It's time for...*drumroll*...A Thanksgiving story! Woo! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you guys! And I hope you guys enjoy the story! If I offened anyone, I apologize. But I am just going to warn that there will be some religion ahead.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal.
"It was nice of Yuma and his family to invite us for a Thanksgiving meal. And it was even nicer for Kaito to offer his house. Don't you think so ani?" Rio asked her brother next to her as she carried a pot of spagetthi and as they were walking to Kaito's house.
Ryouga tched. "It's more of a bother than anything-Ouch!" Ryouga yelled as Rio stomped on his foot. "What was that for?!"
"You should be thankful that we have friends like them! Most people would want to spend Thanksgiving with their families! Not their friends! But since Yuma knows that we don't have parents, he decided to invite us! Most people would NOT do that! So you have t-"
"Okay, okay! I understand Rio. You don't have to make a speech on it."
"I know ani! But-"
Ryouga sighed. "Yeah. You're right. I should be greatful."
Rio smiled. "I know I'm right."
After a few minutes, Ryouga and Rio came to a stop in front a the big tower in where Kaito lived in.
"I'll ring the doorbell," Ryouga stated. He rang the doorbell. Almost immediately, the door opened.
"Shark! Shark's imouto! You guys came!" Yuma shouted excitedly. "Oi! Kotori! They're here!" Kotori ran over by Yuma and smiled at the twins.
"Rio-san! Shark! Come on in!" Kotori and Yuma stepped aside to let the Kamishiro twins walk in. Kotori and Yuma walked right behind them.
"Thank you Kotori-san!" Rio cheerily stated as she and Ryouga walked in. "I brought some spagetthi! Where would you like me to put this?"
Kotori beamed at Rio. "That's wonderful Rio-san! Um...Inside the kitchen would be nice! Walk straight and take a left!"
Rio smiled. "I'll be back ani!" She told Ryouga.
Ryouga tched. "Don't take too long."
Rio smiled once again and began to walk in the direction of the kitchen while her ani, Yuma, and Kotori walked to the dining room.
After a few minutes of walking through the long hallway, Rio finally reached the kitchen. 'I'm so glad the directions were simple. Had they been any more difficult, and I would have gotten lost!'
Rio opened the door to the kitchen and...met herself with a chest. Rio abruptly stopped and looked up. Kaito looked down at her, also surprised that she had appeared.
She smiled at him. "Hi Kaito! I brought some spagetthi for the Thanksgiving meal!" Rio beamed as she showed him the pot she was carrying. As soon as she said that, Kaito took the pot from her hands and walked back in the kitchen. Rio blinked when the pot was taken from her hands.
"You didn't have to bring anything," Kaito stated as he set the pot on the stove.
Even though Rio knew that Kaito couldn't see her, she shook her head while smiling. "No. It would be improper for us not to bring anything after you guys kindly invited us for Thanksgiving! I HAD to bring something to show our appreciatation."
Now this time, even though Kaito knew that Rio couldn't see him, he smirked. "At least you have more manners than Ryouga." He turned on the stove.
This caused Rio to laugh. "Yeah. I apologize for his behavior..." Rio trailed off when she realized what Kaito was doing. "Wait! Isn't too early to heat up the spagetthi?"
Kaito shook his head. "No. We are about to serve in about twenty minutes. We just have to finish setting up the table and finish cooking the main dish."
Rio furrowed her eyebrows as she walked towards Kaito's direction. "You guys haven't cooked the main dish yet? Isn't it just a turkey?"
Kaito shook his head again as he walked over to the kitchen hanger and grabbed the apron. He put it on and walked back to Rio's side. Then he rolled up his sleeves. He opened a drawer and took out a huge cooking spoon. He grabbed another pot that was on the stove and brought it closer to him. He put the spoon in the pot, brought some of it out, and tasted it.
"No. Otou-san wanted Thanksgiving to be 'different' since you guys were coming over...Could you hand me the pepper shaker?"
Rio looked around the table and saw the pepper shaker. She reached for it and handed it to him. She saw as he shaked some pepper into the pot. He then stirred it for a few minutes. After a while, he brought it out and tasted it again.
