Kimimaro's been studying too hard; he's starting to see things. Things like giant wolves, magical taxis and a man with a top hat and a cheshire-cat smile. Kimimaro-in-Wonderland AU.
"The King of the Golden Mountain"
It was two o'clock in the morning but it felt like four; Kimimaro had been studying for hours. The lines of handwritten notes blurred before his eyes but he still kept mumbling to himself, "Scorched Earth… 's an antitakeover tactic… Overheated Economy…something…"
He was feeling a little overheated himself. Pushing the sleeves of his jacket up over his elbows, he stood and walked over to the apartment's little kitchen for a glass of water. He'd probably be up another hour still—there was another page of terms to memorize and his mind had a way of playing tricks on him when it got this late. And then there were the strange dreams: the ones where he was surrounded by money, heaps of money, but for some reason all he ever bought with it was ramen because someone in the dream kept eating it before he could spend anything—
Kimimaro jolted awake, the scribbled notes coming back into focus before him. He really was studying too hard. Thank goodness that sound had woken him up—something like the bleat of a car horn, rare at this hour—or he would have spent the night at his desk and paid for it the next day. Stretching and muffling a yawn with his hand, he started putting away the notes when he heard it again. Yes, definitely a car horn. But the sound wasn't coming from the street, it was directly outside his front door.
He peeked through the pinhole at the door, and then looked once again after rubbing his eyes. There was a car in the hallway outside of his apartment. No, that wasn't right—it was a black taxicab, light set to vacant, doors open, right in the middle of the hallway. Kimimaro thought about just going back to bed and hoping it would all go away by itself, but if the horn had woken his neighbors like it woke him, he knew somehow this would end up being his entire fault. Life had it in for Kimimaro Yoga.
So he unlatched the door and stepped outside, grabbing his backpack out of habit as he left. Every taxicab had a driver, he just had to find this one's, and then send them on their way. It was a nice car, shiny and new, with the most peculiar design on the sides that he had never seen before.
"I'm late! I'm late." An old man with thick greying-white hair came around the corner, wearing a suit with a matching design on the chest. He looked up at Kimimaro, and then tugged his chauffer's cap more tightly down on his head. "We're late."
"Is this your car? I'm sorry, but you have to move it. Cars belong…on roads, not hallways," Kimimaro said, his initial anger fading to a tired sort of confusion upon seeing the older man. "Wait...how did this even get in here? It's bigger than all the doors."
"Please, sit down," he said, motioning graciously to the seat of the back of the taxi. "It's very important that we keep to the proper schedule, and we've fallen a bit behind."
"You want me to get in this car? No wa—"
There was a peculiar lurch in the ground that sent him sprawling forwards, tripping over his own feet, until he landed on his side across the back seat. Promptly, the doors to the taxicab all closed, the driver already at the wheel. It all happened in an instant; Kimimaro hadn't even seen him get into the car.
"Next stop—well, you'll see for yourself." He hit a button on the dashboard, switching the light from Vacant to Occupied, and hit the gas. The car lurched forward, heading straight for the apartment wall.
Kimimaro had just managed to get up when he felt the car start to move. The last thing he saw was the apartment's painted wall rushing up to meet them. He closed his eyes, instinctively bracing for impact, but the expected crash never came. When he finally blinked his eyes open, the car was rushing down a multicolored highway, the only vehicle on the road.
On instinct, he fumbled for the seatbelt, clicking it into place. Even if this was some crazy dream, he wasn't taking any chances. "Please take me back! Where are you taking me, anyway?"
Kimimaro could see the driver's eyes reflected in the rearview mirror. They were calm, expressionless. "This world is a place for deals, and there is someone here who would like to make a deal with you. It's a most important appointment, so best to not be late." The car sped even faster down the long highway. "This is called the Financial District. It encompasses verything you can see, and many things you can't."
Kimimaro nodded, looking first out one window, then the other. There was just so much to take in. The colors varied wherever he looked, from bright white to dark red, and there was one peculiar bit of white curving into existence right next to him, with ridged rows of what looked something like teeth—
The car slowed considerably as the owner of the teeth popped into sight, all at once. "Don't stop on my account, Itaneda-sama," he said, making himself comfortable in the middle of the taxicab. "I was enjoying listening to your explanation." He turned to Kimimaro, tipping the brim of his black top hat and bowing his head the best he could. "Welcome to the Financial District, Kimimaro-sama. Masakaki, at your service."
