This story was done in collaboration between me and Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and we both own the OCs that are used in the story. Credit to author AaronCottrell97 for a few ideas and character suggestions (especially the duel layout for the story). Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Song Lyrics for 'Silent Night' (c) Vincent Jr Montana
NOTE: This is the only story in the whole Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles to be rated E-10 plus, mainly 'cause this is a stand-alone title.
Christmas Story
Santa Claws is Coming!
It was a lovely winter evening on the Island of Sodor... However, it wasn't just an ordinary winter evening mind you; it was actually three days before Christmas. Because of that, there was gonna be a big Christmas play at the high school on the evening of Christmas Eve, and Mavis Drewry was going to be performing in it. Inside the Drewry Household, Mavis was alone inside her room studying the script she had for the upcoming play.
"The Nutcracker..." The blonde-haired girl thought to herself. "This will be my first time being in a play, with a dancing number to boot." She smiled to herself. "No matter, I know it's going to be lots of fun to perform in. Not only that, but I'll be singing a song at the very end, too."
Yup, the chosen play was gonna be The Nutcracker; it was famous and also one of Mavis's favorite plays.
(elsewhere...)
Inside the Knapford Post Office, a pair of delivery men were carrying a large box containing Booster Packs and Booster Boxes full of Duel Monsters cards (which were to be delivered to the card shop at the mall in the morning).
"Man, when Mr. Crawford wants the card shop and/or hobby shops fully stocked for Christmas, he sure doesn't kid around!" grunted one of the men.
"Well, Duel Monsters happens to be a very popular trading card game." The other man pointed out earnestly. "Heck, I'd like to get my son a starter set for Christmas if I weren't so busy."
"Ah well, there's always after Christmas... Speaking of which, this box here contains a specially made Deck consisting of new cards not to be released to the general public until after the holidays, and it's going to be delivered to the winner of a contest held earlier in the month."
Before long, the two delivery men carefully dropped the box containing the special 'Christmas'-themed Duel Monsters Deck into the back room, figuring they could just pick it up and deliver the set in the morning.
"Well, have a good night, Joe!" said the first man pleasantly.
"Same to you, Mark." replied the other man, shaking his friend's hand.
With that said, the two delivery men set off for home.
(elsewhere...)
Inside a Coffee Shop later that night, a man with short black hair and a thick black beard was seated at a table drinking a cup of coffee while reading a newspaper.
"Hmm..." The man mused, with one article from the newspaper catching his eye. "The new 'Christmas'-theme Archtype... The Deck created by Discord J. Crawford, and to be delivered to the winner of the 'Duel Monsters Holiday Sweepstake' on Christmas Eve, has been shipped to the Island of Sodor..."
The man stroked his beard with interest. What could this mean? Well, it's a mystery worth solving...later on.
(elsewhere...)
The next day, there was tons of activity going on in the park - the Winter Carnival, that is! Because of it, Thomas and his friends were visiting the place.
"Mmm! Cotton Candy!" rejoiced Molly, eating some of the fluffy, sticky candy.
"Delicious!" added Toby.
Meanwhile, Gordon and Henry were both inside and exploring the big snow maze.
"You sure this is the right way, Gordon?" asked Henry, looking around a different path. "Because I think we've passed through the part already."
"Of course, I'm sure!" insisted Gordon, walking down another path. "I know my way around a snow maze like the back of my hand!"
Unfortunately, all he and Henry ended up was lost in the middle of the maze. Meanwhile, Rosie was busy making snow angels with several kids in one part of the area.
"Oh, winter..." The cherry red-haired girl sighed heavenly. "I love the pretty snowfalls that happen right before Christmas..."
As she stood up and proudly stared at her work...
*SPLAT!*
...Rosie was hit by a snowball to the face. This was followed by the sounds of cheeky laughter from nearby.
"Oooh! Good hit, Percy!" praised the voice of James.
Fuming, Rosie looked over and saw James and Percy both laughing at their little joke.
"What was that for?!" she demanded, looking quite upset.
"Nothing, but the look on your face sure was priceless, Rosie!" snickered Percy.
Before Rosie could say anything back, she felt someone grabbing the bottom part of her coat and sweater, tugging them both back some, and then...
"EEEEEEEK!" Rosie shrieked, feeling a VERY cold chill rise from her spine. She then heard some familiar laughter coming from behind her. "S-S-STANLEY!"
It turned out Stanley had played a small joke on his girlfriend; pulling on her coat and sweater enough to allow the gray-haired boy to place her hand underneath Rosie's shirt and slap some snow onto her exposed (although still unseen) back.
"I just thought you'd need some 'cooling' off." Stanley joked innocently.
Rosie only shivered crossly at being messed around with like that, while Percy and James both continued to laugh at the humorous scene. Edward, meanwhile, was walking around the games area when...
"Edward!" called out a familiar female voice.
Edward turned and saw both Nia and Rebecca approaching, looking very happy to see the intelligent, blue-haired boy.
"Hello there." Edward greeted pleasantly. "You two enjoying the Winter Carnival?"
"We're having tons of fun!" smiled Rebecca. "Nia and I've just saw a ski-jump competition earlier."
"And even earlier than that, Rebecca here bought me this stuffed panda!" gushed Nia, who was holding a large, stuffed animal in her arms. She then gave her lesbian partner a kiss on the cheek. "I love it so much."
"Aww, shucks." giggled Rebecca bashfully. "You would have done the same for me."
Edward chuckled. "Well, I see that you both are having fun. And, as you can also see, so are we!"
"With Christmas coming in a few days, we're trying to get into the festival mood." Nia pointed out. "Especially with the big play also coming soon."
"Oh yes, The Nutcracker." acknowledged Edward. "I've read a bit on the book itself."
"It's pretty famous." put in Rebecca. "And, from what I hear, Mavis is going to be a dancer in this play."
"And she's going to be singing a song at the end, too."
"I bet Toby would love hearing her sing." put in Nia.
"No doubt all of us would." corrected Rebecca.
Yes, indeed.
(elsewhere...)
In another part of the carnival, Thomas and Emily were both inside a shelter enjoying some hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies from the bakery.
"Don't you just love Christmas time, Thomas?" asked Emily.
