Author's Notes: Prompted by Schala85. Title comes from Kagaya. Contains a bit of Christmas history. Happy Holidays! This takes place just before the Pharaoh's Memory arc of the series. There's some light Shadi/Isis in this, and perhaps some very mild Ankh/Scale if you look REALLY hard and tilt your head JUST the right way… Though if you look at it that way, you might see just about anything!
Holiday Spirits
Shadi was sitting at the table reading when he heard stomping feet coming down the stairs, and flurry of envelopes and other papers was flung at him.
"Looks like some losers still know you exist," Scale jeered. "I guess no one told them you died years ago and this has all been one big post-mortem twitch." He smirked.
"Apparently," Shadi answered, gathering up the mail. "Did you lose Ankh again?"
"No… I'm coming…" The green-haired spirit made his way precariously down the stairs, three big bags of groceries in his arms.
"Scale, would you help him with that?"
"No. I carried your mail." Scale snatched a banana from one of Ankh's bags and went back outside. Shadi sighed slightly and stood up, looking through his mail as he headed to the kitchen to help Ankh put away the food. Junk mail… Coupons… 'You may already have won!'… Advertisements… A newsletter he didn't remember subscribing to… A catalogue of expensive chocolates that he certainly hadn't ordered (though he had a pretty good idea who had)… And a large cream-colored envelope with a red foil seal.
Shadi set the rest of the mail down on a small end table and turned the envelope over to the front. His post office box address was printed gracefully in the middle, and the postmark was from California, in the United States. Shadi set it down on the counter and put away a few boxes and cans of various foods before taking a butter knife and sticking it into the envelope, opening it, and put the knife back. He took out a folding card out, with a shining print of red and gold globes in the midst of green spruce needles, all set in bright foil.
"Who is that from?" Ankh asked, taking a bag of onions out of one of the larger bags.
"Pegasus, it seems." Shadi opened the card. "…He is inviting us to a Christmas party…"
"Christmas…?" Ankh peered at the card interestedly. "…That's a Christian holiday, right?"
"Yes… though it is popular with a number of groups. I believe the Japanese use it solely as an excuse to have more sales."
"I've heard a little about it… People decorate trees, give gifts, and get together with their families, right?"
"Yes, I believe so. And celebrate their God's birth, if that is what they believe. …Though historically, it would have been some time closer to July, I believe. And actually a few years off from the year they place it at."
"When do they celebrate it, then?"
"December twenty-fifth, I believe…" Shadi looked at the card. "…And the party is on the evening of the twenty-fourth."
"How did it come to be so much later in the year…?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe they were trying to coordinate their celebration with the Winter Solstice, which was a more widely-celebrated spiritual holiday at the time."
"Ah, I see… So is the party at Pegasus's house?"
Shadi read further down the card. "…No, it's at some sort of resort in another state. Some property he inherited, I think. It says Nevada, and I believe he grew up there with his parents."
Shadi and Ankh put away the rest of the groceries, at which point Ankh returned to examine the shining card. "…Are you going to go?"
Shadi blinked. "Well… I think he only sent it to be polite… People often do that when they are having a party; they invite friends and family even when they know they will not attend."
"That's strange… but I guess it means no one feels left out. …What if he really wants you to go, though? He wouldn't have invited you if he really DIDN'T want you to come."
"…I suppose so."
Ankh tilted his head slightly to look at his host. "…Do you want to go…?"
Shadi looked over at the card thoughtfully. "…I think so. I have not seen Pegasus for a while."
"And I assume you're the only one going. A loser like that doesn't have many friends." Scale smirked as he strolled into the kitchen.
"…No, I think there will be others. It is addressed to 'My friends'."
"And it didn't occur to you that you're not the only one here!?"
"That could be. But it also says that once he has gotten all the replies, he will send out a guest list to everyone attending."
"Well, whatever."
"If you apologize and promise not to repeat the incident, Pegasus might forgive you for eating his chocolate the last time we saw each other." Shadi smirked slightly.
"I won't apologize to anyone, and I don't need some waffly fool's forgiveness!"
"Ah, then I suppose you have no need of his food, either. Perhaps you can stay here, and we can eat your share of the chocolate."
Scale glared as Ankh stifled a laugh. "You wouldn't dare! You'll do no such thing! I won't let a useless lump and a sniveling worm take the chocolate that's rightfully mine!"
Shadi smiled slightly. "Of course not, Scale."
Scale frowned. "Hmph… Well at least this means you'll have to take more than your yearly bath." He smirked slightly.
Shadi sighed. "Scale, I believe a catalogue came for you."
"Yeah, I saw. I wanted some free samples, but there weren't any."
"How disappointing…"
"It was! I waited a long time for that!"
Ankh was still looking at the card. "It says he'll even send one of his private jets to pick us up if we Rsvp by December 10! Rsvp… What does that mean?" He frowned slightly, trying to pronounce the word without vowels.
"R.S.V.P." Shadi corrected him. "It means 'reply'. So… I suppose we will send a reply."
Ankh grinned. "This will be so much fun! I can't wait!" He suddenly blinked. "Oh! …But we have to buy presents, don't we? What should we get for everyone…?"
"We can wait until we know who is coming. And I believe it is customary to get a small token gift for those you do not know well, if anything."
"Like what?" Ankh asked eagerly.
"Hm… We could probably go to the tourists' market and find some small souvenirs. Just nothing that will break immediately."
"Why not? They don't deserve anything nicer." Scale picked the card from Ankh's hands and moved it back and forth, watching the light shine on the front.
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The following week, Shadi Ankh and Scale found themselves searching the tourist marketplace, picking out small models of the pyramids, the sphinx, and some copies of ancient coins. Shadi also had some small models of the Millennium Items that he had commissioned a goldsmith to make a couple of years ago.
"So to make the other losers feel better… you're giving them cheap, useless copies of what they already have?" Scale leaned on a display counter, staring at the refrigerated display of chocolate under the glass and pondering how to get it out without paying or asking. "That'll go over well. Especially considering how grateful some of them were the last time you handed out Items. Like Pegasus and Malik. I'm sure a reminder of how they went crazy and ruined all those lives will get them right in that holiday spirit you were talking about."
"No, not them. But I think Yuugi and Bakura might like copies of theirs."
