again. The animal went still. The death of his steed did not seem to bother the knight, nor did it deter him. He simply flopped over and crawled sluggishly out from under the animal, his sword and shield scraping and clanging on the ground.

The gurgling moans and the hisses through bared teeth sounded louder now. Joey snapped the light of the flashlight to the right and sure enough, he could see the dead army coming closer. They were mere yards away now. Yugi followed his gaze then slung an arm around his neck and used the other hand to support Joey's waist. " Time to go!" The girl jumped at the man's declaration, snapping out of her momentary stunned state to run around and aid the boy in lifting Joey up. The hall went oddly quieter. The trio looked back at the dead, and the girl muttered a curse under her breath. Standing before the corpses was a single white-robed figure. He seemed to not be afraid-he wasn't moving. But then, neither were the dead ones.

The robed figure's hand was raised, and the teeming creatures seemed utterly stopped in their tracks. The girl shot him a suspicious glare, then turned around to begin ushering the wounded men through the hidden exit. " Hurry! This way!" With no time to argue, the men obliged, the girl slamming her fist on to a hidden switch within to close the wood and stone door behind them. Now secure Yugi and Joey allowed themselves to collapse, breaths coming out in pants as their racing hearts struggled to calm. Joey slumped against the door, face contorting in pain as his bloody back scraped the stone. Yugi was on his hands and knees, his breath shaky and his body trembling in pain and exhaustion as he looked up at the girl. She waved her hand once, muttering something he couldn't quite hear and a row of torches seemed to materialize along the wall. The hallway illuminated, Yugi reached up and clicked off the flashlight on his vest. Likewise Joey clicked off the flashlight in his hand and shoved it back in to the holster of his belt. Glaring harshly at her Joey gripped his gun tight and aimed at her chest. Savior or not, as far as he was concerned, he trusted NOTHING he saw here.

"Who the hell are you? And what the HELL WAS THAT?!"


Done! Phew this one was a doozy to write! So Reign Beaux the overlord of the dark world came back, the soldier was from toy robot box, and Vivian's form in this story was Maiden Of Macabre. In the catacombs yugi and Joey were chased by: wrightmare, wright price, wright princess, the lady in wright, headless knight, earl of demise, skull servant, the 13th grave, wandering mummy, poison mummy, king of skull servants,the gross ghost of fled dreams, reborn zombie, armored zombie and doomcalibur knight! And woo-hoo! Mana has entered the party! BUT! Who was the robed figure? Any guesses? Tune in next time to find out-and as always please R&R and bless your happy happiness!