"Everybody does, Emily." replied Thomas. "But this year's Christmas is gonna be the best."
"I know - this year, my family is staying with your family for the holidays."
Thomas smiled. "Just like you guys did a couple of years ago."
The two teenagers were then about to lean in for a kiss when suddenly, a snowball came out of nowhere and nearly hit Thomas.
"Huh?!" gasped Emily.
"Hey!" exclaimed Thomas.
"Ooh, you almost got him, Bill!" chuckled the voice of a young boy.
"Not like your aim was any better, Ben!" retorted another voice belonging to a young boy.
Thomas and Emily both looked back to see Bill and Ben standing in the doorway with newly built snowballs laid by their feet.
"Bill and Ben..." Emily sighed unhappily.
"They sure love their practical jokes." added Thomas.
Bill and Ben both laughed, but were then reprimanded by a familiar voice (female)...
"What on Earth are you two up to this time?"
The twin boys turned and saw Mavis standing right behind them with both hands to her hips. Yup, their older step-sister did not look very pleased with her younger step-brothers form of mischief.
"Aww, come on, sis!" whined Ben. "We're just having some fun; harmless fun."
"Where's your Christmas spirit?" pouted Bill.
"I have Christmas spirit, thank you very much." Mavis pointed out firmly. "The only thing I really don't like, however, is you two bothering other people, especially my friends, with your annoying antics... Anyway, I brought you both here to get something to eat, mainly because you were begging me earlier on how much you were cold and hungry."
"We know that!" exclaimed Bill and Ben at once. "And we are!"
"But what do I see you two doing when I show up, hmm?"
"Besides, what if Santa Claus finds out that you've been naughty and decides to give you both coal for Christmas?" Thomas seemed to put in.
The twin boys cringed; they did not want coal for Christmas! After all, Bill and Ben were both people, not Steam Engines.
"We're so sorry!" The two mischievous young boys apologized in unison, before scampering away to find a seat to sit down at.
Thomas, Emily, and Mavis each shared a laugh as the latter walked over to speak to her two friends.
"Sorry about those two." The blonde-haired girl was saying. "I do try to keep them in line, but they do tend to test my patience from time-to-time."
"I'm sure they'll grow out of their habits as they get older." insisted Emily.
"Most children do." added Thomas. "I mean, we ourselves were 'young and foolish' once upon a time."
Mavis had to smile from that. "Too true." She sat down at the table with Thomas and Emily. "Anyway, I hope you both are coming to the Christmas Play at Sodor High School tomorrow night."
"Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." answered Emily.
"None of us would; especially since it's for Christmas Eve." added Thomas. "That's what friends are for."
Mavis smiled once more; she had the best friends she could ever ask for.
(elsewhere...)
Inside another shelter, Rosie was enjoying some hot cocoa with Stanley at one of the tables. For some reason, the cherry red-haired girl was smiling and being bright and cheerful, almost like she wasn't mad at her boyfriend anymore.
"Oh, that tastes so good." she sighed, feeling the warmth of the drink moving through her rather chilled body. "Nothing like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day like this." Rosie then giggled. "Especially since my loving boyfriend is paying for it."
"Ha ha ha... I guess it's to make up for my joke, earlier." chuckled Stanley.
Rosie giggled again and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. Just then, the nearby doors leading outside slammed open...
"Huh?"
From there, James and Percy, both shivering hard, rushed for the nearest fireplace to try and thaw out.
"What's with them?" questioned Rosie.
The voice of Molly giggled. "Snowball fight loss, that's what."
On cue, the black-haired girl walked in with a rather playful smile on her face, giggling innocently. Putting two and two together, Rosie started to laugh at what had possibly happened...
"Who did you team-up with to clobber those two in a snowball fight?" she cheekily asked.
Murdoch suddenly walked up, grinning. "I did."
"Hello, Murdoch." greeted Stanley. "It's been a while."
"It has been." agreed the orange-haired boy. "You see, Molly's an old friend of mine, and I thought I should help her out of a jam."
"Clever." laughed Rosie.
The doors soon opened up once more, revealing Gordon and Henry—and they were both shivering just as much as James and Percy both were.
"Never again-" hissed Henry. "-am I going into a maze with you!"
"Okay, so my keen sense of direction isn't as sharp as it used to be." admitted Gordon. "At least we're out of that place, now."
"Only after you started screaming for helping! It took Nia and Rebecca both tons of time to try and find us!"
The two older boys approached the nearest fireplace to try and warm themselves up. Yup, it was just your average winter day; before Christmas, that is.
(elsewhere...)
Somewhere in the carnival area, Edward continued to walk around the area when something caught his eye on a nearby lamp post.
"Huh? What's this?"
He looked at the poster. According to what the sign said:
-PRIZED 'CHRISTMAS'-THEMED DUEL MONSTERS DECK STOLEN
Please contact authorities if Thief is found.
Edward was surprised by the poster. "Huh? Stolen 'Christmas'-themed Deck? Who in the world would be so cruel as to steal something like that? Especially around Christmas time?"
Good question, Edward...
(elsewhere...)
Inside an old house...
"What a jackpot." laughed the same man from the Coffee Shop, looking through the new Deck. "Now, what should I do with it? Sell it, or test it? Hmm..."
So, that man had stolen the Deck to be given to the winner of the 'Duel Monsters Holiday Sweepstake'... How dare he try to ruin the Christmas mood for the lucky winner that Discord was trying to ensure that he/she was happy?!
(elsewhere...)
Later on inside another shack at the Winter Carnival, Edward had met up with his friends and informed them the bad news...
"Stolen?!" gasped Rosie. "Those cards were meant for someone else!"
"Who would steal those cards and why?" asked Molly.
"According to this flyer, the Deck was created by Discord to be given to the winner of a Duel Monsters Holiday Sweepstake on Christmas Eve." explained Edward. "Whoever had stolen it must have reasons for it."
"It has to be for money!" proclaimed Stanley. "I just know it!"
"Wait until I catch the guy responsible." growled James, clenching his fists. "I'll ring his neck!"
"And just who do you think is the Thief, Einstein?" questioned Gordon, folding his arms.