Kimimaro nodded, scooting closer to the window to make more room which was immediately filled by the coattails of Masakaki's jacket and cloak as he floated several inches above the seat. As the car moved across the road he swayed even closer. "I just had to meet you, the newest piece on the board, as they say. You're going to be very important—even a pawn can become a Queen, like those Starlings are trying to prove. But I can bypass the whole process…if that's what you want."
"What?"
"What is it that you want? Make a deal with me, and it's yours—for a price, of course," he said, his golden eyes staring unsettlingly at Kimimaro. "It's why we're all here. Everyone wants something, remember that. And if you ever want something from me, all you have to do is ask." He turned to Itaneda, calling, "Be sure to watch the road for any unexpected blocks, Itaneda-sama."
After a moment, Kimimaro asked, "What do you want? What would you make a deal for?"
Masakaki looked delighted at the question. His smile stretched even wider even as the coloring of his skin and clothes started to fade. "Perhaps a new top hat, or a pair of warm, pink socks," he said, before only his smile was left. A minute later that too had faded away.
They passed a few more minutes in silence; several small, white-and-red buildings were starting to appear on the horizon. "What did he mean by—watch out!" The taxicab skidded sideways, tires squealing. Kimimaro's backpack slid across the seat as the car came to a stop, Itaneda's hands firmly gripping the wheel.
Blocking their path was a huge, white wolf with a pointed horn on its head. Compared to the size of the wolf he hadn't even realized there were two others with it until one had opened his door to the cab.
"Georges, now!" she shouted, and thick white smoke started to appear around the road, covering everything in a dense blanket of fog.
"You're coming with us, Kimimaro Yoga." The woman unclipped his seatbelt and pulled him out of the car. He grabbed his backpack just in time. "You could say this is a hostile takeover."
She shut the door of the car, not before murmuring, "Good to see you, Itaneda."
"Always a pleasure, Jennifer."
The second person, an imp-like girl dressed in red, floated over to him, picking him up by the collar of his jacket and floating him up onto the back of the enormous wolf. Jennifer quickly joined them, leaping up right behind him. They quickly darted away, leaving the road behind for the fields and forests on the outskirts of the far-off city, still visible just on the edge of the horizon.
"Okay, time-out," Kimimaro said, feeling like he had to shout to be heard over the sound they made rushing through the trees. "First a man in a top hat invades my personal space, and then I get kidnapped from a magic taxi by a giant flying wolf. Somebody's got to start telling me what's going on."
"So you've met Masakaki," Jennifer said. "Did he try and make a deal with you? Even if you're a part of the Starling Guild, making deals never seems to work out well for you in the end."
"Are you a part of the Starling Guild?" He remembered Masakaki mentioning it briefly, earlier in the taxicab.
"No way!" It was the imp-girl who had spoken, floating cross-legged beside the wolf. The trees grew closer together here; they were starting to slow down. "We're rebels. That's why we kidnapped you, dummy."
"Mashu, be nice."
"But he's so…wimpy-looking! I was expecting Kimimaro to be more impressive, at least."
Kimimaro blinked, looking sideways at her. "I can be strong."
"I'll believe it when I see it," she said, closing her eyes as she flew through the forest.
Kimimaro frowned, turning back as Georges leapt over a fallen tree. "You all knew I was coming."
"There's a big marquee in the center of the city with everyone's names, with big black and red arrows. Ours came up yesterday. We're partners, like Jennifer and Georges are," Mashu said. "It's why we had to get to you first."
They landed on a grassy clearing in the woods that sloped down to a river. From Georges' back he could see their reflection in the water, strange and stark against the bright red sky. They sat in a circle on the ground, Mashu floating up every now and then to get more comfortable.
"There's going to be a big battle," Jennifer said, leaning back against the wolf like a pillow. "The leader of the Starling Guild, Mikuni, wants to become even stronger than Masakaki, supplanting him and taking over this place. Mikuni thinks he reneged on a deal that they made once."
"You can see, just off in the distance, that big mountain against the sky that looks round like a coin? It is Masakaki's home—his palace, so they say. Filled with everything he collects from our little trades."
"Did you make a deal with him? What did you get?" Kimimaro asked, stretching out his legs. Perhaps it was from the sunlight—wherever the sun hid in the red sky—but the grass had the most peculiar, strange shimmer to it.
