Reflections in Ice:
I do not own, or claim to own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or any of the other settings and characters (other than a certain "S Kath") that will appear later. This is a work of fan-fiction, crossed with a love…okay, obsession, of RPG's.
I would like to, as always, give thanks to my good friend (and muse) Tab. Other thanks also go out to my gaming group: Larry, Andy, Chad, Heather, Partho, Matt, and Pinky! Thanks guys!
Reflections in Ice: A Yu-Gi-Oh GX fanfiction/crossover with (well, I can't tell yah yet!) Rated T for language, violence, and ahem…. As always, reviews are appreciated:
It was Friday, and Jaden Yuki was doing what he usually did during a class taught by Dr. Crowler, which was anything other than pay attention. Jaden was absently-mindedly chewing on the cap of his pen when Crowler's voice snapped him to attention as a paper was tossed in front of him.
"Pathetic as usual, Slacker!" Crowler's voice was oozing with venom.
Jaden looked at the paper. "Oh yeah…the writing assignment." There was a bright red "F" stamped in the middle of the paper. Jaden shrugged. "Oh well…" he thought. "not like this has anything to do with Dueling.
"Syrus Truesdale!" Crowler screeched out. Jaden heard a frightened whimper beside him.
"Y…yes, sir?" Syrus looked towards his least favorite teacher, silver-gray eyes wide with fear.
"See me after class. We need to discuss your paper." Dr. Crowler said as he started back towards his podium.
"Aww man." Muttered Syrus.
Jaden leaned over and whispered to his friend. "'s okay, Sy! Don't let him get to yah!"
Syrus managed a tiny nod.
When the bell rang, everyone filed out of the hall except for Syrus and Jaden. Syrus timidly walked up to Dr. Crowler. "Y…you wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.
Crowler looked up from his papers. "You, yes. Yuki, no!" He pointed towards the door. "OUT!"
Jaden started to protest, but the pleading look on Syrus face told him that he would only make his friend more uncomfortable. He sighed as he gathered his books and left the hall. Before he closed the door, he gave his friend a 'thumb's up' for encouragement.
(In the Slifer Red cafeteria:)
Jaden was stuffing himself when he heard the door open. He looked up from his plate to see an unfamiliar sight. Syrus was standing in the doorway, and he was smiling. A grin was spread across his face as he all but skipped over to the table and sat across from Jaden.
"'sup?" Jaden asked as he shoveled another load into his mouth.
"Oh…nothing!" Syrus was beaming. This was so unlike him—especially having just came from a meeting with Dr. Crowler.
"Syrus, you are such a lousy liar. What did he want?"
"Oh…."
"Sy!"
Syrus giggled. "Okay, J! Dr. Crowler wanted to discuss my writing assignment."
Jaden raised an eyebrow. "Oookay! Since when has he wanted to yell at a Slifer in private?"
"He didn't yell at me. Matter of fact, he gave me a pat on the back."
Syrus was covered in rice as Jaden just spat the contents of his mouth across the table. "WHAT?"
"Ewww!" Syrus screwed his nose up as he began cleaning himself. "Gross, J!"
"Never mind that! Why was he congratulating you?"
Syrus looked hurt.
"Sy…you know what I mean."
Syrus smiled. "Yeah. Well he was so impressed with my assignment, that he's offered me a position on the school paper."
"The school has a paper?"
Syrus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, dummy! Jaden, just cuz something doesn't directly deal with Dueling doesn't mean it don't exist."
Jaden shrugged and went back to eating.
The hurt look came back across Syrus face. "Are…aren't you happy for me?"
The brunette reached across the table and ruffed the mop of blue hair that sat on Syrus' head. "Of course I am silly! So when are you gonna let me read your assignment?"
Syrus sighed then gave Jaden a smirk. "I'm not!"
"But Syyyy!" Jaden mock whined.
"Nope! One, I'm not done…I'm turning the assignment into something bigger. And, two…you got rice all over me!"
"Sorrry!" Jaden smiled. "C'mon, Sy! Let me at least take a look at the paper from class."
The bluenette shook his head. "Nuthin' doin'! You're gonna haveta wait like everyone else!" He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me…"
"Well, excuse me, Mr. Artiste!"
Syrus turned and stuck out his tongue through his smile.
Jaden went back to eating.
(In the dorm:)
"Night, J!" Syrus said as he climbed into the middle bunk.