James became stumped, having no idea who might have done the deed.
"Well, the sooner we find the thief-" said Thomas, standing up from his table. "-the sooner we can get those cards back before it's too late."
"Christmas Eve is also the big play." reminded Mavis. "I have to prepare for it, so I won't be able to help you guys find the Thief... Sorry."
"No sweat, Mavis." reassured Percy. "We understand."
"Right." agreed Toby, patting his girlfriend on the shoulder.
"Then it's settled - the rest of us will search for the Thief first thing tomorrow morning." Emily confirmed the plans.
Everyone agreed to the plan.
(elsewhere...)
Later that night, Mavis, Bill, and Ben each had returned home from the Winter Carnival. To their surprise, their Mother was waiting for them.
"Hi, Mom." greeted Mavis. "What's going on?"
"Hiya, Mrs. Drewry!" exclaimed Bill excitedly. "Ben and I had lots of fun at the Winter Carnival!"
"Could we go again, next year?!" begged Ben. "Oh, please, please, please?"
"Okay, okay, settle down, you two." chuckled Mrs. Drewry, before pointing up the nearby stairs. "Could you both go upstairs and play in your room, please? I need to show your step-sister something."
Bill and Ben did as they were told. When they were alone, Mrs. Drewry then lead her daughter into the kitchen.
"So, what did you want to show me?" asked Mavis curiously. She then saw something on the table. "A present?"
Mrs. Drewry smiled. "Open it up." she requested.
Curiously, Mavis walked over and opened the present from her Mother. Upon finish opening it, the blonde-haired girl could not believe what the gift was.
"Oh, Mom..."
The present was revealed to be a very beautiful-looking ballerina costume, and it was just Mavis's size, too. Mavis was absolutely astonished by the gift.
"How do you like it?" Mrs. Drewry asked warmly. "Your Step-Father and I have been working on this costume for almost two weeks. You'll need it for the big Christmas play tomorrow night."
"Oh, I love it!" cried Mavis, hugging her Mother. "Thank you!"
Mother and daughter shared a warm, tearful hug for what lasted almost a full minute. Eventually, Mrs. Drewry let go of Mavis and took a step back.
"Speaking of the play, you'd better get on up stairs and resume studying the script."
Mavis nodded. "Sure thing... Thank you again for the costume."
With that said, the blonde-haired girl took her new gown upstairs into her room. Mrs. Drewry, meanwhile, watched with a proud look on her face as her daughter left to go upstairs to her room.
"If only your Father were here, Mavis, he would have been so proud of what you've become..." she thought to herself, allowing a few tears to fall.
So, is it possible that Mavis's Father...is dead? Well, whatever the case, he sure would be proud of his daughter.
(elsewhere...)
The next morning, the search for the thief began... Thomas and Emily were both on a bus going into downtown Knapford City. While riding on the bus, Emily decided to make a quick call to Rosie on her cellphone...
"Hello?" came Rosie's voice.
"Rosie, Thomas and I are heading downtown to search." reported Emily. "How about you, Stanley, Toby, and Percy?"
(elsewhere...)
Around the area at Brendam Docks, Rosie, Percy, Stanley, and Toby were all given permission by the harbor master to search for the Thief.
"We're here at Brendam Docks." The cherry red-haired girl answered. "So far, we're not having any sort of luck."
(elsewhere...)
Back inside the Knapford City Bus...
"Well, keep up the search." said Emily. "We can't give up, not when the new owner of that 'Christmas'-themed Deck is counting on us to find it."
"Right." agreed the voice of Rosie, who then hung up.
"So, where are Edward, Molly, Gordon, Henry, and James all searching?" asked Thomas.
"Last I heard from Molly-" explained Emily. "-they were checking around the mall stores just in case the Thief tried anything there."
(elsewhere...)
Inside the Knapford Mall, and at the card shop...
"Are you sure?" Edward asked, needing to be absolutely certain.
"Afraid so." said the Card Shop owner grimly. "I'd gotten my order today, but it didn't come with a 'Christmas'-themed Duel Monsters Deck."
"Well, this is just great..." groaned James.
"Now, hold on... I still might be able to help you kids in a way."
"Really, how?" asked Henry, growing hopeful.
"I recall that someone did come by a couple of times in the last two weeks." The shop owner explained. "He says that he wanted to buy the 'Christmas'-themed set, but I didn't have any on sale at the time, because the set wouldn't become avaliable for purchase until after the holidays."
"Go on..." nodded Gordon.
"Well, he asked me when it was to be expected in." The Card Shop owner went on. "I told him that one such Deck would, however, be delivered to the Island of Sodor to be given to the winner of the 'Duel Monsters Holiday Sweepstakes'."
"What did this guy look like?" asked Molly.
"He had short black hair-" answered the Card Shop owner. "-and a thick black beard."
"Nice description." grumbled James sarcastically, who then got an elbow to his side by Gordon in response. Quickly, the red-haired boy changed his words up a bit. "I-I mean...thanks for the info."
With that said, the five teenagers left the shop. They were now hopeful in their search for the thief.
"Alright, we have a lead." rejoiced Henry. "Let's give the others a call to let them know on who to look out for."
"Not much of one, but it's still better than nothing." muttered James.
(elsewhere...)
Somewhere in the streets of downtown Knapford...
"A man with black hair and a thick black beard..." mused Emily, speaking to Edward on her cellphone. "Got it! Thomas and I will keep our eyes peeled for the guy."
With that said, she hung up and looked to her boyfriend.
"We now know who we're looking for, but it still won't be easy to find him."
"We'll have to try luring him out somehow." suggested Thomas.
"Whatever idea you have to doing so, I'm all ears."
Thomas leaned in close and whispered the plan.
(elsewhere...)
In another part of downtown Knapford, the same black-haired man was walking out of his home, whistling rather cheerfully. It would seem he was on his way to some shop to trade his newly 'obtained' 'Christmas'-themed Duel Monsters Deck in for a whole bunch of money.
"This Deck is gonna make me rich!" The man chortled, looking at it. "However, it would be more fun to first test it out in a duel first." He stopped walking. "But who? Who should I test it out on?"
That's a good question...