"Burgers and fries…shut up, I was stupid and hungry. Anyways, the price for it all sent me here. It's the same for most of us, really—stuck here until our balance is paid, or like Mashu and some of the others in this forest, symbols of deals yet to be made and insurance that the dealmakers will still be around to see them through. It's a dangerous place, Kimimaro…a little protection is never a bad thing."
She stood up, smoothing the fabric of her dark-colored suit. "All this talk is making me hungry and all we have here is water."
Mashu floated up even further, stretching out in the sun like a cat. "I can give you fire."
"Okay, all we have is hot water," Jennifer said. "That still isn't enough to eat."
Kimimaro remembered his backpack, and started unzipping each pocket until he found just what he was looking for. "I may be able to fix that," he said, "no negotiation or deals required."
"This is great!"
They had turned a fallen tree into a makeshift table and were seated around it, Kimimaro taking the place of honor at the table's head. "I changed my mind about you—you're all right after all." Mashu raised her Styrofoam bowl of ramen towards him in a mock-toast before continuing to slurp up the noodles.
"I'm glad you like it so much." The single-serving bowls of instant ramen were supposed to be tomorrow's lunch and dinner, but it couldn't be helped—with all the adventure, he was hungry too. He had his work uniforms and several other school things packed away beside the noodle bowls. It was a lucky thing that he had brought it along.
He turned to Jennifer, who was half-finished with her bowl. "You got the shrimp flavor? How do you like it?"
"I tend to prefer sweet things myself," she said, staring wistfully into her bowl. "Twinkle, twinkle, little noodle, how I wish that you were strudel—"
"Ah, a party! What fun!" Masakaki materialized upside-down in the air over their table, grinning at each of them in turn. "Move down, make room! I love a good party," he said, spinning through the air to land in the empty space at Kimimaro's right. Georges looked disdainfully down at Masakaki for a moment before turning back to survey the rest of the clearing.
"Have you decided, Kimimaro? Are you going to make a deal with me?"
"I don't like being in someone else's debt," he replied, shaking his head. "Everything I could want I can earn."
Masakaki sighed. "Noble, but boring. Think of your wildest dream. Even something not normally possible. Take your parents, for example—"
"Don't listen to him." Jennifer had slammed her empty bowl down onto the wooden table. "That's how Soichiro Mikuni started this whole mess. Masakaki brought his sister back to consciousness, back to life—but not as a human. I can tell from your eyes that you aren't the type to wish for fame, or riches. This isn't the sort of deal you'd want to make either."
"I'm not." He turned to Masakaki, who was dramatically twirling his golden cane between gloved fingers. "Please don't ask me about deals any more. If I want to make one, I will come to you first." He didn't like being pestered like this all of the time. He would study every angle; learn every option before making his decision.
"Simple enough," he said, his eyes narrowing mournfully even as his mouth twisted further into a smile. "It's about time I got going, anyways."
He faded away after giving them all a rather complicated bow. Alone and out of ramen, Kimimaro got to his feet, glancing around the clearing in a similar way Georges had done before.
"What's got you so worried?" Mashu asked, slurping up her last noodle.
"Last time he slithered away right before you guys showed up. I think we might be getting some unwanted company."
They were on him before he even finished his sentence. Dozens of monsters—some not unlike Georges, huge and animal-like, some hissing panthers or bears with glittering fur. Others looked more like Mashu, vaguely human excepting long, colored horns and striking golden eyes.
One stepped out from the pack, eyeing their party disdainfully. He was an elegantly-dressed man wearing an Anubis-shaped mask which obscured most of his face. "You are all to come with us," he said, his voice and demeanor hard and unyielding like the edge of a knife. "My master wishes it."
Kimimaro stepped in front of Mashu, his eyes narrowing at the intruders. He had no doubt where they were going to be taken. The city with its white-and-red buildings. The home of the Starling Guild, and its leader, Soichiro Mikuni.
The city was much larger up close; the towers stretched up so tall that it was difficult to tell when the city skyline ended and the sky itself began. The windows glinted back at him like mirrors; he could see them all reflected in infinite copies, shimmering in the glass.
They were keeping a closer eye on Georges and Mashu but Kimimaro had stuck to them like glue, refusing to be parted from his friends. He shifted his backpack on his shoulders as they stepped into one of the tallest buildings. It was a cavernous space, with black walls and floors that made the room seem endless.