"…So instead you're going to give Isis, Rishid, and Malik cheap little pyramids. I'm sure they've never seen anything like THAT before. …If they never look out the door!"
"Scale, you're not going to liberate that chocolate, so you can look at something else now," Shadi answered calmly, ignoring Scale's comments.
"What do you think we should get everyone?" Ankh asked, looking over the guest list. "Let's see… Mutou Yuugi, Mazaki Anzu, Honda Hiroto, Bakura Ryou, Jounouchi Katsuya, Kujaku Mai, Otogi Ryuuji, Isis Malik and Rishid Ishtar, and us… And I think we've met… at least some of them. I guess that means the Pharaoh and the tomb robber will be there too… What would they all like…?"
"Well… If you cannot think of anything, something like candy is always good, I suppose. Though not something that would melt before it arrived."
"If I get anything to eat, I'M going to be the one eating it!"
"Scale, you have an endless supply of chocolate in your…"
"Quiet, mold-brain! Nobody's getting anything out of me!"
"I'm quite sure they don't expect anything. …Or you could offer your skills, Ankh. That might be very well-received."
"Heh, selling his services to the highest offer? Some host. Though I can see him as a-"
"Yes Scale, that's quite enough. No one asked you." Shadi paid for his purchases, and nodded to his spirits to follow him. Scale cast one longing glance back at the chocolate before following, giving Ankh a customary swipe with his foot, which the other dodged with practiced ease.
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"I don't see why we have to go on this piece of junk when we could just transport straight there…" Scale eyed the private jet a bit suspiciously. It had an 'Industrial Illusions' logo across it, and was quite large.
"I've never ridden in an air-plane before! This should be interesting!" Ankh smiled, walking with the other two as Shadi showed their invitation to the attendants before the walked up the steps to board the jet.
"Yeah, well neither have I. That doesn't mean it'll be any good…" Scale looked around him with narrowed eyes as they stepped into the main cabin. There were rows of tall plush seats, with windows at each row and a large screen in the front that currently showed the plane's position on the airport's radar. Through a door to their left was another room set up with booth-style seats, and tables in them. Shadi went to secure their luggage while Ankh went to look out a window, and Scale walked down the aisle, glancing from side to side.
"How soon do you think we'll take off?" Ankh asked, looking out the small window at the plane's wing.
"Some time after the others arrive, I would think…" Shadi crossed to the other side of the plane, looking out a window and catching a glimpse of movement on the stairs going up to the plane.
"…I'm sure some sort of meal will be served on such a long flight." Isis's voice floated into the plane as she entered with Malik and Rishid.
"I hope so! I'm starving," came Malik's reply.
"I assure you that dinner and breakfast will be served," a flight attendant said, getting on behind them as the door was closed and the staircase pulled away.
"It's about time! Did you expect us to wait all day? We COULD be doing more important things," Scale said with a glare, stalking over to the new arrivals.
"This WAS by invitation; you COULD have refused if you'd rather be pretending to do something important." Malik frowned at him.
"And refuse the free food and presents? You wish!"
"Who'd give YOU any presents?" Malik smirked slightly, and Scale glared at him. They were interrupted by an announcement asking them to please sit down and fasten their seatbelts for the takeoff. It was accompanied by a demonstration video which Malik, Isis, and Rishid ignored, having flown before, but Shadi paid attention to, and Ankh and Scale watched with rapt interest. Shadi sat with Isis and Rishid to talk with them, and Malik sat behind them. Ankh and Scale sat in the row behind him, Scale at the window and Ankh next to him, both looking out. The spirits jumped slightly as the plane turned and started moving. After making a U-turn onto the main runway, it began to pick up speed. Ankh and Scale gripped their armrests, trying to look unperturbed.
"…Is it supposed to shake like this?" Ankh asked, a definite edge of nervousness in his voice.
"We're all doomed. It's going to fall apart right here and now," Scale was muttering. Malik turned to laugh slightly through the space between his seat and the wall.
"It always feels like this, there's nothing wrong with the plane," he assured them, grinning.
"Are you sure?" Ankh asked, his eyes glued to the runway outside which was quickly dropping out of sight.
"Yeah! See, we just lifted off. Hardly felt it, did you?"
"No… Barely at all…"
"What about landing? How does a thing this size come down without smashing into the ground?" Scale asked nervously.
Malik laughed slightly. "Well that's a little rougher. But it's safe, or people wouldn't fly so much."
"Hmph, in my opinion, they shouldn't…" Scale muttered, casting a dark look down at the receding ground. The cars on the roads below were beginning to resemble small beetles.
"We can't all pop in and out of the floor or the wall whenever we want…" Malik smirked, turning back to his window as they rose into the clouds. Scale pulled back a little, and Ankh leaned forward a bit as whiteness surrounded the plane. After a moment the plane rose above the cloud layer, and Ankh caught his breath in awe.
"Look at it! A whole world made of clouds! It looks like ground and hills, but all white and soft! And so solid we could almost walk on it…"
"You, maybe. Any of us with bodies would fall straight through." Malik glanced out at the clouds, then pulled a pair of knitting needles and a half-finished shirt out of his bag and began to work on it. The clicking of the needles got Scale's attention.
"What are you doing?" The dark spirit craned his neck and stretched to see. "Knitting! Ha! That's what the great tomb keepers were reduced to, knitting like old women?" Scale smirked maliciously.
"You expect us to go around naked? I'll knit if I damn well please, and you can just shut your mouth!" Malik glared back at Scale. "And I could say a lot about what the supposedly "holy, revered spirits of the Items" have been reduced to! Foul-mouthed idiots…" He rolled his eyes and continued to knit.
"…What are you making?" Ankh asked in a slightly placating tone, tearing his eyes from the clouds outside as they began to level off.
"...A present, actually. I… didn't have time to make one for everyone, but I thought I'd make this for Yuugi…" He held up a half-finished shirt, with the Saint Dragon, God of Osiris curled around it. "I'd make one of Obelisk for Kaiba, but from what I hear he wouldn't be caught dead in the same country as Pegasus anymore…"
"Heh, no he knows better. Too bad you fools don't." Scale smirked.
"…So tell me why he's here?" Malik asked Ankh.
"He wanted to come," the healer replied, hiding a slight smile.
"Really. Could've fooled me…" Malik muttered as the captain stated their altitude and that they would be flying on a level for a while.