(elsewhere...)
A few hours later, Thomas and Emily, after grabbing a quick bite to eat, were both still searching for the Thief. Unfortunately, Thomas's plan to draw the Thief out had backfired a couple of times and gotten them in brief trouble with some people...
"Any sign of the Thief yet?" asked Emily hopefully.
Thomas sighed dejectedly. "Nothing... What time is it, anyway?"
Emily looked at her watch. So far, it was readying 1:30 pm.
"1:30." The dark green-haired girl answered. "The Deck's delivery to the winner is at 4:30, and the play at the high school starts at 5:00."
"We're running low on time." frowned Thomas. "There just has to be a way to find the Thief before it's too late."
Before the two teenagers could move onward...
*SMASH!*
...someone bumped into Thomas by accident, knocking both people onto the ground. The person in question was a man with black hair and thick black beard, and his cards were spilt all around the ground.
"Hey! Try to watch where you're going, kid!" grumbled the man, trying to pick up his dropped cards. "I'm late for an appointment..."
Thomas immediately started to help pick up the scattered cards. While helping out, one of the cards the blue-haired boy picked up had caught his eyes...
"'Santa Claws'?" he murmured, looking at the card. Suddenly, the card was snatched from him. "Hey!"
"Thanks a ton, kid, but I have to get going." said the black-haired man gruffly, attempting to leave. "I have business to attend to."
He was just leaving when Thomas roughly grabbed him.
"H-Hey!"
"It was you!" Thomas exclaimed in anger. "You're the one who stole this Deck!"
"What are you talking about?!" demanded the black-haired man, trying to deny doing any sort of deed.
"Don't give me that kind of talk." hissed Thomas. "We were given a description of the Thief, and one of the cards in the stolen Deck was called 'Santa Claws'. That means you're the Thief! You were the one who stole this Deck from the post office when you heard about it!"
The man scowled. "A load of bull! Now, get out of my way!"
But alas, the two teenagers wouldn't move from their spots, especially since Emily was making a call on her phone. Fed up with the two kids not leaving him alone, the man decided to do something about it. What would he do? Well...
"So, you want this Deck from me?" The Thief questioned, holding it up. "Then I want one of you to win it from me! I've been wanting to test its strength out before selling it to someone."
"A duel? I accept your challenge!" accepted Thomas, readying the unactivated Duel Disk on his left arm. "If I win, you will give that Deck up!"
"Sure, suits me fine." agreed the black-haired man, being given a Duel Disk by Emily and putting it on. "If I win, you both beat it and pretend you've never seen me!"
With the conditions agreed to, the two duelists started shuffling their Decks. As Thomas shuffled, Emily approached her boyfriend to speak to him briefly...
"You can do it, Tommy." The dark green-haired girl whispered encouragingly.
"I 'know' I can." Thomas whispered back. "Don't worry, we'll make it in time for the play this evening."
After the shuffling was done, the two duelists inserted their respective Decks into their respective Duel Disks, activated them, and drew their opening hands.
"DUEL!" Thomas and the Thief (black-haired man) announced at once (LP: 4000).
And so, the Christmas duel commenced...
(elsewhere...)
Inside Sodor High School's auditorium, Lady Hatt was overseeing the upcoming play (The Nutcracker) to be performed later tonight...
"A fantastic job you're all doing." she complimented, speaking to the stage hands and students on the stage. "Tonight is the big night, so we must be prepared."
"Yes, ma'am." replied the students (including Mavis) in unison.
"Now, let's prepare for another rehersal."
As everyone resumed getting everything prepared, Lady Hatt watched on as her husband (Sir Topham Hatt) showed up.
"How's everything going, dear?" The stout gentleman asked eagerly.
"Right on schedule." smiled Lady Hatt.
Sir Topham Hatt was pleased. "I'm happy to hear that. Stephen and Bridget are both looking forward to coming to watch the show."
"Indeed, honey... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rehersal to direct."
"Well then, don't let me stop you." smiled Sir Topham Hatt, kissing his wife and leaving the auditorium.
(elsewhere...)
Back in another part of town...
"The first attack will go to me!" announced Thomas, drawing a card. "Draw!"
Turn One: Thomas Billinton (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Gift of the Martyr", "Magic Formula", "Star Light, Star Bright", "Breaker the Magical Warrior", "Dark Burning Attack", and "Dark Magician Girl"
His current hand consisted of 'Gift of the Martyr', 'Magic Formula', 'Star Light, Star Bright', 'Breaker the Magical Warrior', 'Dark Burning Attack', and the drawn 'Dark Magician Girl'.
"I'll begin with 'Breaker the Magical Warrior' in attack mode." Thomas went on, placing another card onto a Monster Field slot on his Duel Disk.
The familiar Spellcaster-Type monster that the blue-haired boy once used in the Duel Monsters spirit world appeared on the field and prepared himself for battle (Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1000).
"'Breaker'?" The Thief blinked.
"My monster, when Normal Summoned successfully, receives a Spell Counter, increasing his Attack Power by 300 points!"
A small sphere on 'Breaker the Magical Warrior's' sword began to glow, causing him to grow stronger (ATK: 1600 - 1900).
"I end my turn!" finished Thomas.
"About time!" huffed the Thief impatiently, drawing a card. "I draw!"
Turn Two: Thief (LP: 4000)
Deck: 34
Current Hand (6): ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, and ?
On cue, a Monster Card called 'Toy Knight'(!) materialized face-up on the field.
"I'll begin by Summoning 'Toy Knight' in attack position!"
Appearing onto the field was a knight made from toy blocks (Level: 4/ATK: 200/DEF: 1200).
"One of the new cards from the Deck..." whispered Emily to herself.
Back in the duel field...
"I think I should point out that this was a Special Summon." The Thief said smugly. "Since you control more monsters than I do, I can Special Summon 'Toy Knight' from my hand." He readied another card. "But that's the least of your problems."
On cue, another 'Toy Knight' appeared on the field (Level: 4/ATK: 200/DEF: 1200).
"When 'Toy Knight' is Normal or Special Summoned successfully, I can Special Summon another 'Toy Knight' from my hand. However..."