At the end of the hall stood a man in a plain black suit, dividing his attention between them and a young girl sitting on a chair beside him. Every now and then she would reach into a wineglass held in her other hand and remove a dollar bill from the glass, holding it up to her lips. Bite by bite, the bill disappeared. It was so strange, and Kimimaro found himself unable to look away.
"There aren't many left in this place who don't believe in my vision," Mikuni said, crossing his arms as he spoke. "Those are the sort of people I'm even more interested in."
"You want to take over this world, shaping it to your own interests," Jennifer said. "I think the world as it is has a way of taking care of itself just fine. We're not interested."
"I want to hear what Kimimaro has to say on the matter. For now, you all are my guests here—please, make yourselves at home. Kimimaro, if you would follow me." Ushering him away before any of them could protest, they were gone. The only sound in the corridor was the crunch as another bill was eaten, and then another.
Jennifer fidgeted for a moment, before turning to Mashu. "You heard him—we're guests. I'm going to go exploring. You coming?"
Mashu floated up into the air, the ruffles in her clothes rustling. "Let's go find Kimimaro and spy on them."
They wound their way through dark corridors; Kimimaro soon became lost. Every now and then, mirrors and mirror-frames dotted the hallway, and with the shine in the walls it became difficult for him to tell which was which.
Mikuni opened a door and they were outside. The garden was covered with plants and bushes, the roses and flowers each a glistening golden color. The leaves were tinged with gold, the veins of the leaves and stalks blending gold from green.
"I would have you all join me and my cause." Mikuni stopped beside one of the trees with golden leaves, ducking underneath a leaf into the shade of its branches. "If we can take over this place for ourselves, we can control what happens tomorrow. We control what happens today. Everything is possible for us."
"But at what price?" It was a lesson he had learned several times over. For one to rise, another would have to fall, and Mikuni was a foolish man if he didn't think his actions would have consequences he'd never planned for.
"Too great a price has already been paid," Mikuni said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "Do you know what happened to my younger sister? She was in a coma, with no hope of reawakening her. I would do anything to see her eyes open again, to hear her laugh. I made a deal with Masakaki—look at where it's gotten me now. I don't recognize her anymore."
Considering how much gold he placed in his surroundings, it startled Kimimaro how little of it Mikuni saved for his own appearance. Save for a small golden belt buckle, his suit was a dark black, like he had never stopped mourning for his sister.
"I won't have you all defy me again. The four of you are strong and stronger still together, and with you on my side I will be unstoppable. Be my friend or my enemy, the choice is yours."
Kimimaro frowned, looking around the garden for any possible exits. Surrounded on all sides by tall skyscraper walls, and unable to find his way back to the main hall, there was little chance of an escape. It was a clever tactic—separated, he was weaker than when they were together. But he wasn't weak, not at all. At the very least, he could stand up to this man.
"I think Jennifer and Mashu may be right—this isn't something I want to get involved with. I really just want to go back to my home—and I thought things were unpredictable back there," he said, stifling a small, timid smile. He understood now. "I didn't know how good I had it."
From the other side of the garden, Mashu floated out from behind a tiered fountain. "I think that's my cue," she said, a ball of fire roiling and smoking in the air above her palm. She aimed, sending it flying towards one of the larger rosebushes. He heard footsteps and soon several of Mikuni's allies were with him, but it was already too late. Within minutes much of the garden was burning.
"Run, Kimimaro!" Floating towards him, Mashu extended her hand. "Take my hand!"
He ran, sidestepping Mikuni as he attempted to block him. His fingers linked together with Mashu's, locking tightly as she started to fly. "You'll regret this, Kimimaro!" Mikuni shouted at them as they left the ground behind.
Mashu grunted as she guided them up and over one of the buildings. "You're so heavy!"
They weaved between the city streets, staggering in the air. "Shut up!"
There was an explosion behind them; dust and debris flew out from the Starling headquarters. They heard Georges' howl before they saw him, running with Jennifer clinging to his back. Mashu flew down to them, dropping Kimimaro down behind her.
Her hair had come out of its ponytail, whipping back and forth in the wind and tickling his nose and cheeks. "Where are we going?" he shouted.
"The mountain shaped like a coin," she shouted back. "It's where Mikuni's forces are going. We'll meet them there and give them a piece of our mind. That sounds good to you?"
He smiled as they left the center of the city behind, heading further and faster towards the mountain on the horizon. "Sounds perfect."