Soon a flight attendant came by with a cart of drinks. Everyone got a whole bottle of their chosen drink, and they sipped at them slowly. Scale kicked Malik's seat, and the Rod's former host turned to splash some of his orange juice on the spirit with a sarcastic "Oops…" Scale growled and tried to stand up threateningly, but he had forgotten to take off his seatbelt, so he struggled and flailed around in the seat for a minute while Malik laughed, setting his drink in a cup holder and leaning over the back of his seat.
"Not exactly used to this modern stuff, are you?" he remarked, grinning down at the entangled spirit.
"Rrg… quiet, you!" Scale fumed.
"Hold still… If you don't relax, you're going to be stuck…" Ankh was trying to reach around him to help with the seatbelt buckle. He finally got it, and Scale sprang out of his seat, knocking Ankh back as he pushed out to the aisle and stalked towards the back of the plane.
"Is he always this personable?" Malik asked offhandedly, watching the angry spirit open the door to the bathroom, take one look around, and start cursing.
"Well… sometimes he's not so bad… but yes, pretty much," answered Ankh with a slightly apologetic laugh. "Part of it is that he's not really used to you."
"I see. So naturally being as nasty as possible is the best tactic." Malik scratched his head slightly. "I guess that's not so hard to understand, but that doesn't make it easier to deal with."
In the row ahead of them, Shadi was drinking tea with Isis and Rishid, getting caught up on recent news and speculating about the party as he calmly ignored his spirits.
))What IS this thing? You can barely step in!))
/I suppose it's designed for space conservation rather than comfort./
))I wasn't asking you, lump! Go jump out a window.)) Scale glared, turning around and locking the door, then perched on the closed toilet, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. He hated airplanes. He hated the Ishtars. He especially hated Malik. He hated Pegasus. He hated every guest invited, especially the ones who were going. He hated Shadi and Ankh for being invited and for accepting. And he HATED this gods-forsaken excuse for a bathroom!
"Gah, how are you supposed to do anything in this coffin!? Anyone much bigger than me would get hopelessly stuck!" He smirked, imagining Rishid having to bend down to fit in the tiny room, and getting completely wedged into it. Then the plane began to shake, and he grabbed wildly for the sink and the wall.
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About an hour later Scale emerged to find dinner being served. Everyone was sitting at tables in the dining section of the plane, and Scale pushed Ankh over to sit beside him. He snatched a plastic tray of food from the stewardess and pulled off the plastic covering to reveal a small salad, a piece of chicken with rice and vegetables, a roll with butter, and a small coconut cream cake. Scale poked at it a little suspiciously as the others began eating, and eyed Malik as he gobbled his meal down in a few bites. For his part, Scale tried a bite of everything, making a face, until he got to the pineapple cake, which he ate quickly.
"Are you going to finish that?" Malik asked, pointing at Scale's tray of food.
"Not a chance."
"…Can I have it?"
"You WANT this crap? Fine, just get poisoned, then." Scale pushed his food across the table at Malik, who eagerly wolfed it down.
As the others were eating, Scale noticed a song playing over the speakers…
"He knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good, for goodness sake.
You'd better not shout,
You'd better not cry,
You'd better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town!"
"Are you people hearing this!?" he exclaimed. "Who would sing about some guy watching every move you make?" He looked around suspiciously.
Isis laughed. "Santa Claus. A figure in European and American legend, an old man dressed in red and white who is said to fly around on Christmas Eve in a sled pulled by reindeer, to deliver presents to every person on Earth… but only if they have been well-behaved throughout the year."
"Is this true?" Scale demanded of the others. Ankh shrugged. So did Shadi. Malik laughed.
"Well I never got any Christmas presents… but I never heard of this Santa Claus until I left Egypt, either. …Or even Christmas, for that matter. And I wasn't especially well-behaved…" He grinned slightly.
"How does that fit in with the other Christmas traditions, though?" Ankh asked. "Shadi said that people celebrate their God's birth, and give each other presents…"
"I am not entirely sure… I think parents tell their children that Santa Claus delivers their presents. But I suspect that does not always work out well…"
"So the parents spoil their bad kids to keep from hurting their feelings, or some such nonsense?" Scale asked skeptically.
"Yes, I suppose that could be true in some cases," Isis agreed.
"Hm… You think this 'Santa Claus' takes bribes? What sort of offerings do you think he'd accept? Are we talking human sacrifice, or something like 2 of the year's harvest?" Scale asked, already formulating plans.
Isis laughed. "I believe the customary offering is cookies and milk…"
Scale blinked and frowned. "…He really does take what's close to a person's heart… But it could be worth it. Hm, we'll just see about this, then…" Kicking Ankh thoughtfully, he rose from the table and made his way back to the main portion of the cabin.
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A few meals, naps, and death-threats later, the plane slowly began its descent to the Las Vegas airport. Ankh and Scale clung to their seats and sucked in their breath as the plane touched down, and Malik laughed as they almost couldn't pry their fingers from the armrests. Ankh calmed down a bit after that, but Scale was the first to rush off the plane with a deep breath of relief and a muttered "Thank Ra…"
Shadi shivered slightly in his thick wool robes, and Malik laughed as he walked past in a very puffy coat with a hood worthy of an Eskimo.
"It's hard to get used to!" the younger Egyptian said with a slight grin. Shadi merely nodded.
A man with dark gray hair and sunglasses approached them with a nod. "You are Mr. Pegasus's guests from Egypt? He's expecting you. Please follow me, and you'll be taken to your destination." He looked to see if they needed any help with their bags, but since they had the luggage well in hand, he led them towards a white stretch limousine. After sticking their bags in the surprisingly large trunk, they piled into the spacious limo and were off.
"Excuse me," Malik tapped on the glass to ask the driver. "Where exactly are we going?"
"To Mr. Pegasus's private mountain estate. It's a part of his family's ski resort," the driver answered, watching the road.
"Ski resort? Do you think we could try skiing?" asked Ankh. "I've seen pictures of that… It looks interesting!"
"Hmph, sounds far too cold if you ask me…" Scale was huddled in a corner next to Shadi, glancing out the mirrored windows with narrowed eyes. He drew back a little as a large snowflake hit the window in front of his eyes, and more began to follow suit. "I hate this…"
"When we arrive, it will be warm inside. You needn't look out the windows," Shadi suggested. Scale gave him a noncommittal glare and continued staring out the window. Across from him, Ankh was staring out the same long window in awe at the glittering snowflakes falling around them.