A third 'Toy Knight' appeared on the field (Level: 4/ATK: 200/DEF: 1200).
"I have a third one in my hand." The Thief grinned. "Now, I know what you're thinking - 'they're so weak!' - but I have my use for them..." He readied another card. "And now, my Christmas gift to you!"
To Thomas's shock, 'Breaker the Magical Warrior' faded away in a blue streak.
"H-Hey!" he cried. "What're you doing?!"
"Giving you a monster, that's what." laughed the Thief, holding out another card. "'Santa Claws', rise and appear on my opponent's side of the field!"
Appearing onto the field was a 'Christmas'-themed Fiend-Type monster wearing a Santa Claus outfit (Level: 6/ATK: 1200/DEF: 2500).
"'Santa Claws'..." frowned Thomas.
"And now-" The Thief went on, holding his right hand out. "-I use all three of my Level 4 'Toy Knights' to build the Overlay Network!"
All three 'Toy Knights' flew into the Overlay Network as commanded to...
"Time for Santa's Sleigh to appear... I Xyz Summon 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'(!) in attack mode!"
Appearing on the field, just as the Xyz Summon Sequence ceased, was a large sleigh like Santa Claus uses, but armed with weapons (Rank: 4/ATK: 1300/DEF: 2500).
"I activate 'Santa's Armored Sleigh's' Special Ability!" announced the Thief, pointing forth at the 'Santa Claws' on Thomas's side of the field. "Come to me, 'Santa Claws'... I equip you onto 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'!"
'Santa Claws' then dove into the armored sleigh-like monster.
"What's the meaning of this?!" demanded Thomas.
"It's quite simple; when 'Santa Claws' is equipped to 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'-" The Thief explained. "-the sleigh gains Attack Points based on 'Santa Claws's' Attack Power, with 'Santa Claws' being treated like an Equip Spell Card in my Spell/Trap zones!"
'Santa's Armored Sleigh' grew stronger (ATK: 1300 - 2500). However, the black-haired man still wasn't done...
"I activate a Field Spell Card!" he announced, slotting a card into his opened Field Spell zone. "'Santa's Workshop'(!)!"
The mentioned Field Spell Card materialized face-up on the field.
"Let's turn this place into the North Pole - with a different theme!"
The scenery around the Thief, Thomas, and Emily began to change into that of a workshop set in a snowy landscape.
"The North Pole?" pondered Emily.
"Here's how my Field Spell Card works..." began the Thief. "Once per turn, the turn player must Special Summon a 'Santa's Elf Token'(!) onto the opponent's field in attack position. If a 'Santa's Elf Token' Summoned by this effect is destroyed, then the controller of that Token loses 500 Life Points."
With that said, the effect of the 'Santa's Workshop' Field Spell Card activated as a small elf appeared on Thomas's side of the field (Level: 1/ATK: 500/DEF: 500). Not only that, but one of the Overlay Units floating around 'Santa's Armored Sleigh' faded away, leaving it with two remaining.
"Now then, I'll deattach an Overlay Unit to activate another effect of 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'! For every 'Santa's Elf Token' on the field, my mobile sleigh receives 500 extra Attack Points until the End Phase!"
'Santa's Armored Sleigh' grew stronger (ATK: 2500 - 3000). From there, the Battle Phase commenced...
"And now, 'Santa', spread some holiday cheer with your sleigh!" The Thief commanded aggressively.
Thomas and Emily both cringed hard as they watched as 'Santa's Armored Sleigh' aimed its weaponry at the defenseless 'Santa's Elf Token'.
"ATTACK!"
The sleigh fired off multiple blasts, destroying the 'Santa's Elf Token' and hitting Thomas with immense damage (LP: 1500).
"Because 'Santa's Elf Token' was destroyed-" continued the Thief. "-you receive 500 more points of damage!"
With another blast, Thomas took more damage (LP: 1000). From there, a facedown card materialized on the field.
"Finally, I'll set this card facedown and end my turn." The Thief finished. "With it now being my End Phase, 'Santa's Armored Sleigh's' Attack Power returns to being at 2500. Not only that, but because 'Santa Claws' was Special Summoned by its own effect, I draw one card from my Deck."
The armored sleigh's power decreased (ATK: 3000 - 2500). Not only that, but the black-haired man also drew a card from his Deck.
"That Deck is highly effective..." Thomas thought to himself. "It's brand new, but that guy already knows how to use it... Not to mention it also contains cards I've never seen before."
Without another word, the blue-haired boy drew another card, beginning his next turn.
Turn Three: Thomas Billinton (LP: 1000)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (6): "Gift of the Martyr", "Magic Formula", "Star Light, Star Bright", "Dark Burning Attack", "Dark Magician Girl", and "Pot of Greed"
His drawn card was the 'Pot of Greed' Spell Card. Was it just what he needed to begin mounting a counterattack? Well, let's find out...
"I activate the Spell Card 'Pot of Greed'." announced Thomas, holding his drawn card out. "With this, I can draw two cards."
He drew two cards, looked of 'em, and then took and placed one of them onto a Monster Field slot on his Duel Disk.
"As I've drawn 'Watapon' by the use of a Spell or Trap Card-" The blue-haired boy went on. "-I Special Summon it onto the field!"
The white, fuzzy-looking cottonball-like monster appeared onto the field, squeaking out 'Watapon!' (Level: 1/ATK: 200/DEF: 300).
"But he won't be around for much longer." said Thomas, just as 'Watapon' vanished in a blue streak. "Because now I sacrifice him to call forth one of my greatest allies of all - 'Dark Magician Girl'!"
From there, the female apprentice of the 'Dark Magician' appeared on the field, readying herself for battle (Level: 6/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1700).
"Hang on for a moment, 'Dark Magician Girl'..." mused the Thief. "I've seen her from somewhere before—wait, you're that Thomas Billinton kid!"
"Indeed, I am." confirmed Thomas. "And that girl over there is Emily Stirling."
"You're both famous on this island!"
"Now that you know the truth on who we are, are you gonna give up?" asked Emily firmly.
The Thief snorted. "Me? Surrender to you and him? No way!" he refused.
