So, in the holiday spirit, I thought I'd put up a Christmas-themed fanfic. This takes place in the world of the manga, after Yugi and his friends defeat Dark Bakura at Monster World.

Also, I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies that I portray in how the Japanese celebrate Christmas; it's not something I'm that familiar with. But I used what I had, and I hope you like it!

Obligatory disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters, story, or any other part of the franchise.

—

"All right, that will be all. Class dismissed for the day."

The teacher gathered her things and left the room as, in the classroom, the students did the same. Yugi was no exception; he was eager to get out. He had something he might want to do that day…

"Hey, Yugi."

Yugi looked over and smiled as he saw his best friend standing over him. "What's up, Jonouchi?"

Jonouchi grinned. "Christmas tomorrow, that's what!"

"Are you getting anyone anything, Jonouchi?"

A confident expression spread across Jonouchi's face. "You kidding? This is prime time, man!"

Yugi blinked. "Prime time?"

Jonouchi nodded. "Yeah." He leaned in. "The girls love it when you get them stuff on Christmas." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "I'm gonna win me some points tomorrow."

"Right, I'm sure that will work out just perfectly."

Jonouchi looked up at the person who had just spoken. "Hey, Honda, what's with the sarcasm? I'm gonna knock 'em dead tomorrow!"

Honda grinned wryly. "Well, if your past record is anything to go off of…"

"Not to mention your general lack of understanding of the female sex," said Anzu, coming up to them.

Jonouchi made a face. "Some friends you guys are. You're supposed to be supportive of me!"

"I'm sure they'll love what you give them, Jonouchi," said Yugi.

Jonouchi grinned at him, as, behind his back, Honda and Anzu gave Yugi skeptical looks. "Yeah, thanks, Yugi. See, that's the kind of attitude I'm looking for." He propped his foot on a chair. "What about you? You getting anyone anything?"

"Uh, well…" Yugi made an effort to keep his eyes on Jonouchi. "Maybe…"

"Well, ya better decide quick. Stuff in the stores is goin' fast!"

Yugi didn't respond. He had, in fact, been considering getting someone something for Christmas for a while…but with her standing just a few feet away, he couldn't bring himself to say it, and couldn't help but get flustered just talking about it. He wanted to look over to her, maybe get a hint to see if she was planning on getting him anything…but his natural shyness prevented him from doing so. He had always had a crush on Anzu, but had never had the courage to come out and say anything about it. Maybe getting her a Christmas present would be a step in the right direction…

Anzu spoke, continuing the conversation. "Yeah, I bet this is a busy time for your grandpa, huh, Yugi?"

"Huh?" Yugi looked up. "Oh, oh yeah. Yeah, Grandpa's had a lot of customers recently."

Something over Yugi's shoulder caught Jonouchi's attention. "Yo, Bakura!"

Yugi and the others turned to see their white-haired friend look over at them. "Hi, guys," he said brightly. Their friendship had grown strong after the four of them had saved Bakura from the evil spirit during their Monster World game.

"You got any plans for Christmas?" asked Jonouchi.

"Oh, not a whole lot," said Bakura. "I am offering to wrap presents for people, though."

Yugi raised his eyebrows. "Really? That's great! Have many people asked you yet?"

He nodded. "Some. I'll be collecting presents later today, too, and there have been some people who have said that they'd be interested in having me help them."

"Great!" said Jonouchi. "Hey, I could use your help; I've got a few presents I still need to wrap."

"That's fine," said Bakura. "Just bring them by my apartment later today and I'll be happy to help them. And since you're my friend, you won't have to pay me for it."

Jonouchi looked taken aback. "I couldn't do that. C'mon, Bakura, you're trying to raise money with this, right?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then I'll help you out and give you some business. That's what friends do, right?"

"But I don't want to make you…"

"You won't be making me do anything. Don't worry, Bakura, I insist."

"Well…all right, if you're sure."

"Sure I'm sure." Jonouchi looked at the clock. "But I gotta get going if I want to get all my shopping done tonight." He slung his bag over his back. "See you guys later!"

He left the classroom, and Honda sighed. "That guy never learns. Tomorrow's gonna be a disaster for him…"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine," said Yugi. "But I should go, too; I promised to help out my grandpa today."