"It's amazing! I thought it would be like a sandstorm… but you can see every bit of it separately!" the green-robed spirit breathed.
On Shadi's other side, Isis smiled slightly as she watched the snow flurry. She rather liked snow… especially when she didn't have to be out in it. Glancing across to the other bench seat, she noticed that Rishid was also watching the snow, though it appeared that he wasn't quite as fond of it as she was. Malik looked rather bored. He stretched his arms to cross them behind his head and closed his eyes lightly. She was so glad to see him able to relax like this…
The limo hit a pothole, and Scale's forehead smashed into the glass. He pulled away, rubbing it and cursing under his breath. Isis laughed silently, glancing at Shadi, who seemed to be ignoring it but for a small smile on his face. Ankh asked if Scale was all right, which he was rewarded for with a growl that he should mind his own business.
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Having been assured that their luggage would be brought to their rooms, Shadi, his spirits, and the Ishtars huddled together as they walked up the massive stone stairs to the large front door of the mansion. One side of the stairs hosted a bronze statue of a Greek hero in a helmet and loose toga battling a three-headed snake, and the other had a statue depicting a beast with the heads of a goat and a lion, a snake's tail, and large wings raising a clawed paw to strike at another Greek-looking man, who held his sword above him in a defensive position. Before they could knock, the doors opened for them.
"Ah, I'm so glad you could make it!" beamed a very cheerful Pegasus. He stepped aside for them. "Please, come in out of the cold. I hope you had a pleasant flight!"
"Yes," answered Isis, nodding to him. "Your jet was highly appreciated."
"Hmph, it was a piece of trash that barely got us here in one piece…" Scale muttered.
"Really?" Pegasus laughed slightly, closing the door behind him. "I'm so sorry! I should really have it looked at, then. Ah, but perhaps you would like to have something hot to drink? My other guests are already in the kitchen…
The Egyptians gladly followed Pegasus through the bright halls of the estate, glancing out at snow-covered mountains and evergreens through the large windows. Ankh and Scale tried not to seem too amazed as they walked with their more worldly mortal companions.
"How does it stay so white?" Scale muttered to Ankh out of the corner of his mouth after about the seventh window.
"I don't know… There must be so much color under it! That time we wound up in that place covered in snow… I don't think there was anything else for miles around. But… here you can see what it's covering…" the green-haired spirit mused.
"If we dug through it, we could see better…" muttered Scale. "It's unnatural… It should all be cleared away."
"I don't know… It's kind of nice," Ankh protested gently as he gazed out at the white landscape. "…Even if it's far too cold. And besides, there's so much of it! How could someone get rid of it all? And where would it all go?"
"Who cares? As long as I can't see it, that's all that matters," mumbled Scale, narrowing his eyes.
"You could always keep your eyes closed," interjected Malik, grinning not entirely maliciously.
"Shut up straw-head, nobody asked you!" hissed the spirit.
Muffled shouts and exclamations became audible as they walked, and after a few minutes Pegasus opened a door to reveal the source. A wave of hot air, a cloud of flour, and a blast of yells poured through the door of the spacious kitchen. Yuugi, Jounouchi, Honda, Otogi, and Mai froze in the process of pelting each other with flour while Anzu rolled her eyes and laughed as she rolled out some dough, and Bakura smiled in amusement as he stirred a large bowl.
"Ah… Pegasus-san!" Yuugi exclaimed, trying to wipe flour out of his face with an already whitened sleeve. "We were just… trying to decide if the cookie dough needed more flour…"
"If it did before, I doubt it still does," Pegasus said with a slight giggle at the sight of their powdery faces. "And I'm sure the cleaning staff will be so excited to see this! Everyone's here now, and I thought our new arrivals could use some hot drinks to get rid of the chill from outside! What would you like? Hot chocolate? Tea? Coffee? Hot apple cider?"
"Chocolate! Hot chocolate," Scale immediately exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
"Tea, please," Isis asked demurely, and Rishid and Shadi nodded that they would have the same.
"Coffee I think, but not too strong," Malik asked.
"I'd like to try the apple cider," Ankh said before going over to the dough that Anzu was rolling out. "Cookie dough, you said?"
"Yes, for Christmas cookies! We have one batch in the oven already," Anzu answered, pointing to the large oven. Ankh glanced through the oven's window to see brightly-decorated snowmen, reindeer, trees, and other shapes puffing up in the heat.
"…Can I try?" he asked hopefully. Scale watched out of the corner of his eye, hoping to improve his cookie plans.
"Of course! We're making a lot because SOME people are pigs…" At this she glanced at Jounouchi and Honda, who grinned. "But this batch is just about ready to be cut out and decorated!" She pointed to the baskets of cookie cutters and decorations, and at the freshly greased pans. Giving her sheet of dough a final roll, she put the rolling pin aside and picked up a holly leaf cookie cutter. "You press it into the dough, and wiggle it around a little… then pull it out, and you've got a cookie!" Ankh grinned as he watched her demonstrate. "…Just try to make them as close together as possible, so you don't waste dough. After that there are all kinds of sprinkles, colored sugar, candies, and chocolate to decorate them with! See?" She finished off her cookie by pressing three red candies into the end that was supposed to be the berries, and sprinkling the rest with green sugar. Then she put it in a corner of the empty tray.
"All right!" Ankh positively beamed as he began to cut cookies, pausing every so often to ask about the shapes and the decorations.
"It needs more flour there," Honda said, pointing to a slightly wet-looking patch of dough.
"Baka! It doesn't need any more, you covered the whole room in flour!" Jounouchi retorted.
"Hmph, I think YOU need some more flour too," Honda said with a smirk, and tossed a pinch at him. Jounouchi retaliated, and soon the fight had spread to Otogi and Mai as well. Yuugi retreated to take a turn stirring the next bowl of batter for this round as Pegasus handed out drinks.
