Ziggurat pulled the black hood firmer over his head as he stumbled on the wet stone, trying to avoid slipping in an effort to keep the group behind him from collapsing upon themselves. It was always raining here, at the very least a light drizzle, but rain, nonetheless. No one liked it. But no one dared to complain.

Down where they were headed, there was no light, and he had to keep a hand pressed firmly against the slimy stone walls in order to find his way around. Several near-slips from him - and many tripping-ups from the people huddled behind him - the hall opened up and revealed a small cavern. Somehow there was a sickly pale light down here, though its source he didn't know. A small black figure was huddled at the center of the cavern, and it lifted its head when the small group stepped inside. The shadow cast by the hood was so dark the face could not be seen.

"Well, Ziggurat?" The voice from the cloaked figure was dry and it croaked slightly. "How is the progress coming along?"

Ziggurat nervously cleared his throat - being in front of the Lord always unnerved him. "M-my Lord, unfortunately, you see, stone does not move itself and the workforce has depleted. Four have perished in the last week. W-with your Lord's permission, I ask that we send for more slaves, younger, stronger ones. They will last far longer."

"Are there no prisoners?"

"The cells have been empty for as long as I can remember, My Lord."

The cloaked head lowered slightly, as though musing his offer, then a bone-thin hand, white as death and colder than ice, struck out and wrapped itself around the throat of Ziggurat. The grip was unbelievably strong. As he struggled to breathe, two pits of red - like coals of hellfire - burned behind the black shadow on the figure's face where its eyes should be.

"I will send for more slaves, and you'd better be right, Ziggurat." The red glow intensified. "If not, may you burn in Hell."

The crushing grip on his throat relaxed ever-so-slightly, then tightened until the crunch of the snapping of the vertebrae in his neck could be heard. The lifeless body of who was once Dr. Ziggurat was thrown against the wall. Horror-stricken, the group of those remaining in the cavern watched as the flesh and internal organs of the body exploded into a fine dust and the skeleton fell apart as it struck the wall, browning bones gleaming in the unearthly light as they clattered noisily to the stone floor. The figured lifted its head again, and the hellish red glow dissappeared.

"Send Johannes in search of more slaves, and tell Doji to keep an eye out for him where he has been stationed. And should any of you fail..." The white hand of death clenched and the shadow beneath the hood turned to where Ziggurat's skeleton lay. Immediately the group became alive once more as they all struggled to remove themselves from the very pit of Hell, trampling over each other until the last one slipped into the hall. The black-cloaked figure was left alone once more.

This ends the preview for Through Hell and Back Again. Here are the rules for submitting OCs.

1) Two OC limit per author/authoress.

2) Biographies must be submitted through PM only, as accepting OCs through review is against the site rules.

3) Because of the above, guests may not submit OCs. I need to be able to PM you for additional or unincluded information (sorry).

4) The entire biography must be filled out.

5) Beys are not going to be included in this story, even though this is set a year after the fall of Nemesis. You may mention beyblading acchievements in your character's(s') biography(ies), but do not include the bey itself, as it will have no importance to the story.

Here is the form for OCs.

Pen Name:

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Date of Birth: (Month and day only, please)

Birth Country: (Exactly what it says)

Ancestry: (The various ethnic groups that make up your character's family tree. Try and make it somewhat unique, because it's more fun for me then!)

Description: (Please be detailed)

Personality: (Again, please be detailed or I won't be able to include your character if not given enough information)

Usual Outfit: (This doesn't matter much to the story, but it will help give me a glimpse at how your character looks so I can envision this in my mind)

Weapon of Choice:

Love Interest: (Dunamis is already taken, sorry!)

History: (optional, but if you don't wish to put it here just put that your character dislikes talking about it and PM me with it later; you know, keep it a surprise)

Additional Information:

As an example, here is the biography of my own OC:

Pen Name: Shaggy the Cat

Name: Haley Monroe

Gender: Female

Age: 15

Date of Birth: November 22

Birth Country: United States of America

Ancestry: Irish, Native American, Scottish, French, British, Norse

Description: Haley is petite - no taller than 5' 2" - and rather thin. She dislikes sunlight, so she mostly stays indoors, giving her a pale, ghostly skin tone. She has mid-back-length tawny-brown hair with a golden undertone, which she mostly keeps pulled back in a scorpion braid. Her eyes are usually described as hazel, though some say they look somewhat golden in a certain light. She also has very small freckles hidden on the end of her nose, and they are only visible when viewed closely. She is not well-known for having a curvy figure - she has some hip but her chest and rear end are a bit on the small side.

Personality: Haley is a very observant character and often pulls herself away from discussions unless she feels the need to butt in. She can be seen as cold and unfriendly because of her way of observing people and piecing them together, which is what makes her decide whether she likes someone or not. She hides her emotions with her sarcastic nature and foul tongue, and only the very observant can read her emotions through her eyes. She is typically very gentle, though she has a short fuse and a mile-wide stubborn streak. She dislikes idiots and loud, noisy people, which puts her at odds with people like Masamune and Gingka. To her few true friends, she is very loyal and loving and will stick up for them no matter what the circumstances. To others, having her as an enemy is worse than burning in the hottest fires of Hell. She remembers all gestures towards her - both good and bad - and depending on the gesture will become more friendly or begin plotting revenge. To the very few she knows she can trust completely, she lets her true personality be known: she is timid and nervous and her emotions are shattered very easily, which is why this group of people is so small. However, she can also be bubbly and a real sweetheart, though sometimes this is hidden with sarcasm and a rude front.

Usual Outfit: Haley is usually dressed casually in a teal-and-black-plaid flannel button-down shirt, denim skinny jeans, and black Vans, though she sometimes substitutes the sneakers for a pair of black leather boots. She also has an owl pendant that she wears around her neck.

Weapon of Choice: Bow and arrows

Love Interest: Dunamis (sorry!)

History: Haley grew up like any typical child until her parents' house mysteriously caught fire when she was ten and she had to begin living at her grandmother's house after the deaths of her parents. While there, she began partaking in Beyblade for money, though she later went off on her own for fun and eventually won herself a World Championship. She hasn't participated since, as she is content enough with the one Championship.

Current OCs:

Haley Monroe (me)

Dennis Rawiel Haas (CutieAngel999)

Diamante "Dia" Inazuma (Chained Princess)

Elizabeth "Liz" Juliet Johnson (Chained Princess)

Frieda Love (CutieAngel999)

Current Pairings:

Haley x Dunamis

Dennis x Madoka

Frieda x Masamune

Dia x Tsubasa

Liz x Julian