"Nice," said Anzu. "Well, we'll see you tomorrow, Yugi!"

"Y-yeah," said Yugi, trying not to blush.

He gathered his things and headed out. But one question nagged at him: what could he get her?

Unbeknownst to him, Yugi was being followed. A few footsteps behind him was Juro Inaru, a tall classmate of Yugi's with messy brown hair. Like Yugi, he was thinking about buying a gift for a girl on Christmas. However, like Yugi, that girl was Anzu. Inaru had always been interested in Anzu, and had paid a lot of attention to her. As a result, though, he had observed how Yugi often acted towards her, and had deduced that Yugi also had a crush on Anzu. And this was not good. If he was to successfully get her, there couldn't be any competitors. But Yugi had an advantage: he knew a lot about Anzu, and Inaru did not. Which is why, as he walked along, a plan was forming in his mind…

Yugi found himself muttering to himself as he walked. "Let's see…I don't have too much to spend, and something like expensive jewelry isn't Anzu's style…I could get her something from the game shop, maybe Grandpa has something there…"

"Yugi."

Yugi jumped and turned around at the sound of a new voice. "Oh, hi, Inaru."

Yugi's classmate walked up to him. "I couldn't help but overhear you, Yugi. Are you planning to get someone a gift for Christmas?"

"Well, maybe…but I'm not sure what…"

"Is it Masaki?"

Yugi started. "Huh? How do you…"

Inaru grinned. "I can pick up on things, Yugi. So, you're planning on getting her something?"

Yugi hesitated; he had wanted it to be a surprise, and while he didn't distrust Inaru, he was reluctant to say it out loud.

"Because if you're having trouble deciding," Inaru continued, "I could help you pick something out."

Yugi looked up in surprise. "R-really?"

"Sure. It's the season to give, right? I'll do my good deed by giving you some assistance."

"Well…sure, if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Thanks a lot!"

"No problem. Now, where were you thinking of looking?"

They left the school, discussing possibilities. "What are her interests?" Inaru asked.

Yugi thought. "Well, she does like games…I was thinking I could check out my grandpa's shop…"

"You sound hesitant, though. What's her passion? Does she like jewelry?"

Yugi shook his head. "Not really." An idea struck him. "But she does love dancing. She wants to become a dancer when she grows up."

"Oh, really?" said Inaru. "Well, how about a dancing outfit, or something?"

"Maybe not an outfit," said Yugi, "but I have seen her looking at a little book of dancing tips a few times. It was in the window of a bookstore, and it would always catch her eye."

"Well, why don't we head over and see if it's there!"

Yugi smiled broadly. "Okay, great!"

He took off, with Inaru just behind. As such, he missed the grin that passed across his classmate's face.

The book was indeed still there, much to Yugi's delight. And so, a few minutes later, he and Inaru were leaving the bookstore, the dancing tips book in a bag in Yugi's hand. "I'm sure Anzu's going to love this," said Yugi.

"Good to hear," said Inaru. His voice was slightly less cheerful than before, but Yugi was too pleased with his purchase to notice.

The two continued walking, until they came to a street corner. It was not a very heavily populated area, so there was no one in sight. "Well, my house is down this way," said Yugi. "But thank you, Inaru. I really appreciate your help."

"Oh, it was no problem, Yugi," said Inaru. "And, actually, I wanted to thank you."

Yugi looked over at him. "What for?"

Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in the side of his head. He felt his body fly backward, and the bag fall out of his hand. An instant later, his body hit the hard concrete of the sidewalk. Wincing in pain, he looked up, to see Inaru standing over him, the bag in his hand. "For getting me a present to give to Anzu, of course," said Inaru.

"What?"

Inaru grinned maliciously. "Like I said, Yugi, it's the season of giving. And you've given me this book, which I can give to Anzu for Christmas. I'm sure she'll like it. After all, you picked it out, and you know her quite well."

A sensation of horror began to settle in Yugi's stomach. "You…you just wanted to use me!"

"You don't catch on very quickly, do you?" said Inaru.

Yugi got to his feet. "Give that back!"

"Now, now, Yugi, let's not get greedy," said Inaru.