Scale eagerly wrapped his cold hands around the steaming mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate on top, taking a sip of the hot liquid and managing to give himself a whipped cream mustache. As he set his cup down to lick it away, he found himself with a face full of flour. Having never met Scale, Honda apologized, but Jounouchi grinned triumphantly. Scale gave him a murderous glare which slowly became a smirk. The dark spirit stalked purposefully towards them and picked up a handful of flour and held it for a moment, grinning, before he flung out his hand and opened it quickly, sending a massive white cloud flying at the others. As they coughed and blinked, Scale's dark laughter could be heard as he stepped back to take another drink of his hot chocolate.
As the flour began to settle, Scale quickly put his mug back down as he saw dark shapes advancing on him. Jounouchi, Honda, Mai, and Otogi grinned as they pelted him with flour. He yelled in protest and grabbed up a pinch of it, pushing another white cloud at them.
Meanwhile Yuugi, Anzu, and Bakura had let out a moan of protest when the flour began to billow their way, and tried to cover the cookie dough. They looked up in surprise when no flour ever made it far enough to matter, though. Ankh smiled as he lowered his hand, the flour sliding down a translucent green shield before it got to them. They grinned back and continued to mix, cut, and decorate.
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A couple hours, a few drinks, two bags of flour, and a few dozen trays of cookies later, everyone sat staring at the mountains of cookies in contentment.
"My army of mutant reindeer is the greatest," Honda sighed happily.
"Nuh-uh, my three-headed Santa could take them any day," Jounouchi said smugly. "He breathes fire. I put red-hots in his mouths."
"…This Santa… he takes offerings of cookies, right?" Scale asked from where he sat beside Jounouchi, curled around his fifth mug of hot chocolate.
"Yeah, he's supposed to like 'em." The blond boy laughed. "Likes 'em a lot, by the look of him!"
Scale smirked and was about to agree, but then caught himself as he looked around suspiciously. "…And people pray to him for what they want, like any other god? And he gives it to them?"
"A god?" laughed Otogi. "I think you've got your mythologies mixed up. Kids just write letters, or ask him for toys, or ponies, or whatever they want, and then if they're lucky, they get those things."
"…But they have to be good?" Scale pressed. "There's no other way?"
"That's the story," Otogi agreed. "But as long as their family's well-off enough, they generally get at least some of the things they want."
Scale frowned. "…Family? Hmph, it WOULD have to do with that… But… it's just a matter of how wealthy they are?"
"Pretty much. If the family can afford the gift, then they get it if they want to."
Scale nodded thoughtfully, his mind already beginning to reel with thoughts of bribes as he took a long drink of his hot chocolate. "…What if it's something they can't buy in a store, that doesn't really cost money…?"
Otogi blinked. "Like what?"
"Like…" Scale blinked back and then frowned, curling defensively around his mug. "None of your business!"
"Fine. Then the only answer I can give you is that it depends on their luck."
"Luck, huh? Well that's not so bad… Luck, I can do…"
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Pegasus had put on a CD of Christmas music that alternated between fast, upbeat songs and slow gentle ones. Everyone was in the great hall near the main door, which was lit with a crystal chandelier. A large Christmas tree with multicolored ornaments stood in one corner, near the large fireplace that blazed with hot flames at the moment. Garlands hung on the walls. After much goading by his friends, a bright red Yuugi hesitantly asked Anzu to dance with him, and soon they were slowly stepping to the music.
"Too bad Shizuka-chan couldn't make it, we could have danced," commented Otogi. Jounouchi fumed and whacked him. "Ow! Hey, Honda likes her too!"
Honda sighed, looking rather depressed. "…Yeah, but she just likes me as a friend…"
"What about Ribbon-chan?" Jounouchi urged. "Miho! You're more interested in her, right? And she's closer to your age."
"I invited her to come with me, but she said she was busy," Honda moaned. "When she heard Bakura was coming she cleared her schedule, but by then it was too late! I must be cursed…"
"Either that or you just go for all the wrong girls," Otogi said with a grin. "None of them are interested."
"You don't have to remind me," Honda muttered. "I bend over backwards for them and they either see me as any other friend or don't know I exist…" He glared moodily out the window.
Shadi and Isis were also staring out the window, into the ethereal moonlight shining on the snow. They were silent, but enjoying the light feeling of the other's presence.
Eventually Mai dragged Jounouchi out to dance to one of the faster songs with her. Malik, Rishid, and Pegasus sat by the fire laughing.
Ankh stood at the window by the tree, careful not to kick any of the presents or the cords attached to the lights. He was staring out at the white scenery, but also at the reflection of the Christmas tree in the window. After a moment he turned, and seeing Yuugi alone for a moment at a table full of refreshments, he hastened over to the short boy.
"Ah, Yuugi… Are you enjoying yourself?" the healer asked politely.
"Oh yes! This is nice, and the punch is good," Yuugi answered, taking a sip.
"That's good… I wondered if I might speak to the Pharaoh for a moment…?" Ankh asked hopefully.
"Sure! Hold on…" Yuugi's eyes got distant as he spoke to the Puzzle's spirit for a moment, and then in a flash of light the Pharaoh had replaced him. The Ankh spirit bowed to him respectfully.
"Hello. Can I help you with something?" the pharaoh asked.
"Er… well… I was just wondering… how much you knew about what will happen when you regain your memories," Ankh said hesitantly.
"…Not much at all, I'm afraid. But my assumption is that then my soul will be able to rest… To pass on to the Underworld."
"I see… Do you think it will happen immediately?"
"I couldn't say… but I would think there would have to be something more. Shadi would be the one I would ask, but if he does not know, then perhaps Isis or Malik would."
"Hm… maybe so. And… what… will happen to the rest of us when that happens…?" Ankh asked hesitantly, getting to the heart of the matter.
"To you…? I… don't know." The pharaoh's forehead creased slightly. "This has never really been explained to me…"
"I see…" Ankh said, seeming rather preoccupied. "Well… thank you anyway…"
"…Does it worry you?"
"I'm afraid it does…" replied Ankh. "I've… grown rather attached to this world we've come to live in… But if we remained here, we would continue to outlive our hosts… And Shadi's the best we've had, by far… I… really don't want to have to keep going through what we did in the past… And I don't want to be locked away from the world without a host, either…" The healer sighed. "…There doesn't seem to be any good solution."