"Suit yourself." sighed Thomas, before pointing to the face-up 'Santa's Workshop' Spell Card. "I'll use the effect of your Spell Card to Special Summon a 'Santa's Elf Token' onto your side of the field!"
One 'Santa's Elf Token' appeared on the Thief's side of the field. From there, the 'Magic Formula' Equip Spell Card flipped face-up and revealed itself.
"Next I'll equip 'Dark Magician Girl' with 'Magic Formula'!" continued Thomas, with two fingers braced onto a Spell/Trap slot on his Duel Disk. "This will raise my Spellcaster-Type monster's Attack Power by 500 points!"
A large spellbook appeared in front of 'Dark Magician Girl'. As she read it, her power grew greater (ATK: 2000 - 2500).
"I will also activate this Spell Card!" continued Thomas, holding out another Spell Card. "'Dark Burning Attack'!"
'Dark Magician Girl's' wand began to crackle with energy. She raised it upward, lowered it until it was aimed at the Thief's side of the field, and, with a cry, released the attack, striking and destroying all of the enemy monsters.
"Your field has been cleaned out!" declared Thomas. "And since 'Santa's Elf Token' was destroyed, you receive 500 points of damage!"
The thief grunted as he took damage (LP: 3500). Even then, he wasn't gonna be licked just like that.
"Nice try, but that won't stop me!" The black-haired man insisted, just as his facedown card flipped up and revealed itself. "I activate a Trap - 'Armored Back'!"
From there, 'Santa's Armored Sleigh' reappeared on the field. Not only that 'Santa Claws' suddenly re-equipped himself to the monster, granting an Attack Bonus (ATK: 1300 - 2500).
"They're back again?" asked Thomas.
"'Armored Back' works like this... When a monster I control equipped with an Equip Spell Card is destroyed, I may Special Summon that monster from the Graveyard, and if I do so, I may equip it with the Equip Card that it was equipped with. It cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects this turn!"
Thomas cringed in response, and 'Dark Magician Girl' wasn't very happy with it, either.
"I...end my turn!" growled Thomas.
(elsewhere...)
At the Knapford Mall, Edward, James, Gordon, Henry, and Molly were all waiting for Percy and the others to arrive. Soon enough, the rest of the group arrived.
"What's the 9-1-1?" asked Percy almost immediately.
"We've just gotten a call from Emily." said James. "She and Thomas have encountered the Thief."
"And we now know where he is!" added Edward.
"In that case, let's get going!" demanded Stanley.
"We'll take my car." offered Toby.
"Along with mine." added Gordon. "Let's move it!"
With that said, the teenagers went and piled into both cars. From there, the rest of the gang set off to the rescue.
(elsewhere...)
Back within one area of downtown Knapford...
"It's my turn, now!" declared the Thief, drawing a card. "Draw!"
Turn Four: Thief (LP: 3500)
Deck: 32
Current Hand (2): ? and ?
"I will now give you a 'Santa's Elf Token'!"
Another Elf-like monster appeared on Thomas's side of the field. From there, a Monster Card called 'Rudolph the Dread-Nosed Reindeer'(!) materialized face-up on the Thief's side of the field.
"Next, I Summon 'Rudolph the Dread-Nosed Reindeer' in attack mode!" The black-haired man went on, with two fingers braced onto a Monster Field slot on his Duel Disk.
Appearing onto the field was a beastly-looking version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Level: 3/ATK: 900/DEF: 900).
"Next, since I control 'Santa's Armored Sleigh', I activate the effect of 'Rudolph'!" The thief went on. "It lets me turn it into an Overlay Unit for 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'!"
'Rudolph the Dread-Nosed Reindeer' was hitched up to the front of the sleigh.
"Now, I'll deattach my Overlay Unit to increase 'Santa's Armored Sleigh's' Attack Power by 500 points per 'Santa's Elf Token' on the field until the End Phase!"
The sleigh grew more powerful once more (ATK: 2500 - 3000).
"The next effect of 'Rudolph the Dread-Nosed Reindeer' activates!" The Thief went on still, adding a card from his Deck to his hand. "It lets me, in exchange for letting you draw a card, add another copy of the 'Reindeer' from the Deck into my hand."
Thomas silently drew a card.
"And now, this is where I make my game winning play! Alright, 'Santa', wipe out that 'Elf Token' and the rest of my opponent's Life Points!"
The armored sleigh powered up it's weapons and took aim at the weak 'Santa's Elf Token' on Thomas's side of the field.
"Say your prayers, kid!" The Thief laughed mockingly. "This Christmas, I'm gonna be making tons of money... Open fire!"
With the command given, the sleigh fired artillery-like blasts just as Thomas took and slid a card from his hand to the Graveyard. An explosion rocked the blue-haired boy's side of the field, which also destroyed 'Santa's Elf Token'.
"And that brings your Life Points down to zero!" The Thief smirked with triumph.
But when the smoke cleared, Thomas was still standing. Not only that, he was also behind a wall of 'Kuribohs'.
"My monster is gone, but my Life Points aren't." The blue-haired boy pointed out (LP: 1000).
"What?!" gasped the Thief. "Did you discard 'Kuriboh'?!"
Thomas and Emily both smirked right back, not saying a word in response.
"You may have lucked out that time-" growled the Thief. "-but next turn will be my victory. And since a 'Santa's Elf Token' was destroyed, you will receive 500 points of damage!"
Thomas felt his Life Points dropping once more (LP: 500). Just then, there was a loud gonging sound from the nearby block on the side of one skyscraper.
"That's the town clock!" cried Emily, looking up at the clock. "Oh no! We don't have much time left!"
"I have to win the duel, fast!" Thomas thought to himself, looking up at the clock.
"Unfortunately, I'm about to stop you from making a sudden move!" cut in the Thief, holding a Spell Card out. "'Xyz Frame' will prevent all of your non-Xyz Monsters from attacking during your coming turn!"
A large grid appeared to the field.
"You're unable to attack!"
Thomas scowled at this fact. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to give up; not when there was a Duel Monsters fan out there who was depending on him to win the duel and get the stolen Deck back in time for Christmas.
"I will win this duel!" declared Thomas boldly. "I'll get through your combo and defeat you!"