"You're the one who's greedy!" said Yugi. "You took my present for Anzu!"

"No, you gave it to me," said Inaru, in a more firm voice.

"Give it back!" said Yugi again, and reached out to take the bag back. But Inaru was not so easily overcome. Raising a foot, he drove it into Yugi's chest, and the shorter boy was knocked back once again. But Inaru wasn't content to leave him on the ground. Stepping over to him, he lashed out with his foot again, making contact with Yugi's stomach. He repeated this a few times, bruising Yugi's legs, torso, and arms. "I said, don't get greedy," said Inaru. "I'm going to give this gift to Anzu." His expression and tone got harder. "And you're going to keep quiet about this, or what you just got will seem like nothing compared to what will come to you."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Yugi groaned. How could Inaru do this to him? Mustering his strength, he managed to bring himself up into a sitting position. Now Inaru had his present for Anzu. But what could he do about it? If he told anyone, Inaru would hurt him even more…

Suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle around his neck began to glow, a small but bright light coming from the center of the eye. In a situation that he was getting used to, Yugi felt his consciousness beginning to slip. But, instead of dread, he felt a sense of comfort. The other me, he thought. He'll know what to do…

The thought comforted him as he blacked out.

Inaru made his way home that evening, a wrapped box under his arm, and a smug grin on his face. His plan had worked perfectly—he had a present for Anzu for Christmas, and he had gotten Yugi out of the way. Yugi wouldn't say anything about what had happened; he was too much of a wimp to stand up for himself. It was so simple. There had also been the matter of carefully wrapping the gift, which he hadn't wanted to take the trouble to do. Fortunately, another member of his class was wrapping presents for people, and he had been able to use him for it. Of course, he had had to use some more intimidation to get out of paying him, but it was a small matter. Now, he had a perfect present to impress Anzu tomorrow, and he hadn't had to spend a single yen.

As he continued to near his house, he felt a sudden chill in the air. He frowned. Sure, it was winter, but this was different. On instinct, he looked around.

And he found himself staring into a pair of eyes right behind him. He started, taking a step back, before realizing that it was only Yugi. "Yugi?" he said. "What do you want?"

Yugi smiled at him, in a confident way that didn't seem like him. "Good evening, Inaru," he said. "I believe you have something that belongs to me." His voice sounded different, deeper and firmer. What, is he trying to be more macho? Inaru thought.

Inaru snarled at him. "I told you, beat it." He held up a fist. "Unless you want me to put you out of commission again."

"I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere," said Yugi. "That is, unless…"

Inaru frowned. "Unless what?"

"Unless you play a little game with me."

Inaru blinked. "A game?"

Yugi nodded. "A Shadow Game. You're not afraid, are you?"

Inaru snorted. "Please. I'll take on whatever you've got." Whatever this "Shadow Game" thing was, it was nothing he couldn't handle. Besides, he always had his fists, if things didn't go as well as necessary.

"Good to hear," said Yugi with another smile. "Then here are the rules." He reached behind a nearby wall and pulled out a bag. "This is a bag of wrapped presents." He began to set them up on the wall, between the two of them. "However, one of the presents is booby-trapped with a device that will release a cloud of sleeping gas when opened. I am friends with the present-wrapper in our class. He wrapped these for me, and the device is in one of them."

"What?" said Inaru. "Which one?"

"They're identical," said Yugi. "Even I can't tell them apart."

Inaru looked at the presents Yugi had set out. They were indeed identical, all five of them. "So, one of them's booby-trapped," he said. "And you don't know which one."

"That's the idea behind the game," said Yugi. "We each take turns picking a present and opening it. Whoever picks the booby-trapped present loses." His grin widened. "And the sleeping gas is powerful. Whoever it is probably won't be able to make it to school tomorrow."

Inaru thought. If he could both defeat Yugi in a fight and humiliate him in this game, there would be no way he would ever come between him and Anzu again… "All right, Yugi," he said. "I'll play your little game."

"Then let's go," said Yugi. "Game start." He gestured to Inaru, indicating he should go first.