The Puzzle spirit nodded. "I know how you feel… I am very fond of this world, my host, and the friends I have made… But at the same time I must fulfill my destiny. And… I'm afraid that immortality can become rather draining after a while, even if most of it has been spent asleep…"
Ankh nodded. "It can. I… wish you luck with your destiny, then…"
The pharaoh nodded gravely. "And I wish you the same with yours…" Ankhkare gave him a slight bow as he nodded to the healer, letting his host take control again to take some cookies. Ankhkare smiled slightly as he returned to the window, staring out into the night.
"Please," he whispered softly, drawing on the Ankh and calling out to all the gods he could think of in this country and his own, and the legendary figures who were said to listen to pleas on this night. "…We just want a relatively pleasant existence whether in this world or the next… Please… that's all I ask. Please let this peace last… For Senui too, not just me… We both need it, but… he needs more than me, I think…" Ankh stood there for a long time, hands pressed against the cold glass, looking out into the night and thinking that maybe he was the lucky one for not remembering his past…
………………………………………………………………………………….
Late at night, when everyone else had gone to bed, a dark shape slipped down the hall to the room with the large Christmas tree. It looked around furtively, and pulled a package out of dark robes. Stepping closer to the fire, Senui carefully set his bundle down on the fireplace's ledge. He unwrapped it to reveal a stack of cookies, a small bottle of milk, and a note. Glancing behind him once to be sure no one else was nearby, he began to prepare an elaborate ritual. The same method could be used for human sacrifices, and any major offerings. Senui carefully blew some dust and spices into the flames, scattered some cookie crumbs, and poured a bit of milk onto his makeshift alter, and began chanting with quiet intensity. The milk was thrown into the fire bit by bit, followed by the cookies, and finally the note. The ashes rose up the chimney, and the fire flared up, then immediately died as the ancient judge muttered the words of his note to the hissing of the embers.
"Give to me power, and chocolate, but more than that, let life never go back to what it was…"
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The next morning, the sound of three Japanese boys racing through the halls banging on doors and yelling at the top of their lungs woke the others, and they all made their way to the Christmas tree. Ankh had to drag Scale out of bed, as he was more tired than usual.
Once everyone was gathered, the mad rush for presents began. Gifts were tossed into the air in the frantic search for the right ones.
"…Maybe we should have divided them into piles!" Pegasus remarked to Shadi with a laugh. Shadi nodded, smiling slightly as Scale blinked awake and leapt into the fray, tearing presents from other people to look at the tags. Ankh and some of the others hung back a bit until the first wave of people had claimed their presents and moved away to unwrap them.
Scale eagerly tore at the wrapping paper of his first present, from Ankh.
"This thing looks small, it'd better not be something bad," he threatened with a glare. Ankh looked up from his own presents that he was collecting and shook his head.
"I hope it's not! I wasn't sure what to get you, but I hope you like it."
Scale tore the paper off to reveal a box depicting a small silver, black, and blue object. He turned it over a few times in his hands, looking at it.
"…It's an 'XM Radio,'" Ankh supplied. "It's supposed to get all kinds of music and other things, so you'll probably be able to find anything you want to listen to!"
Scale raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly. "…So you've finally taken to thievery? I wouldn't have thought it, but I'm not complaining…"
"No!" Ankh exclaimed, a bit outraged. "I didn't steal it! I paid for it entirely legally."
"Heh, so then you really HAVE been selling yourself on the street corner!" Scale said with a delighted smirk.
"What!? I've… I've done nothing of the sort!" Ankh said with a self-righteous blush.
Scale smirked as he very carefully set Ankh's box aside next to him, and moved on to a larger one. The tag said it was from Pegasus. Scale cast the other man a sidelong glance before opening it, but Pegasus was too busy laughing over the five small cakes he'd received so far to notice. Carefully pulling the ribbon off and then savagely tearing at the paper, Scale found himself holding a thin plastic box containing a perfect chocolate copy of his Scales. He turned it around to look at every angle, but found no flaws. He looked up slowly, and found Pegasus grinning happily at him, holding up the single wrapped chocolate-covered cherry he had given the painter.
Mai was snickering as she glanced at Scale, and finally he turned his glare on her. "What's your problem, fool?" he asked. She smirked and pointed above his head. He narrowed his eyes and cast a quick glance up at a sprig of greenery hanging over him. "Yeah, it's a stick with some leaves. What of it?"
"I'm pretty sure that's mistletoe," Mai answered, grinning.
"Why should I care?"
"Well it's a Christmas tradition that anyone under the mistletoe gets kissed…"
Scale shot to the other side of the room, among giggles from all around.
Bakura exclaimed over the gold replica of his Millennium Ring, comparing the two, and then joining Yuugi to exclaim over his second Puzzle. Bakura's eyes flickered for a moment as he looked at the copies, but the others didn't seem to notice.
Yuugi thought the Osiris shirt Malik had knitted him was great, immediately putting it on over the shirt he had on. The plane had hit a bit of turbulence right as Malik had been making the neck of the shirt, but he managed to work that into its design.
Pegasus had painted portraits of everyone's favorite cards, or at least ones they liked if they had no set favorite. Framed paintings of the Black Magician, Saint Dragon God of Osiris, Black Magician Girl, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Lava Battleguard, Change of Heart, Dark Necrophia, Harpie Lady, Strike Ninja, Sun of God Dragon Ra, Holy Beast Selket, Mudora, Necrovalley, Blessings of the Nile, and Judgment of Anubis were passed around and exclaimed over. Bakura's eyes grew dark and slanted as he held up the picture of Dark Necrophia with a slight smirk. Pegasus had also made a painting of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon for Yuugi to give to 'Kaiba-boy' upon their return. In turn, Pegasus grinned and hugged the plush Cartoon Alligator, and especially the soft Funny Bunny he got.
Jounouchi and Honda were smirking over the plush toys they had managed to win for everyone in arcades. Quite a few guests now owned small puffy Scapegoats sporting Santa hats.