"Do me a favor." Kaito's voice surprised Rio.
"Y-Yes?"
He stretched out the spoon to her. "Could you taste it to see if it's okay?"
Rio blinked, but tasted the food. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Hmm...I feel that it's missing something...Maybe some salt?"
Kaito pondered for a while. "Maybe. Could you hand me the salt?"
Rio nodded, reached for the salt, and handed it to him. He shook some salt into the food and stirred it for a few minutes. Then he took it out and tasted it. He stretched it out for Rio to taste.
"What do you think?" Kaito asked.
Rio tasted it and smiled. "It's perfect."
"Hey Rio! What's taking you so long-" Ryouga asked as he came in the kitchen...but stopped when he saw the scene. His little sister was next to Kaito while he was cooking...and she was tasting his food...To anyone else, they would have looked like a married couple...
Ryouga mercilessly glared at Kaito. "Get. Away. From. Her..." Ryouga said through gritted teeth.
Rio rolled her eyes. "Oh quit it ani! We are not doing anything wrong! He was just asking for help!"
"Kaito...asking for help?! Yeah, right! Like I'm going to believe that excuse!"
Rio sighed and turned to Kaito. "Are you-"
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Can you just tell my dad that the food is almost done?"
Rio nodded. "Sure." She walked over to Ryouga who was still glaring at Kaito. Rio grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out the door. "Come on Ryouga!"
"Ah! Rio-san!" Kotori exclaimed. "What took you so long?" Kotori paused for a moment, and then asked in a worried tone, "Did you get lost?"
Rio giggled. "No. Nothing like that. It's just that I bumped into Kaito in the kitchen, and he asked me to help him out!"
Ryouga tched. "Yeah right. That's just his excuse. He just wants to-"
"Oh shut up Ryouga!" Rio interrupted. She then ignored her ani and turned to Kotori. "Hey. Do you know where Kaito's father is?"
Kotori pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Yes. I remember him sitting on the couch talking with my mom, Akari-san, and Haru-san."
Rio smiled. "Arigato." She walked over to the living room. When she left, Kotori pondered thoughtfully.
"Hmm...I think we should start setting up the table..." Kotori turned to Ryouga. "Would you like to help us?"
Ryouga sighed. 'Well. Like Rio said. I should be greatful.' "I'll help."
In all honesty, Kotori was surprised at his answer, but then she smiled. I guess people really are greatful on Thanksgiving.
"Well let's go then." With that, Kotori and Ryouga walked to the dining room where the rest, minus Kaito, were waiting...
"Oi nee-san! We need some plates over here!" Yuma shouted to his sister who was in charge of setting the plates.
"You got it Yuma!" Akari jogged over to Yuma's sides and set up the missing plates.
"Yuma!" Kotori shouted and went by Yuma as she carried the utensils. "Don't forget the silverware!"
Yuma nodded wholeheartedly. "Of course not!"
"We got the napkins!" Haruto exclaimed as he and his dad came from another room carrying the napkins.
"And I have the flowers," Kotori's mom stated as she placed the flowers in the middle of the table.
"Now all we need is the food!" Haru exclaimed excitedly. Everyone nodded. Soon enough...
"Here it is!" Rio exclaimed as she, her brother, and Kaito came into the dining room, each carrying a pot. They evenly placed the pots apart on the table. When they were done, Kaito went into the living room. Meanwhile...
Yuma looked at the pots of food in greedy hunger. "Hmm...OW!" Haru smacked Yuma with her fan. "Haru-obaa-chan! That hurt!"
Haru shook her head. "We must wait my dear boy!"
Yuma looked at his grandmother in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"She's right Yuma-san! We must get the rest of the food!" Rio exclaimed. She walked to the door. "I'll be back!" She disappeared.
Haruto looked in Rio's direction in worry. "Will she be alright?"
Ryouga tched. "Of course she will. She IS my sister..."
