December 25, 2006
Disclaimer: I don't own YGO GX. Standard disclaimer stuff.
Title: Merry Christmas
Author: PurificationArrow
Rated: Kids
Genre: Romance
Summary: Christmas has come at last, and Duel Academy is in an uproar getting ready for it. Alexis sees a shooting star the night of Christmas Eve, and wishes upon it. Then, who else but Zane appears?
Notes: Here's a Christmas piece that I decided on doing in celebration! I would've done a Hannukah piece to match, but I don't know enough about it. Sorry people who celebrate Hannukah!
Bold - emphasis on words
Italics - Flashbacks or thoughts
Bold, underline, and parentheses - author's note in mid-chapter
Chapter 1: My Wish
Snowflakes frosted the Duel Academy grounds.
The air was crisp and clean with the scent of fresh snow.
The residents of the Academy were all walking around in thick coats and scarves. One girl in particular stood beside a large lighthouse tower, a gloved hand pressed against the base.
She stared up at the sky.
A breeze picked up and carried some of the powdery snow off the land and into the waves were it vanished almost instantly.
The sun sparked down on the Academy Island and the reflections glinted off the dripping ice at the top of the lighthouse. They hit the blonde girl's eyes, and she flinched. Her arm went up to sheild her grey eyes from the reflections.
Today was the day before Christmas.
Christmas Eve.
In the far off distance, she could hear her fellow classmates preparing. The Obelisk Blue dorms looked at though they were the home of Santa Claus himself. The Slifer Dorms actually looked pretty nice, and they sparkled with Christmas lights.
When Alexis gazed at it, she felt it really was worthwhile dueling all the time to protect it.
The familiar spray of the waves upon her skin made goosebumps rise.
She shivered, then turned. Time to go back to her room.
As she walked through the powdery snow, she shivered. It was thoughtful of Chancellor Crowler to have Miss Dorothy make the girls of Duel Academy insulated skirts and long-sleeve tops, but it really didn't help.
Still, it's the thought counts I suppose.
Alexis sighed and shrugged.
----
Alexis smiled at her friends as she handed them their presents.
Jaden got an extra pack of Duel Monsters cards as well a gift certificate to an all-you-can-eat buffet. His dream. Jaden had nearly fainted when he saw the card pack AND the certificate.
Chazz had gotten a hug. Chazz had fainted.
Bastion got a full out chemical equations manual. Something that Alexis didn't quite understand yet, but it was clear that Bastion did.
She'd gotten Atticus his favorite. Manga, a special Japanese comic book. It was titled "Naruto".
Hassleberry recieved a specialized pack of new dinosaur cards that she'd asked Chumley and Mr. Pegasus to make in advance.
Then there was Syrus. It had been a bit hard, but she'd given him a picture of Zane. One that was taken of all three of them years ago. Zane was in the center, giving Syrus an affectionate noogie. Alexis had just been on the side, laughing at the brothers.
Atticus had told her that their mom had fished it out from the attic.
Syrus nearly cried when she gave it to him.
But now all the exchanges were done, and everyone was asleep. Save for Alexis.
She remembered what Christmas had been like the first year. The threat of Shadow Riders had still been looming over them, and they'd just found Alexis unconscious by the lake. Zane had been with her as much of the time as he could after they released her from the hospital.
Despite the sub zero temperature, she felt herself get warm by just thinking of it.
Then, she was at the lighthouse.
It would probably be close to commiting suicide trying to stay outside and watch the stars. Thankfully, Fontaine had let her use the keys to the lighthouse every once in a while. She climbed up the stairs and sat in the chair overlooking the water.
Her grey eyes quietly surveyed the still sea.
Then, a flash caught her eye.
A twinkle in the far distance. Her eyes widened, "A shooting star!" She breathed. As if by instinct, she closed her eyes and made a silent wish. After a while, she opened her eyes, and the shooting star had faded.
A tear slid down her cheek.
She gasped in shock and surprise when it landed on her leg.
She touched her cheek gingerly, and stared at the wet liquid on her fingertips when she looked. "I'm crying..." She said.