Everyone who received Egyptian souvenirs from Shadi exclaimed over them excitedly. Ankhkare's cards promising any sort of healing or help with matters of the mind or soul was even more interesting, and while most of the group crowded around him to ask about this, Isis quietly switched the headpiece she wore for the silver and jade one Shadi had given her, smiling slightly to herself.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
After a quick breakfast, everyone bundled up and headed to the ski resort portion of the property. It wasn't too crowded, and Pegasus hadn't seen much need to close it down for the day. For those who didn't have the right equipment, Pegasus had clothing to borrow. And of course, all the ski rentals were free. Soon everyone was gliding, sliding, or tumbling down the slopes with varying degrees of grace. Pegasus, Otogi, and Mai were trying to teach the others, with only moderate success. Anzu caught on quickly, being naturally graceful, and Malik and Isis did the same. Honda managed to make his way shakily down the beginner's slope. Scale and Jounouchi were both having trouble staying upright, though Jounouchi improved more over time. Bakura was doing no better, never having been very graceful. Yuugi picked up the right sense of balance before too long, his height working to his advantage. Ankhkare got the hang of it after a few tries, and Shadi and Rishid managed to make it down the hill upright, though both went rather slowly.
Just as Scale was about to give up, Ankh showed up with a toboggan he had found. Scale grinned, grabbed it, and was soon zipping down the hill. His exhilarating ride came to a halt when the sled stopped abruptly and he ended up face-first in the snow. He climbed to his feet sputtering as he brushed off the offending snow, and whirled around at the sound of a dark laugh.
"I would make a comment about how the mighty have fallen, but you were never very powerful," Bakura said with a smirk as he strolled over, snow clinging to him.
"Finally get sick of falling and decide to roll down the hill?" Scale sneered.
"I could ask you the same thing. I got tired of my host making a fool of himself," Bakura answered coolly. "But… you aren't using your host's body, so you have no one to blame but yourself." He smirked as Scale fumed.
"What do you want?" Scale asked, rolling his eyes and picking up the toboggan to drag it along behind him as he started over to the ski lift.
"From you? Don't flatter yourself, we just happened to land in the same area," Bakura said as he walked a little apart from the other. They stepped onto the ski lift and sat, holding their skis and toboggan next to them as the chair-thing carried them back to the top of the hill. Senui kept glancing at Bakura out of the corner of his eye, but the thief was calmly looking out over the mountain.
"You haven't been too active lately," Senui commented. "Losing your touch?"
"Hardly," Bakura said with a frown. "I have my plans. You don't play into them. So mind your own business."
"You're going after the Pharaoh AGAIN? Haven't you figured out by now that he always wins?" Scale asked with a smirk.
"That's mainly luck. But he won't be around forever… He'll relive his past and then go to the afterlife," Bakura said, his voice growing a bit distant.
"…Yeah, and then what of the rest of us? Do we go on to the afterlife too, or are we stuck here until we get our own convenient way out two million years later?" Scale asked, his eyes narrowing.
"…We'll go at the same time. I don't know the exact method, but all of us who were sealed into Items will be able to pass on then. I'd ask Malik, but he and I aren't quite allies anymore," Bakura said with a frown.
"Hm… I see. I guess I'll have to ask the psycho myself then, if you're too afraid of him."
"Watching your mouth couldn't hurt either," the tomb robber said in a dangerously sarcastic tone. He smirked as Scale nearly hit himself in the head with the toboggan as he pulled it off the lift after him.
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Scale found Malik warming his hands with a cup of hot chocolate in the cabin at the top of the hill. He got his own mug, and went to sit across from the mortal boy.
"So tell me how the Pharaoh's going to leave this world," Scale said without preamble. Malik blinked at his abruptness.
"Well…" he began, taking a sip of his hot chocolate, "The first step is for him to regain his memories of the past. He could go on without them, but then when he met everyone from before in the afterlife, he wouldn't have any idea who they were. …And he also needs to know his name. Without a name he can't enter the afterlife."
"I know that," Scale said in irritation. "You think I wouldn't know something like that? Go on, what else does that amnesiatic loser need to do?"
"Your respect is overwhelming," Malik commented dryly. "…But then after that, he just needs to bring all seven Items to the ceremonial dueling grounds back in Egypt, and have someone defeat him in a game of darkness. The inscriptions say 'As long as the Pharaoh carries his sword, his soul may not rest'. So until he lays down his title of champion… he can't pass on."
Scale frowned and nodded slowly, sipping his drink. "…And after that we'll all be whisked off to the underworld immediately?"
Malik shook his head slowly. "…Then the door opens. It's your choice whether or not to pass through it."
"…But if we don't, then we're trapped here forever?"
Malik sipped his drink thoughtfully. "The writings aren't clear about the rest of you, just the Pharaoh… But I think as long as the Items are still there, any of the rest of you would be able to go back at any time. I'm sure it wouldn't open for just anyone, but for someone who's not of this time anyway… I'd be surprised if it didn't let you through."
Scale nodded, taking a long drink of his hot chocolate. "…So after that, will it be just like we were dying normally? …Having our hearts weighed on Ma'at's scales and all?"
"Heh, not nervous, are you?" Malik asked with a grin. "…But I really couldn't say. The most specific writings I've found just say that the Pharaoh will rejoin those he left behind."
"So all the priests will be sucked out of the Items with him, if they're not conscious," Scale mused, thinking of the Items' other residents, caught between the underworld and the Items they had been sealed into. But that still doesn't tell me if I need to worry about divine judgment."
Malik shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know. I'd plan on it just in case, though."
"Hmph, probably," Scale muttered morosely. "…But that's still better than I'd hoped for."
Malik nodded. "…Good luck." Scale glared at him. "No, really!" the Rod's former wielder protested. "I'm serious! Good luck! I can't imagine having to spend three thousand years stuck in a gold artifact, passed from person to person like an unwanted family heirloom. You guys all deserve a rest after that."
Scale narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly, standing up to go put his cup on the counter, and wandered off to find Ankh, to tell him what he'd learned…
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"That's WONDERFUL!" Ankh grinned at the news Scale told him. "We won't be forced into something either way! So we can stay here for another… fifty years or so, however long Shadi lives… Maybe longer if we want, but we don't HAVE to go back right away, and we don't have to go on to hundreds of new masters!"
"Hmph, it's fine for you, but what about me," Scale asked moodily. "If we have our hearts weighed, I'll just go straight to Ammit to get my soul devoured anyway…"
Ankh blinked. "…Why are you so sure of that?"
Scale blinked back incredulously. "You can't be serious! You know better than most! You know what I've done, what kind of existence I've led!"
"I know," Ankh agreed. "…But even if you try to be, you're really not a bad person."
Scale stared at him. "Just how dense are you!?"