Just then, Kaito came in the dining room holding a fat candlestick and a lighter. He placed that stuff next to the flowers Kotori's mom placed in the middle of the table. He looked around him.
"Is everyone here?" Kaito asked.
Kotori shook her head. "No. Rio-san went to get the remaining food-"
"What?!" Kaito exclaimed. Everyone stared at him in confusion.
Akari blinked. "Yeah. She went to get the rest. Why-" Akari did not get to finish asking Kaito because he bolted out of the room. Again, everyone stared in confusion.
"W...Why did he do that?" Yuma asked. But no one answered.
"Ughh..." Rio grunted as she carried the pot of the main dish to the dining room. "This...is...soooo heeeavy..." 'Man! This pot is sooo heavy! It's a miracle that I was able to carry it this far!' Oops. She thought too soon. As she was walking, she missed a step.
"Oh no!" Rio yelled as she was falling. She closed her eyes, but she did not feel any part of her body burned.
"You can open your eyes."
Rio opened her eyes and realized that Kaito was steadying her and the pot of food. She "phew"ed and smiled at Kaito...who was glaring at her. Her smile quickly turned into a frown of confusion.
"W-What?"
"Did you know that this pot was heavy?" Kaito asked accusingly.
Rio blinked. "At first I didn't..."
"But as you tried to grab it...?" Kaito pressed on.
Rio looked down and admitted what he wanted to hear. "It...became heavy..."
Kaito sighed and took the pot from her hands. "You know. You need to stop putting yourself in danger."
Rio smiled and grabbed the end of one of the pot's handle. "And you need to learn how to ask for help."
Kaito smirked and let go of the handle she grabbed. He now only took hold of the remaining handle. "You need to learn that skill too."
Rio smiled. And together, they walked to the dining room where everyone was waiting.
There they were. All of the people were sitting around the table...eyes closed...holding hands...
"Kami. I thank you for this wonderful meal and this wonderful family. You know how much I love my sons and how much I wish for their safety. Thank you for them. Amen."
"Kami. Even though he annoys me to no end, I thank you for my little brother and my grandma. They are my only family, and thank you for keeping them alive. Amen."
"Kami. Thank you for keeping my imouto alive, and thank you for giving me some friends I know I can count on. And thank you for giving me a purpose in life. Amen."
"Kami. I thank you for my wonderful daughter and the friends she has gained. She has been through a lot since her father passed away, so I thank you for providing her with friends. Amen."
"Kami-sama. Thank you for my nii-san and tou-san! If it weren't for my nii-san, I still would have been sick. If it weren't for tou-san, I would have been alone all the times when nii-san went somewhere. Amen."
"Kami-sama. Thank you for my wonderful and beautiful grandchildren. They both look exactly like their parents! They both are stubborn as well! But I love them. Amen."
"Kami-sama! Thank you for my friends, the food, my family, and dueling! Without dueling, I wouldn't have any passion! Without my friends, I would have not made it this far! If it weren't for my family, I wouldn't have had any support throughout my desicions! Arigato gozaimasu! Kattobing da ore~! Amen."
"Kami. I thank you for the friendship of Yuma and everyone else. I thank you for my mom and for the food you have brought upon us today. Thank you for keeping us safe. Amen."
"Kami. Thank you for my little brother's health and for my father. I want to also thank you for Tsukumo Yuma's friendship and dedication. If it weren't for him, I would not have changed. For that, I am deeply greatful. Amen."
"Kami-sama. Thank you for my ani, even though he can be annoying, and the wonderful friends we have made over the year! I thank you for the food we have received today and the moment we are all spending right now. Thank you for everything, Kami-sama! Amen."
"Amen," they all chorused. After moments of silence, they opened their eyes. One by one, they let go of each other's hand. Everyone was smiling.
"Is everyone ready?" Rio asked.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. We are."
Yuma smiled. "YOSH! Let's go everyone! One, two-"
"Itadakimasu!"
Wow! Was that long or...was that short? Either way, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you guys don't mind the religion incorporated into this. If you do, I apologize. Well. I guess that's it! Have a good night everyone and be thankful for what you have! ~Ja ne!