They made it to the base of the mountain when they started to see the wave of enemies rushing down to meet them. Mikuni was at the center of the fray, directing his allies out towards them. "Kakazuku, Q, take them down!" he shouted, throwing one arm out to his side.
Jennifer and Kimimaro ran quickly to the side and out of the fray. "Where is Masakaki?" he shouted over the noise. He looked around, but could not see him.
"Oh, he's watching for sure," Jennifer answered. "In fact, all this noise and confusion sounds exactly like the sort of thing he would cook up."
Kakazuku and Mashu were exchanging blows; crackling flames and sparks of electricity resounded throughout the field. Kimimaro thought that the sky looked especially red from this vantage point. Mikuni didn't have the look of a man trying to set things right anymore, Kimimaro thought, watching him scan the field, ready to jump into the fray. He was aiming for destruction—if he could not win, he would ensure that they still lost. It was pointless destruction.
"If he wins, will that set things right again?" They scrambled for a better cover, Kimimaro ducking as Georges flew down to defend them.
Jennifer sighed. "I doubt it. It's just bad business—even if Masakaki makes another deal with Mikuni, who's to say that the same thing doesn't just happen all over again? From his point of view, there are far better pawns on the board than him."
Then he remembered it, their conversation in the taxicab. Masakaki had invested in him. There was still a deal to be made. "Masakaki!" he shouted, stepping out into the open. "I want to make a deal with you."
He materialized in an instant, dancing through the battlefield until he landed before Kimimaro, tipping his hat as he swept them his finest bow. "I'm listening," he said, his eerie smile never fading. "What can I do for you?"
Kimimaro rustled through the pockets of his backpack, sifting through his folded work uniform until he grasped the items he needed. Two long, pink socks were clasped tightly around his fingers. "You've got it backwards," he said. "I have something for you. 'A pair of warm, pink, socks,' remember? Now you're in my debt."
Masakaki's eyebrows slanted mournfully downwards even as his smile remained; it still stretched widely across his face. "Well done, Kimimaro-sama. I am in your debt. And I was quite hopeful that our situations would be reversed. Now… what would you have me do?"
He thought for a moment, before deciding on just the right wish. "I want you to set things right for everyone here, and I want you to take me back home."
Masakaki tapped his chin with one gloved hand. "That's two things."
"I have two socks."
Masakaki laughed, appearing genuinely pleased. "Consider it done, then. Ah, these games end far too soon for my liking. I really do believe you could be a king, if you truly wanted it for yourself. And if you ever want to make another deal, you know just who to call."
Masakaki started to fade away, except this time, the rest of the mountain began to fade with him. The colors leached out until almost nothing was left, and before Kimimaro could get one last look at his friends, he had faded away too.
The first thing Kimimaro saw when he opened his eyes was his notes from school, the terms swimming back into focus before he bleary, tired eyes. He blinked several times and sat upright, stretching the aches out of his arms.
He had fallen asleep at his desk again. Any dreams already forgotten, he yawned and checked his watch—it was a good thing he had woken up then, there was still plenty of time to get to class. If he was early, he could cram in a few more minutes before their inevitable pop quiz.
As he got ready to go, the definitions seemed to flow through his mind clearly and easily. Whatever he had done yesterday, it seemed to have worked. He shrugged on his jacket, searching through the drawer for a clean pair of socks to wear. Curiously, they all seemed to have vanished overnight. The ramen he had packed for the next day's dinner was missing, too.
Slipping on sandals and taking the stairs from his apartment down two at a time, he was soon on his way to school. Kimimaro stopped at the next intersection, waiting and watching for the light to turn green. Cars streamed past, buses and sports cars and the most unusual black taxicab, its light blinking on from Vacant to Occupied as it drove away.
The End.
Author's Notes:
1. The King of the Golden Mountain is a Grimm Fairy Tale about a boy who gets out of a deal with the devil and later becomes a king; so, pretty self-explanatory.
2. Name spellings are primarily taken from the C Wiki. I know there's like twenty alternate spellings for Mashu and Georges, and I went with the ones I liked best.
3. I have a YGO/C Fusion AU in my one-shot anthology *shameless advertising* Arbitrage needed a story friend xD
4. Mad props to my beta, My Misguided Fairytale. You are amazing as always!
5. Thank you for reading and please review, I value and treasure each one.