"Come on, you don't really think you're that terrible, do you?" asked Ankh. "…Because you're not. No matter what happened in the past, no matter what you've done, you still have a good heart, and that's what's judged. I could look with the Ankh, but I don't need to. I'm sure of it." He smiled knowingly.
Scale stared at him for a moment. Then he shook his head very slowly. "…You're strange, you know. Really, REALLY strange…" His voice wavered just slightly.
"Perhaps," Ankh said with a smile. "…But I'm right."
Scale continued to stare at him for a moment, then walked away without saying anything.
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At the end of the day, everyone sprawled all over the couches back at Pegasus's mansion, aching with the heat that only comes with the sudden absence of cold. Jounouchi, Honda, and Malik's stomachs were already growling, and Pegasus assured them that dinner would be ready very soon. Before long, Croquet came in to tell them that dinner was served, and he was nearly trampled in the stampede to get to the food.
There was roast goose, a whole small pig, beef, turkey, king crab, and Cornish hens. There were soups and salads, candied yams, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravies, shrimp, shellfish, caviar, escargot, and dishes no one could quite identify that still smelled delicious. There was a variety of bread, and quite a few spreads to use on it. There were pumpkin, cream, coconut, chocolate, sweet potato, pecan, rhubarb, apple, and berry pies. There was egg nog (both alcoholic and non), wine, sparkling grape juice, punch, milk, and various types of juice. There was ice cream of all flavors, cakes, tarts, fruit, and candy. Showing remarkable restraint, everyone managed to sit down and pass food around the table to serve themselves instead of diving in.
"What IS this?" Ankh or Scale would mutter every so often. They usually tried it though, and often enjoyed what they couldn't identify. Scale gagged after being told he had eaten fish eggs and snails though, and was more careful after that.
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About an hour later, most of the guests sat back to digest and watch Jounouchi and Malik fight over the last piece of pumpkin pie. They had just about tied for the position of who could eat the most. Finally Malik managed to get most of the pie, and he sat back grinning as he chewed it. Everyone complimented him on eating more than Jounouchi, but Isis only laughed.
"…You don't know Malik very well. I don't think he would ever stop eating if he had an endless supply of food. Even when we were young, you wouldn't believe some of the things he ate…"
The conversation gradually moved back to the great hall, where they basked sleepily in the warmth of the fire. Pegasus yawned and looked around at everyone as he cuddled his new stuffed Funny Bunny in one of the window-seats. Scale was sprawled in an armchair, and Ankh sat on the floor leaning against it. Jounouchi, Honda, Otogi, Bakura, and Yuugi were sitting on one of the sofas, with Mai and Anzu on either wide arm. Shadi, Isis, Malik, and Rishid shared the other sofa. There was some soft music playing, but the main sound in the room was the crackling and popping of the fire. Snow drifted dreamily past the windows outside…
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Malik woke up gradually in the warm room and yawned as he sat up from where he had been sleeping against Rishid, who was leaning back into the sofa. Everyone else was still asleep. Next to Rishid, Isis and Shadi were just barely leaning against each other. Malik laughed silently at that. On the other couch, Jounouchi, Honda, Otogi, Bakura, and Yuugi had managed to all become entangled in one big snoring heap. Mai had moved down to the end of the sofa, and was leaning slightly against Jounouchi's shoulder and Otogi's head. Anzu was still half on the arm of the sofa, and leaning on Honda and Yuugi. Pegasus was curled around his stuffed toy on the window-seat. Ankh's head rested on one of Scale's legs, and Scale had shifted around so he lay half across the chair, his head somehow resting on Ankh's curved back. Malik laughed softly, wishing he had brought a camera.
The sound Malik made caused a few of the others to wake up, and soon the mass of people on the other couch began moaning and trying to disentangle themselves, with little success. They managed to knock both Mai and Anzu off the couch, and were rewarded with yells of admonition from both girls, and a well-placed whack from Mai. Shadi and Isis both straightened up at the same time, and looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes a little uncertainly, both blushing just slightly.
Scale opened his eyes slowly, enjoying the warmth and wondering at the strange texture of his pillow. He poked it. It shrank away from his finger, and gave a soft noise of protest. He shot up in his chair with a yelp, knocking Ankh to the floor, blinking and rubbing his head. Malik nearly fell over laughing.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Just after lunch, Pegasus accompanied his guests back to the airport where two of his private jets awaited them. He had urged them to take home most of the leftovers, which they had all been more than happy to do. Scale got into one last shoving match with Jounouchi and Honda, which he lost terribly, before they left. This time when he entered the jet, he tried to exude the air of someone who knew exactly what he was doing. He sat next to a window, and again, Ankh sat next to him.
"So you both enjoyed yourselves, I take it," Shadi asked, as he followed them to sit by Isis again.
"Oh yes," Ankh said, beaming. "It's a wonderful holiday, and I hope we're invited back next year! If not, we should still try to do something similar!"
"Heh, he'd better invite us back," Scale added with a smirk. "That was some good food…"
"Oh, you bet it was!" Malik sighed happily, settling into the seat ahead of them. "I haven't had a feast like that in ages!"
"…And SOME people were getting pretty cozy," Scale commented, leering at Shadi and Isis.
"You bet," agreed Malik enthusiastically. "Man, when we woke up this morning, I would have killed for a camera! To get a before and after picture of you asleep on Ankh would have been great!"
Ankh gave a slightly embarrassed laugh as Scale lunged at Malik, who grinned and ducked out of the way. Instead Scale managed to hit Rishid, who frowned as he stood up to tower over the shorter spirit.
"What are you staring at, scar-face?" Scale hissed, but slunk back into his seat, not wanting to tangle with someone of Rishid's intimidating size.
"…Merry Christmas!" Ankh said after a minute, trying out the phrase.
"Merry your own Christmas, freak!" retorted Scale.
"I do so appreciate your holiday spirit, Scale," Shadi commented from two rows ahead. Soon after, he got a crumpled up lifejacket manual thrown at his head.
"Hmph," Scale muttered to himself, staring out the window. His eyes slowly became distant as he looked out over the pure white landscape of the clouds below them. Ankh just barely caught a mumbled "Merry Christmas… Well, I guess it was…" The other spirit smiled and said nothing.
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Endnotes: Whew… That took about a month to write… But I'm ever so pleased with it! Please tell me what you think… And…
Merry Christmas from Indigo, Ankh, Scale… and anyone else you can think of!!