A/n yes, i can explain this... see, when i was bored one day i wondered what the animals of GX did when they were off screen. do they carry the same sort of "Save the world" burdens that Jaden and friends do? Of course they do!! So this is a little story exploring a plot-line fit just for them and them alone!!
Set at the start of season three when they all arrive on the island. Shirley the crocodile/Karen starts to make friends and to realise what tough work it can be, being from GX.....

enjoy :P! and don't forget to review if you liked it.... because i might start to get bored with the story after a while if nobody does......

Disclaimer:i do not own Yugioh GX or any of the characters. i don't even own the island. anyway, you get the picture.

Introduction: the threat

The deep night was heavy with foreign smells, ticking at my sensitive nose until I finally came back to consciousness, to the sight of my best friend and partner in crime lying sleeping on my right. As I stared around, the dull shapes of furniture in the dark loomed threateningly from all around so I cast a glance over my resting friend.

His breathing was deep and rhythmic, and the leather cowboy hat he wore was splayed across his face to stave off the moonlight pooling all around us on the sheets. All was as normal-as normal as I was used to in my short time here so far. However I was no longer sleepy, and I felt my legs cry out for exercise. Therefore a nice moonlit stroll was on the forefront of my mind now that it wasn't time for the sun to wake up my companion yet. So I slid myself from the covers to the carpeted ground and set off for a walk.

I approached the half-open door apprehensively…. Being a crocodile is sometimes a disadvantage in this new situation my friend had brought me to. It was a lot less warm than our previous dwelling, and I found it increasingly difficult to wander around on my own like I always did, due to the amount of doors posing object to my freedom. Still, I thought pushing the one in front of me now, insistently with my snout, at least it was only a short walk to the outside world.

We had been here for two weeks now, Jim and I, which found me spending a lot of time being carried around and looked after. Not that I mind that much, but he seems to be so over-protective lately I can barely take two steps away without him going crazy. When will he loosen up and let me roam properly?

As soon as I'd made my way out of the blue building the skies stretched out above me, a whole smattering of constellations painting the black into a mottled haze that was guarded by clouds. There were new smells everywhere, and I was thankful for the opportunity to stretch my legs. So being the inquisitive reptile I was, I headed into the vegetation nearby. My heightened senses told me this may not be the lovely moonlit walk I had originally hoped for, but nonetheless, the sanctuary of dark brambles was enticing me to it's depths. As soon as the trees had closed across the surface of the timid moon peeking through the clouds, I became aware of a pair of yellow eyes watching me from a collection of shrubs, waiting to ambush.

"Who's there?" I decided to ask, although if it were a human I knew my inquiry would immediately fall on deaf ears. The only human that understands me when I speak is Jim, and even he appears to be just guessing most of the time. But the pair of eyes seemed to acknowledge me. They blinked and were gone, leaving me a little confused.

"Hey!" a voice yelled in the distance. I could tell immediately it was a fellow animal from the tone, and when I turned to greet them, a slightly familiar furry face was bounding towards me. "You're not thinking of joining the foresters are you? What would your human say?" it was shouting, displacing the reedy grass as it neared.

"Aren't you that cat I saw that's always around with the people?" I asked, when the fat ginger tabby reached me and slowed. The darkness painted it's ginger fur a murky greenish-brown, but my sensitive night vision could immediately distinguish the worried expression filling it's furry face.

"Yes, just keeping up appearances. Anyway, you're one of us, you can't possibly be thinking of joining the foresters!" he implored mysteriously, blocking my path. Although I could have torn him to shreds had I wanted to, I didn't of course, as my primitive nature had long left me thanks to Jim. And although he doesn't always understand nature as well as he thinks he does, we're getting there. He certainly is useful in bridging the gap between the destructive force of mankind and us animals, just getting on with our existence. One day he may even achieve peace between both parties- or, well, we can hope, right?

Since I was new to this place, I decided I needed some fellow creature company for help, and this cat would do nicely since I'd left all my friends behind when we came here. After all, no croc is an island.

"Who's the foresters?" I asked, hoping that I was not intruding on any sacred ground. I did that once back in the sunny place we lived in until recently, and almost never made it out again.

"Come and take a little walk with me and I'll tell you a little about our- circumstances," the cat offered, in response and with tail held high, began to trot back the way I'd come. I was wary; animals don't exactly lie but sometimes we do play tricks on each other. Was this one of these times?

Finally I decided to follow since he had peaked my interest, my heavy tail dragging a curvy indent into the soft soil behind me. The whole forest was pulsating with foreign smells and I cast a half-hearted glance back up at the window of the room I had left a while ago. According to the skies, I would have to be back before sunrise if I was not to worry Jim. And I did not want to do that.

"What's your name?" I asked in a vague attempt to start a conversation, when a few minutes passed uneventfully. The high grass was making it difficult to see anything, and I was already only following the scent of my new acquaintance as I jogged behind.

"my human used to call me Pharaoh," answered my furry companion, shortly. Someone isn't talkative, I thought briefly to myself. Although that's not usually out of the ordinary for an animal. Especially a very- well fed one who is speeding along at this pace.

"Mine calls me Shirley," I offered willingly. "and what do you mean by 'used to'?" 'Used to' is one of those phrases that denoted something that no longer takes place, and I could not imagine why he was using it to talk about his human. Had something happened to make them disown him? I shivered. Nothing would cause Jim abandon me, would it?

A few seconds haunted by an owl cackle passed, and I was reminded that I would need to feed soon. However I could trust Jim to take care of this matter for me, and also being a crocodile means that unlike humans, I don't waste half my day eating. In fact I only need the odd snack once a week.