The Thief chuckled. "In that case, I end my turn!"
With his turn back on, Thomas performed the ever faithful Destiny Draw.
Turn Five: Thomas Billinton (LP: 500)
Deck: 49
Current Hand (4): "Gift of the Martyr", "Star Light, Star Bright", ?, and "Sage's Stone"
On cue, another 'Santa's Elf Token' appeared on the Thief's side of the field. Not only that, but the 'Sage's Stone' Spell Card also materialized face-up on the field, right beside 'Dark Magician Girl'.
"As I control 'Dark Magician Girl'-" Thomas explained, taking a card from his Deck and holding it out. "-I can activate the 'Sage's Stone' Spell Card. This allows me to Special Summon one copy of 'Dark Magician' from my Deck."
Appearing beside 'Dark Magician Girl' was her purple-haired, purple-robbed teacher (Level: 7/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2100). The sight only caused the black-haired man to laugh at the seemingly 'worthless' play.
"What a riot!" The Thief chortled. "That won't help you; because you can't declare an attack with any of them!"
"I'm not finished." retorted Thomas, readying another card and turning it over. "I'll now play this - 'Star Light, Star Bright'!"
"'Star Light, Star Bright'?" The Thief blinked. "What does that do?"
"This Spell Card makes my 'Dark Magician's' Level equal to that of one other monster on my side of the field until the End Phase." explained Thomas. "So now, 'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl' are both at Level 6."
'Dark Magician's' Star Level decreased by 1 (Level: 7 - 6).
"And now-" The blue-haired boy went on. "-it's time for a Christmas surprise of my own... I use both of my Level 6 monsters to build the Overlay Network!"
'Dark Magician' and 'Dark Magician Girl' both turned into energy and flew into the Overlay Network for an Xyz Summon Sequence. Not only that, Thomas also begun to speak a Summon Chant...
"The powers of the 'Dark Magician Girl' will evolve into a newer form with the help of her master's guidance, and its potential will unfold before the world!" From there, Thomas raised his right hand into the air as he let loose a hot-blooded scream. "Xyz SUMMON!"
From there, a new card materialized out of thin-air and in-between Thomas's fingers. Not only that, but the Summon Sequence was soon dying down.
"Appear, Rank 6 - 'Magi Magi Magician Gal'!"
Appearing onto the field was what looked like a more evolved, more realistic-looking, slightly older version of 'Dark Magician Girl'. Not only that, her modified outfit showed very little breast cleavage, and there even seemed to be a marking of a ankh near the middle of her chest (Rank: 6/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000).
"'Magi Magi Magician Gal'..." whispered Emily. "That's more like it!"
Back in the duel field...
"I activate the effect of 'Magi Magi Magician Gal'!" announced Thomas, allowing a card to fade away from his hand. "By removing an Overlay Unit from my monster and banishing a card from my hand, I can take control of one monster on your side of the field until the End Phase."
'Magi Magi Magician Gal' raised her wand up and pointed it towards 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'.
"Be mine - 'Santa's Armored Sleigh'!"
With a hit of magic, the sleigh went over to Thomas's side of the field.
"With 'Santa's Armored Sleigh' under my command-" Thomas went on, taking and holding his last card out. "-I activate 'Gift of the Martyr' to send it to the Graveyard and have my 'Magi Magi Magician Gal' gain Attack Points equal to 'Santa's Armored Sleigh's' original Attack Power until the End Phase!"
'Santa Claws' and his sleigh vanished while 'Magi Magi Magician Gal' grew stronger from the power boost (ATK: 2400 - 3700).
"N-No way!" The Thief panicked. "This isn't...possible!"
"I'm afraid it is." insisted Thomas, pointing forth dramatically. "'Magi Magi Magician Gal', attack!"
'Magi Magi Magician Gal' obeyed, firing a blast of black magic from her wand towards the only monster left on the black-haired man's side of the field.
"Just remember what happens when 'Santa's Elf Token' is destroyed... You receive 500 extra points of damage!"
'Santa's Elf Token' was struck by 'Magi Magi Magician Gal's' magical blast. At first nothing seemed to happen, but beams of light started spilling from the injured body of 'Santa's Elf Token' before it fizzling away into nothingness. The Thief, meanwhile, was beyond stunned that he had been defeated.
"T-This Deck...lost?" he mumbled (LP: 0).
DUEL RESULTS: Thomas Billinton wins!
As the holograms faded away, the sounds of sirens were heard and getting louder by the second.
"Right on schedule." Emily smiled to herself.
Three police cars drove into the area, followed by Toby and Gordon's cars. The black-haired man had nowhere to run to, and so he accepted his defeat. Ten minutes later, the Thief was loaded into a police car, and taken away to jail. Two police officers, meanwhile, were speaking to both Thomas and Emily.
"Great job, you two." praised one officer (male).
"A good deed on Christmas, too." added the other officer (female).
"We're all happy to help." insisted Emily, holding onto the 'Christmas'-themed Deck before handing it over. "But now, we need to make a delivery to this Deck's winner."
"Say no more." said the male officer kindly.
"We'll make the delivery to the person who won it." added the female police officer.
(elsewhere...)
Later on inside Sodor High School's auditorium, families and people who purchased tickets were gathering in the room in preperation to watch the play. Backstage, Lady Hatt was speaking to the performers (who were in costume and make-up) soon to go onto stage...
"Well, this is it." The wife of Sir Topham Hatt was saying. "The moment we've been waiting for."
The performers included the following:
-Daisy (main female)
-Paxton (main male)
-Mavis
-Den
-Dart
-Donald
-Douglas
-Luke
-Millie
-Arthur
-Marion
-Timothy
-Flora
"The last few days have been rather rough, but I'm very proud of all of you for working hard to get prepared for the show."
The performers all smiled (except for Mavis), which made Lady Hatt smile back.
"Mavis, what's the matter?" Daisy asked her good friend.
Mavis sighed, feeling worried. "I'm hoping that my friends will show up soon, because they promised to be here."
"What could be keeping them?" wondered Paxton.
"Maybe they got held up somewhere." suggested Timothy. "Traffic is pretty bad, this evening."