Inaru stepped up to the row of presents, looking over them. So, one of them had sleeping gas in it, did it? Well, his odds of picking it right now were slim…only twenty percent. Still, it was possible. He stared at the presents, trying to distinguish them, but Yugi was right; he couldn't tell him apart. He reached out to feel them, expecting one to feel like it had something else in it. And the first one he picked, the middle one, did indeed. That must be the booby-trapped one, he thought. But then, as he reached out for another one, he felt the same thing. Frowning, he ran his hands over each one, and felt the same thing each time. "That won't work," said Yugi. "There's no way of telling them apart."

Fine, then, Inaru thought, and reached out and grabbed the present second from the right. Without waiting, he tore it open, to reveal…a jigsaw puzzle.

Yugi nodded. "Good choice. My turn." He stepped forward and surveyed the line of presents. Inaru felt his heart pounding; Yugi had a better chance of picking the booby-trapped present than he did. But it was with complete confidence that he reached out and picked the leftmost present. Without hesitation, he unwrapped it, and a box of chocolates fell out. "Your turn," he said, turning to Inaru.

Inaru frowned. "How do I know you don't have some way of knowing which one is booby-trapped?"

"Well," said Yugi, "if you'd like, you can switch them around a bit." He turned around. "I won't look. But I will listen, so don't think you can peek."

Inaru took a look at the presents, wondering if he could someone find out which one was the one without actually ripping the paper. But Bakura had done a good job: the wrapping paper was on tight, and there was no conceivable way to look inside without tearing the paper and making a noise. Cursing the white-haired student, and promising to pay him a visit once this was all through, Inaru picked up the middle present and swapped it with the left one. Then, he switched the left and right ones. "Fine, I'm done," he said.

Yugi turned back around. "Then take your turn."

Inaru stared at the presents. This time, his chance of picking the wrong one were higher…

"Don't take too long," said Yugi.

Inaru gritted his teeth. "I'll take as long as I damn well please."

"Then perhaps I should mention…" said Yugi, "that the device is also set on a timer. If we take too long, it will go off automatically."

Inaru whirled around to face him, eyes wide. "You bastard! You're just telling me now?"

Yugi chuckled. "Don't worry. You've still got some time. Just not too much."

Snarling, Inaru turned back to the presents. He could stop things here and beat Yugi to the ground again…but if he could beat him in this game, he'd have the satisfaction of seeing him knocked out on the ground. Then, the next day, when Anzu would be upset over her friend not being there, he'd step in…

No, he would continue the game. He looked over each present, picked them up, and shook them, but could find nothing indicative of a booby trap. Finally, he decided to go with his instinct, and selected the middle present. He ripped open the wrapping paper, his heartbeat almost audible…but it was just a pair of books. "Ha!" he said, unable to contain himself. "Your turn, Yugi! Try picking the right one this time!"

Yugi stepped forward, a look of concentration on his face. "And don't take too long," said Inaru mockingly. "Otherwise the trap will go off."

Yugi's eyes went back and forth between the two presents. Then, he reached out and took one. Inaru held his breath. Yugi had no way of knowing which one was the rigged one. His chances were fifty percent…

Yugi opened the present to reveal…a teddy bear in a box. No sleeping gas.

Yugi looked up at Inaru, who was beginning to pale. "Your turn."

Inaru stared at the last present. There was only one left, and they hadn't come across the booby-trapped one yet…so that had to be it. But there were no other presents left to pick. And it was his turn!

He gritted his teeth. Yugi must have fixed things somehow to stick him with the rigged present. That little bastard!

He stared at the present in front of him. And then, an idea struck him. "Okay, Yugi," he said, reaching for the last one. "I'll open this one…" He took it, and made a small rip in the wrapping paper. "But, you know, I'm feeling generous. It is the season of giving, after all…"

In a flash, he ripped open the paper and, in the same movement, hurled the present at Yugi. "So Merry Christmas, Yugi!"

The box flew at his opponent. Inaru looked on with a triumphant face, expecting to see sleeping gas seep out of the box and send Yugi to slumber land…

But nothing happened. The box hit Yugi in the shoulder, and fell to the ground, a number of small kiddie toys spilling out. "Wh-what?" said Inaru. "Why didn't it go off?"

Yugi looked up at him. Then, a grin spread across his face. "I never said it was one of these five presents that was booby-trapped."