"Night, Sy!" Jaden replied from underneath. Both had given up on wishing their third roommate a good night as the deep, rumbling snores of Chumley came from the top bunk.
Jaden waited until he heard the soft, sighing from above him before he quietly slid out from under his covers and stealthily made his way across the room to Syrus' desk. He looked back to make sure his friend was indeed asleep before he slowly slid the desk drawer open. The full moon made his search easy as he located Syrus' exam paper in the desk. A huge "A+" was clearly marked on the top of the essay, and there was a handwritten note, paper clipped to the side.
The note read:
"Well done! I never believed a Slifer Slacker such as yourself could take a simple assignment and create something as imaginative and unique that you did. It was a refreshing break from the normal dribble I would expect from a student from the Slifer dorm. Therefore, I am recommending you to be placed on the school paper in the position of fiction writer. I expect at least a chapter a week!"
Jaden had to re-read the note. Dr. Crowler giving Syrus praise? Unheard of! "Okay, now I've gotta find out what you wrote!" Jaden whispered as he pulled out the chair and sat down to read. The paper was written in Syrus' neat script, and the title read:
Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:1 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:
"What in the world?" Jaden thought to himself as he continued reading:
Syrus Kath--Reflections in Ice:1 - (Mis)Adventures in the Whispering Cairn:
(The Gift)
"Syrus? Syrus Kath! Now where has that boy gone off to now?" the old man looked around the downstairs of his house. The downstairs was completely empty, so that only left one other likely place to look. Opening the door to the study, the wizard Allustan couldn't help but smile. There, peeking out from the top of a book was the blue mop of hair that was his apprentice.
"SYRUS!"
The youth jumped! "EEEP!" Squinting around the room, he spotted his Master. "M...Master Allustan! 'm sorry, Sir! I was reading, and..."
The old man smiled. "Completely lost yourself in the book!" The boy's cheeks blushed crimson. "Nay, lad! I'm not cross! In fact, I was coming to collect you! I'm fancying a game of Dragon Chess this afternoon."
Syrus let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, Sir! I'll fetch your case and be right at the door."
Allustan held up his case. "Already ahead of you, boy. Come, and afterwards we'll stop by the Drunken Giant. I hear that they might...just might have some of that spiced cider you're so fond of!"
The youth sprung to his feet and followed his Master out the door and down into the town of Diamond Lake. Already he could spot some of the miners returning into the town after a hard day's labor in the caverns. A strong breeze blew across the brackish lake, and he screwed up his nose at the smell.
Finally they arrived at the chess emporium. He opened the door for Allustan and followed. Once inside, he started to move towards to counter to rent a playing set, but Allustan called him over.
"You won't be needing to rent a house set anymore my lad!" Allustan reached into a deep pocket in his robe and removed a small wooden case. Syrus' eyes grew even larger than usual.
"F...for me?" he squeaked.
The old man smiled. "Yes, m'boy! Congratulations! You've finished your apprenticeship!" he handed the case to the boy.
Syrus' hands were shaking as he opened the box. Looking inside, he gasped at the workmanship of the tiny playing pieces. "Oh, Master Allustan! They...they're perfect! Thank you...thank you...thank you!"
Allustan gave a pleased chuckle. "Well, Syrus, you can show your appreciation by taking it easy on your old Master."
Syrus blushed. "You know I've never been that good at Dragon Chess..."
"Just believe in yourself, lad!" Allustan said as he started setting up his pieces on the board. Syrus did the same.
"I shall take the first move, Syrus."
Syrus nodded and scooted his chair as close to the playing board as he could. He squinted through the ill-fitting spectacles and watched the board as Allustan made the first move. He chewed his bottom lip in nervous concentration as he reached down to make his move.
The game progressed, with Syrus not looking up once from the table. Allustan had already had to reach across the table a couple of times to thump Syrus' bottom lip--the boy had been known to actually draw blood on himself if he was too deep in concentration.
Little did he know, that he was being watched as closely as he was watching the board. From across the room, the dwarven bouncer was eyeing the young, blue-haired apprentice closely...a plan forming in his mind.
"WOW!" Jaden said aloud and quickly clasped his hand to his mouth. There was a slight stir from Syrus' bunk, but neither he nor Chumley woke up. Jaden carefully replaced the paper back in the desk. He made his way back to his bunk and slid under the covers.
"Good work, Sy!" Jaden smiled as he looked up at the bunk where his friend was asleep. "I can't wait to read more." Jaden thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.