"Or maybe-" The voice of Thomas echoed. "-we were attempting to find a Thief who had stolen a Duel Monsters Deck meant for someone else?"
Everyone turned...and saw Thomas and the group standing near the backstage exit.
"You guys ARE here!" cried Mavis, looking very happy to see them.
Toby smiled. "We wouldn't miss your performance on stage, Mavis, you know that."
"But 'I'm' the star!" Daisy pointed out. "The girl who gets the Nutcracker doll!"
"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about that." chuckled Percy.
Finally, with the auditorium seats all filled up (one of the audience members was Billy—who turned out to have also won the 'Christmas'-themed Deck from Discord's contest, and was very happy to have gotten a hold of it in time), it was showtime... Lady Hatt soon appeared on stage to address the audience...
"Good evening, residents of Knapford!" she began. "How is everyone doing this fine Christmas Eve?"
The loud applause signaled everyone was doing just fine. Smiling, Lady Hatt resumed speaking...
"Well, this evening we all have a very special Christmas treat for you... A performance of the famous story - 'The Nutcracker'. When the play is done, our very own Mavis Drewry will be singing a Christmas song for all of you. And now, please enjoy the show..."
Walking off the stage, Lady Hatt was giving tons of clapping and applause as the lights in the auditorium went out, and the curtains opened up revealing a lovely-looking living room set... As soon as Daisy (in the role of Clara) walked into frame, the play commenced...
(later on...)
The play, which went on for three hours, was a great success. When the final lines were given, the audience broke into a loud applause, which slowly became a standing ovation. On the stage, the cast and crew lines up and took a bow for the audience.
"Thank you... Thank you." gushed Daisy, behaving in a similar way to an actress winning an important acting award.
Some of the students on stage rolled their eyes over the hot, blonde-haired girl's diva-like antics, but were still happy over her performance in the play. From there, Lady Hatt showed back up and addressed the audience once more...
"So, was that a great show or what?" asked Lady Hatt to the audience.
The audience applauded again.
"Wonderful! Well, before we close off the play, we still have one more performance to go through..." With the usual 'come here' gesture, Mavis walked towards Lady Hatt. "Mavis Drewry will now perform the song 'Silent Night' by Vincent Jr Montana."
Taking the microphone, Mavis slowly walked closer to the stage edge, while Lady Hatt walked over and sat down at the nearby piano. Once Sir Topham Hatt's wife started playing music on the piano, Mavis sighed to herself before beginning to sing the song...
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly
Sleep in heavenly peace
As the audience listened to the song, many people couldn't believe that Mavis had such a beautiful singing voice - they found themselves greatly enjoying the performance without any objections. With Thomas and Emily in the front row, the latter started to stand up from her seat as the first half of the song came to an end.
"Where are you going?" whispered Thomas.
"Shh..." hushed Emily, who then winked.
Back on the stage... Just as Mavis began to sing the next part of the song, she was suddenly met upon by...Emily?
"Emily?" The blonde-haired girl whispered to her friend, but was quieted down when Emily pressed a finger onto her lips.
Nearby, Lady Hatt did not stop playing the song on the piano, she merely smiled warmly and gave a nod to both girls. Emily and Mavis (once the latter realized what was going on) both smiled at each other before they looked back to the audience to sing the rest of the song together...
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Christ, Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, Christ, the Savior
Christ, Christ, the Savior is born
It would seem that Emily had decided to turn Mavis's solo into a duet. Thomas, listening to his girlfriend sing on stage, was just as surprised that the dark green-haired girl had a beautiful singing voice like Mavis possessed.
"Oh, wow..." The blue-haired boy murmured.
Finally, the song, as both girls stopped singing, slowly came to an end...
"Ladies and Gentlemen... This has been Mavis Drewry and her friend Emily Stirling!" announced Mavis, wrapping her arm around Emily. "Have a Merry Christmas!"
Emily merely waved to everyone without a word. This resulted in even more cheers from the crowd. The play was not only a success, but the singing performance of Mavis (plus Emily) was just as warmly received.
(elsewhere...)
Later on, there was a small Christmas play after-party in the lunchroom. Not only did some bits of the audience, cast, and crew stay for it, but Thomas and the others also decided to stick around for a bit longer before returning home to get some sleep and get ready for Christmas Day.
"Well, this has been quite the Christmas Eve, hasn't it?" asked Percy.
"I'll say." agreed James. "Lots of fun, though."
"You know what?" Mavis spoke up. "Maybe one day, Emily and I could form our own band!"
"For sure!" agreed Emily. "We could call it... 'The Island of Sodor Dream Girls'!"
"Ooh! Ooh! Molly and I both know how to sing!" chirped Rosie. "We'd join the band in a heartbeat! Isn't that right, Molly?"
"Well, I-I guess it would be fun." admitted Molly. "But we would need a fifth member."
As the group of friends chatted on, Thomas was suddenly pulled away by Emily.
"Emily?" The blue-haired boy blinked. "Where are you-?"
"Shh! It's a surprise." winked Emily. "Now, do me a favor and close your eyes, and don't try opening them until I say to do so."
So Thomas did as he was told, closing his eyes. A few seconds later, once the couple was someplace that was quiet and empty...
"You may open them, now."
The blue-haired boy did so, and found himself standing before Emily...with something familiar hanging over them.
"Emily, is... is that-?" Thomas began, looking surprised.
Emily smirked seductively. "Mistletoe."
Thomas blushed a bit at his girlfriend's 'little' Christmas surprise, but felt much better when Emily moved in and passionately kissed him on the lips, with it snowing out the window in the beautiful nightsky. Yup, this Christmas was not only eventful in form of stopping a Thief and getting a Duel Monsters Deck back for a very lucky winner, but it was also very exciting due to the play (The Nutcracker) and song that followed... This was easily the best Christmas to befall the Island of Sodor, no question about it.
(elsewhere...)
Outside Sodor High School, it continued to snow as the remains of Christmas Eve went on...
"Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!" echoed the voice of Thomas Billinton.
"And 'God Bless, Everybody'!" echoed the voice of Emily Stirling.
Over the Moon, the jingling of bells was heard along with the laughter of "Ho Ho Ho!"
The End
Merry Christmas, everyone!