Okay, chapter three people! I can’t believe so many people like my story already. Thank you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Yami’s crimson eyes slowly fluttered open, and it took him a few minutes to take in the scenery. The sky was a slowly darkening blue, and there was an empty playground with a red slide, multi-colored monkey bars, and a small swing set. He was leaned against a building made of bright red bricks and had a tin roof, ‘Great. I’m still trapped in this nightmare.’ He sighed to himself as he stood, using the wall for some support; he still felt a little lightheaded.

He looked around the edge of the building and saw a path with people not too far ahead. He pushed himself away from the wall, and after a few moments of stumbling, the lightheadedness slowly dissipated and he was able to walk straight.

As he wandered along the side walk, he got a few curious stares due to his seemingly abnormal clothing, and he could hear some people whisper and giggle about him. He ignored it, feeling they weren’t worth his time.

“Oh, no! I can’t believe I fell asleep,” someone cried from down the side walk before slamming right into Yami, sending him falter back a few steps.

Yuugi sat up after his nap, rubbing the sleep from still unopened eyes. He let out a loud yawn before his amethyst orbs dared to open. They traveled over to the numbers on the clock; seven thirty… he felt as if he had missed something important.

He flopped back down on his back, and gave a contented sigh as he closed his eyes once more. Then it hit him; He never met with Ushio.

He, almost literally, flew out of bed and down the stairs without a word to his grandfather, who just stood at the counter staring at the door the obviously panicked boy ran out of, "I wonder what happened..." the old man thought aloud.

“Oh, no,” Yuugi cried, the stabbing pain in his side slowly getting worse, “I can’t believe I fell asleep,” he panted, too busy worrying about his inevitable doom to realize he was about to run into someone.

So, upon his face colliding with the chest of a taller man, he fell backwards and tripped over his own feet, landing on his rear, “Ow… ohmygod, I’m so sorry!” Yuugi apologized rapidly.

“Try watching where you’re going next time,” was the calm reply. The voice was rich and baritone, it almost made Yuugi’s face redden with its nearly melodic sound.

A hand was offered to him, and Yuugi’s eyes trailed their way to meet the owner of the hand and voice. His eyes widened at the sight, “No way…” he whispered.

“Is something wrong?” the man asked, arching an eyebrow slightly. It was the person he had seen when he had spaced out earlier that day, the one who nearly mirrored him.

“Oh, uhm… no! Nothing!” Yuugi laughed nervously before taking the stranger's hand gingerly, and allowing himself to be pulled up, “Hey… why isn’t anyone moving…?” he observed.

The light was green, and yet all the cars were stopped in the middle of the road. People who had been chatting excitedly earlier we’re now silent and seemingly frozen in midstep, “W-what’s going on…?” Yuugi asked himself with the slightest hint of concern in his voice.

“I’ve been asking myself the same thing all day long.” The taller of the two commented.

“Finally! I’ve gotten you two in the same spot for once!” came a familiar young voice.

They were greeted by the deeply tanned girl , only this time, she was dressed in a suit-like dress that was a bright red in color. She was wearing a top hat that was more of a burgundy color, but she still had the same shaggy purple hair and little white wings.

“Munkir, was it?” the man asked in an exhausted tone.

The girl glared pointedly at him, “No, idiot,” she hissed, “I’m Nakir!”

Yuugi blinked and back up a slight bit, “N-nice to meet you?”

“Damn right it is!” she huffed, “Anyway, I bet you two are wondering why all these strange things are happening to you today, huh?” the two males nodded in unison, “Okay, well now you are going to get some answers. As I already told you, I’m Nakir. My job is to judge souls based on their aura and past deeds. You!” she pointed to Yuugi sharply.

Yuugi let out a small squeak, “Y-yes?” he whimpered as if he were a small child being scolded.

“Name?” she asked simply, flittering around him, examining every angle of him.

“Yuugi Muto…” he replied sheepishly, fidgeting uncomfortably by the way she scrutinized him, “I-is something wrong…?” he ventured.

“Nope!” the child replied cheerfully, “Everything’s perfectly fine, you’ll make a great guardian. Now just hold still for a second…”

“W-wait!” Yuugi protested, “G-guardian…? What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Yes, I’m also wondering. Does this have anything to do with a ‘Nefret’ person?” the taller of the males asked.