"Wha…"

"And the timer's about to go off."

Suddenly, Inaru realized. He looked down at the present that had been tucked under his arm the entire time. "You…you rigged this one?"

"Bakura was quite willing to let me help wrap presents," said Yugi. "And he didn't bat an eye when I asked to wrap a book on dancing tips."

Inaru growled. "Well, it doesn't matter." He took the present from under his arm and drew his arm back, to throw it. "You can have this one, too!"

But then, a sensation crept across his arm, like something was constricting it. He looked over…and saw the ribbon from the present winding itself along his arm. "What…what the hell is this?" he said, his voice getting panicked.

"Inaru," said Yugi. "Christmas isn't about giving things to people that you don't want. It's about caring for them. You give them things that they will enjoy, because you want to see them happy." He gestured to the present at his feet. "If you hadn't tried to cheat and harm me, I would have been forced to take the present under your arm, and I would have lost." He looked up at Inaru. "But you failed to grasp that. You only thought of yourself." He pointed to the present in Inaru's hand. "And that is why you lose."

"Get it off!" said Inaru, trying to tear at the ribbon. But it was no use…it was bound too tightly.

"Time's up," said Yugi.

A popping sound came from the present, and something poked out of the wrapping paper. A moment later, a cloud of gas emitted from it, and went straight for Inaru's face. "No! Get it away from—"

But the gas overtook him, and his vision became blurry before he collapsed to the ground.

Yugi stood over his unconscious classmate's body. "Game over, Inaru," he said. He reached down and picked up Anzu's present. "Now, for a quick re-wrapping job."

There was an upbeat attitude in school the next day. Several students went around exchanging gifts, either between friends or boyfriends and girlfriends.

Yugi entered his classroom and saw Bakura. "Good morning, Bakura!"

Bakura yawned. "Good morning, Yugi."

Yugi smiled at him. "You were up late last night?"

Bakura nodded. "A lot of work to do." He smiled as he looked around, where a few other classmates were giving each other presents. "But it's good to see everyone enjoying my work."

"You should feel proud of yourself, Bakura," said Yugi.

"JONOUCHI!"

Yugi and Bakura turned their attention to the doorway. For an instant, Jonouchi was visible, dashing along the hallway. A second later, a crowd of angry girls followed, shouting at him.

Bakura shook his head. "Jonouchi doesn't learn, does he?"

Yugi laughed.

A few minutes later, Anzu came in, and Yugi's heartbeat became faster. He had her present in his backpack. He just didn't know how he was going to present it to her…

Luckily, she provided him with an opportunity. "Yugi!" she said, going over to him. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Anzu," he said.

Anzu reached into her bag. "Here, I thought I'd get little things for all of us. This is for you." She pulled out a small wrapped box.

"Oh! Thanks, Anzu!" said Yugi. Now was the perfect time. "I…I got something for you, too." He reached into his bag and pulled out the book.

Anzu raised her eyebrows. "Oh, thank you, Yugi!" She took it. "Do you want to open yours?"

Yugi opened it. It was a deck of cards…but not an ordinary deck. He read the name. "Fluxx?"

Anzu nodded. "It's pretty new. I hoped you didn't have it yet, but I thought you'd like it, because you like games and all…"

"It's great!" said Yugi. "I've heard of this game a few times, but I don't have it. Thanks, Anzu!"

She smiled. "You're welcome, Yugi." She looked down at the present in her hand, and unwrapped it. "Oh, Yugi…" She held the book up. "You got this for me? Thank you so much! I'm sure I'll be using it a lot."

Yugi smiled at her. "I'm glad you like it."

For a moment, they held their position, smiling at each other. Then, Anzu blinked, and went a little red. "Well…I'd better find the others and give them their presents." She looked back at the doorway. "And I may end up having to bail Jonouchi out…"

"Oh…right!" said Yugi.

With a final smile at Yugi, Anzu made her way over to Bakura. A little later, their teacher came in, and they had to turn their attention to school.

But Yugi's smile stayed on his face for the rest of the day.

—

So there's a little Christmas story for the holiday spirit. Drop a review if you'd like. In any case, happy holidays!