Alexis had broken out of her dream-like state when she heart the humming of a helicopter. She ran to the see-through windows, and saw a helicopter landing. Then, who else to climb up out of it but the person she'd made the wish on.
Zane...
He was dressed in his black garb, and she ran down to the bottom of the stairs.
She tossed the door open, and panted and was still when Zane approached her. She expected to feel a sad twisting within her heart, but she didn't. Alexis didn't feel anything looking at Zane in his strange clothes.
Then her gaze went to his face.
The vicious look was gone. The frightening smirk had vanished as well. This wasn't, as the tabloids called him, Black Kaiser. It wasn't. It was... just Zane.
"Lexi..." He said.
Tears made their way into the grooves of her eyes. His voice... she wasn't kidding herself. It was good to honest Zane. She slowly approached, and touched his arms. Zane's hands held her arms as well.
"Zane?"
The Truesdale smiled, "Merry Christmas Alexis." He said.
She jumped, "Zane, is it really you?" She asked. Zane's eyes fell a bit, "In a way." He said. "I don't really remember what happened."
Alexis smiled, and without thinking took his hand. "Let's go inside for now then." She murmured. Zane followed with a nod.
---
The lighthouse was warm thanks to the fact that she actually knew how to work the heating and lights in the lighthouse.
She sat in a chair a short distance away from Zane as he explained how he had changed from Black Kaiser to just Zane.
"I remember, that I was chained up. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see or hear anything besides the dark side of me. Then all of a sudden, I saw something. It was a shooting star. Someone said, 'Please bring Zane back... the real one. I want to see him the way he's supposed to be. That's all I want... that's all I want.' All of a sudden... I was free. I was in control of my body again."
He opened his closed eyes, and stared at her with gratitude.
"I know it was your voice. Your wish Alexis." He said kindly.
Alexis blushed and looked away, "Wow..." Was all she could say. He got up and walked around to the back of her. Strangey enough, Alexis felt so completely comfortable with Zane there. As though it felt right.
There was a rustle of clothing, then something warm was laid upon her shoulders.
A black coat.
She smiled, and blushed when Zane laid a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her arms and held his hand with her right one, and rested her head on his arm. He was so warm, and he was there.
Many times before she'd had a dream that Zane was there with her, then he vanished.
This was real. And it seemed like magic.
"Alexis." Zane's quiet voice called. She heard the tone in his voice asking her to stand. So she did. Alexis faced him, when she did, warm arms closed around her. "Alexis, thank you so much."
Alexis' eyes widened.
A day she thought she'd never see.
Zane Truesdale was apologizing.
She was being embraced by the most powerful duelist in the Pro Leagues.
Then she got it. Zane had been afraid when he was locked away in that consciousness. She'd set him free.
She returned the embrace, and after a few moments, they backed away. Without realizing what she was doing, Alexis Rhodes lay he head down on Zane's strong chest. She heard his heartbeat grow slightly faster.
Alexis smiled.
Several minutes passed, then heard felt shuffling, and Zane's fingers held her chin.
Her head was tilted up, and she stared into gentle sea-foam blue eyes brimming with an emotion she'd never seen before: love.
Time seemed to freeze.
Zane's lips were coming down, and she was tilting her face upwards.
They kissed.
Soft lips were met with the same.
A kiss they'd waited a while to share. The both of them.
It was here on Christmas Day that it happened. A small sound caught both their ears, and they broke away. Their gaze was turned towards the ocean. A shooting star shot past in the sky, and they swore they heard the jingling of bells.
Alexis smiled, Zane smiled.
She rested her head on Zane's chest once more, and Zane closed his arms around Alexis and laid his head on top of hers.
"Merry Christmas."
----
So, I wanted to post this in memory of Zane and Alexis fans. It might be a bit choppy I know. It's placed after Zane became his evil side, I kinda changed the 'Kaiser' name a bit... um... and this is sort of before my other Zane x Alexis stories: Baby Come Back to Me and SMITN (Summer Break I think not). But she's had dreams of him being chained up, yadda yadda. That stuff. So I hope you liked my story! And Merry Christmas! Or Happy Hannukah! VERY random I know. XD But I hope it was somewhat liked since Zane and Alexis kissed. That stuff. Merry Christmas everyone!