"Something… happened to my human a while back… anyway, that's not important at the moment. What is important is that you obviously don't know much about the way the wildlife works here if you were just going to stroll into- their domain… like that. So I feel it's my duty to explain it," Pharaoh answered, haughtily, his bobbing tail leading me through some thick vegetation on the doorstep of the forest. Confused, I stayed quiet.

"It all started with the lab," my new acquaintance began, when the shape of a building with a red roof swam into view. There was plenty of trees from the forest casting fickle fingers of shadow over it's simple exterior and it became apparent this was where we were heading for. I felt the need to wrap up whatever conversation we were having, but the cat did not make any more effort to press on with his story. He began to increase speed when he met a dirt path.

"The lab," I repeated, my short legs proving their worth when I caught up with the streaking orange lightning bolt ahead of me.

"Yes," he continued, rapidly nearing the small building we were headed for. The view was rather handsome from here, said building standing tall on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large expanse of water and another large cylindrical structure which only attracted my attention when a beam of light flushed over us, and I noticed a thin sliver of brightness circling the cliffs from it's top. In the very bowels of the horizon a measure of pink was creeping out of the ocean, and indicated that the sun would soon be born once again for another dance across the sky.

Perhaps this would be an enjoyable place to live, after all.

"There was a lab set up here to study the wildlife, a while back. But when the lab started to corrupt the animals that lived here, they began to rebel against their captors and some managed to escape. According to them, all humans were evil and did horrible things to nature, which we know for a fact is not true. And when that statement began to spread, all of the forest creatures who did not have humans began to join them, because they knew no different…"

I gasped. How terrible! It was not unknown that people would and have done bad things to nature in their time, but there were some like my Jim who strived for just the opposite, a world where everyone was satisfied and got on. But what had that to do with my being stopped from entering the forest?

"What about you? You surely know that they aren't as bad as the animals here make out," I asked, now genuinely concerned. Nothing should go on thinking such terrible untrue things about another race!

"yes I know most of the humans here have good hearts, and that's why I continue to come to this building. This used to be my human's home, my home. But now there are other young humans here who continue to care for me. Shirley- I am the head of the operation against this movement to drive the humans off the island." Pharaoh explained darkly, and continued, "for a minute I thought you were about to become one of the others. Someone with such a kind human could not join the side of the foresters so easily,"

"No, I was just going for a stroll," I told him truthfully, "But why did you stop me going in there? Surely you don't think I'd be in danger," I yawned in an effort to display my impressive maw. However my efforts went unseen as the cat seemed to be in such a great hurry that he did not have the courtesy to glance back.

"It's not you, so much as your human," he replied instead. Jim? What would they want to do with him?

"Those monsters will go after all of our humans soon, with a plan that'll drive all of them off of this island for good." The cat turned now to face me, and a swirling breeze rippled his tan fur like the ocean framing him.

"What? A plan?" I frowned, something which took a lot of effort on my part. "the humans aren't silly, you know! What could a bunch of forest-dwelling creatures do to drive a whole herd of people from here?"

"something which may get them all killed. All of us killed. You see, us who have humans are the only ones who know about this plan. We need your help, badly because we, Shirley, are the only hope for our people friends." he purred dramatically.

"How come you need me?" I asked, as it wasn't the first thing on my agenda right now. Especially since Jim was so protective of me… was it that he sensed something going on?

"You're the latest addition to the army of animals that's come to this island with humans. Not to mention the most exotic…we need all the help we can get to stop something terrible from happening," insisted the cat. "we need to act quick if we are to stop whatever catastrophe they have planned,"

I hung undecided.

"Now's not the best time to be off on some adventure. I have to get back to Jim," I invented. Was there anything I could do to still help them without pledging allegiance to something I could not keep up with? However, if it involved my human and danger, I would have to do everything to protect him.

"Do we know what they plan to do?" I asked, as I turned to leave.

I planned to take the moonlit stroll I had originally started out on.

"Not yet but that's why I need your help. Will you lend a paw? Or… flipper or whatever you have…?" he asked, urgently. I sighed deeply. How could I make Jim understand if I did?

"I'll think about it," I replied, turning to traverse the dirt path home.

"You will join us eventually," I heard Pharaoh foretell, to my retreating back. "all of us who have humans have to some time," then I was out of earshot.

What was that all about? I wondered on my way back. The humans had wronged some forest animals, and now they were to take serious revenge on them. I had to help stop the cruelty to humans, somehow, but when and how? For some reason I really began to feel like I should get back to Jim, so I dragged myself as quickly as I could back the way I'd come.

And as soon as I was back beside my sleeping friend, it actually began to worry me even more. Would they really do something to Jim if I didn't join the opposition? That was something I could not let happen. Just looking at him, sleeping, with no way of knowing the danger he could be in, it made me even more set to protect the humans.

If something were to happen to him I had no idea what I'd do. Who would lend me their warmth when I needed energy? Who would I accompany and protect if anything happened to him?

The words Pharaoh had told me rang continuously within my head after that. "you will join us eventually. All of us who have humans have to sometime," What were the foresters planning to do to get the humans to go? I was sure I'd find out soon enough… Because I had to find a way of getting away from Jim, even if it was for a little while each day, so that I could help Pharaoh stop them. But who would protect him when I wasn't there? Perhaps I could invest in a human-sitter…

A/n okay.... i know it's not exactly a cliffhanger but it's only the introduction... and my first attempt at a story with more than one chapter. Want to know how Shirley gets on when she and Pharaoh try to uncover the plot against the humans? Then tune in next time! And please review, especially if you thought it was any good!!