“Yes, it does! It has a LOT to do with Nefret. She was the Guardian of the Shadows, didn’t Munkir tell you that?” Nakir asked, putting her hands on her hips.

He simply shook his head in return, “Ugh! She said she would!” Nakir hissed, “Well, she's was the Guardian of the Shadows, which meant, she,” the young girl let out a dramatic gasp here, “guarded the shadows. Imagine that! Naturally, it’s the same thing with the other guardians and their respective elements. Sadly, we’re lacking two Guardians in our little group right now, Light and Shadows, because both the idiots got themselves killed. I found the successor to the Guardian of the Shadows, AKA Prince Yami over here.” She did a wide gesture over to the tanner double, “But, when the Guardian of Light died, he didn’t have a one, which means I have to find someone who can withstand his powers, and you, little boy,” Yuugi let out a pout, “are perfect for the job." she smiled, "By the way, has anyone told you how freakishly cute and child-like you are?”

Yuugi flushed several shades of scarlet with embarrassment and anger, “I-I am not!” he protested.

“Yes, you are! Prince Yami, isn’t he cute? Tell him he’s cute!” Nakir commanded excitedly.

Yami stayed silent for a moment, before crimson orbs met amethyst and a small smirk graced his features, “You’re cute,” he winked.

Yuugi’s blush deepened before he hid his face behind his hands, though he feared the heat rising off his cheeks would blister the skin.

“Anyways, enough of this!” Nakir shouted, “Now will you take the job or not?”

“… Is it dangerous?” Yuugi asked warily.

“No, no, of course not. Now hold still!” Nakir said rapidly, and before Yuugi had a moment to respond, she had begun chanting fluent, flowing words of an unknown language. Barely visible beams of light shone down around Yuugi The circled around him for mere moments before they all seemed to evaporate into nothingness, “Okay, all done. By the way, I lied. This job is dangerous.”

“What!?” Yuugi shouted, eyes widening, his heart beating faster, “Why’d you tell me it wasn’t?!”

“You never would have accepted otherwise!” Nakir countered, pouting.

“I never accepted in the first place!”

“Oh just pipe down an- Is the wind getting stronger?” Nakir asked, having a felt a sudden gush of semi-powerful wind.

“Big trouble!” the second of the twin girls flew in, rivers of sweat pouring off her, panting for a moment before dropping to her knees on the ground to catch her breath before continuing, “Someone left the gate to the other world open!” she blurted out once she found enough oxygen in her lungs to form words.

“What!?” Nakir shouted in response, “I swear, it wasn’t me!”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter right now!” Munkir cried, “The Rainbow Serpent is in this realm!”

“The wh-” Yuugi began when another fierce gale rushed by them, followed by a loud noise that fell somewhere between a hiss and a roar.

“She’s here…” Munkir and Nakir said in unison as a large shadow was seen passing over the nearly set sun and slowly winding its way closer to the four.

Yami went to draw the sword at his hip, but remembered that he’d left it at home, “Damn it,” he cursed softly before making do with the dagger he had on hand at the time.

The twisting form of the flying serpent stopped before them, “Are you the ones who imprisoned me one hundred years ago?” the creature hissed in an unearthly, but somehow feminine tone, her pink forked tongue flicking out to taste each ones breath for some scent of those familiar hated smells.

Munkir and Nakir sat frozen on the ground, each clinging to the other for dear life. Yuugi had taken to hiding behind Yami for a small sense of security, though he knew it wasn't right to put the prince in such danger, but his feet wouldn't move, nor his mouth form words. Of course, Yami stood at the front of the group, dagger tightly clutched in his hand.

“What do you want…?” Yami growled to the beast, which caused her let out a cackle.

“What do I want?” she asked incredulously, “I want my revenge on those old geezers who trapped me in the cold! Though you may not be exactly the same…” she drawled, coiling her body around them, “You have their auras…” she flicked out her tongue, “I wonder how your blood will smell when I kill you!” the serpent giggled sickeningly.

She reared back her head before lunging at the four, fangs bared and dripping a mixture of saliva and venom on to the steadily melting pavement.

To be continued…

Yuuuup… I had fun with this chapter for some reason. Maybe because I like being Nakir, ‘cause she’s so… random. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it.