[Update: 07/5/2016]
I'm so sorry for the long wait, everyone. I had finally finished Poké-Oh!. I've decided I'm going to rewrite this story and add more heart and details to make this YGO fairy tale more intriguing and real.
As I said before, this fanfiction will be quite different from the original Snow Queen written by old Hans Christian Anderson. The Snow Pharaoh will be roled as the anti-hero rather than the antagonist. He was a misunderstood man cursed with icy powers and has a frozen heart that needs to be thawed. Only a certain spiky-haired hero can save him. New twists and plot elements will be added.
I hope you enjoy this one
PEACE
In the very beginning of time, there was only space. There was no light, no air, and no day or night. Only darkness.
Horahkty, the Creator God of Light decided to create a world where it would be full of light, warmth, and beauty in every parts around the planet.
She also created a race of human beings and spirits of monster that live among them through the Spirit World.
Humans and monster spirits coexisted peacefully over the years. People would often duel each other with these monsters and play games with them, using them as either partners, pawns, or even guardians.
Earth was a beautiful and peaceful place to live.
Unfortunately, Horahkty's evil counterpart Zorc Necrophedes, the god of evil spirits and ruler of Hell (or the Shadow Realm as others would call it) was envious of Horahkty's divine powers and disgusted by the Earth's beauty.
He would attempt to ruin Horahkty's creations and bring ruination to both Heaven and Earth.
He decided to create a cursed magic mirror that only displays ugliness in the beholder's reflection, distorting the truth. He sent his disciple, Diabound to deliver the mirror to Heaven to expose Horahkty her "ugliness" in the false reflection so that when the Creator of Light was cringed in her shame, Zorc would have access to the Upper World and spread darkness and destruction all over the Universe.
But luckily, Horahkty saw through his plan and stopped Diabound as he was on his way to the gates of Heaven with the sword of her warm light.
Blinded, Diabound dropped the mirror and it fell down straight back to Earth.
The mirror shattered into tiny pieces and scattered across the globe by the icy fierce winds, willed by Zorc himself. These tiny splinters still contained evilness from the devil's dark magic that whoever gets affected by them in their eyes will see only hideousness, and their hearts will truly become frozen and cold on the inside and out...
[Present Day]
Wintertime in Japan. February was probably the coldest time in Japan, especially in the city of Domino. The entire sky was completely shrouded by puffy gray clouds. Tiny flakes of white snow descended over busy streets.
Traffic was moving slowly due to the crunchy ice on the streets. The sidewalks were being deiced by the water sprinkler system underground, making it safe for the pedestrians as they walk down the snowy city.
The people were bundled head to toe in heavy coats, scarves, mittens, boots, and snow hats. Several of them wore umbrellas to keep their bare hairs free from the flakes. Women dressed in white fur coats were window shopping, studying the latest winter fashion trend. The youth played around while the old owners of stores had to scrap ice off their windows and glass doors.
In Domino Park, several children ran and played in the snow. They made snowmen, snow angels, and had snowball fights. Some tried to catch snowflakes in their mouths while teenagers ice-skated in the frozen pond. What many people of Domino City were looking forward to is the annual Domino Snow Festival which will take place in two days. Winter may be most everyone's favorite, but what everyone don't know is that each snowflake contains a speck of magic...magic beyond Earth and from another dimension.
It was high noon and snow flurried over Domino High School. Packs of students cooped in the warm cafeteria, hanging out, chatting noisily, during lunch break. Several of them were excited about going to the Domino Snow Festival while others wanted to go outside and have snowball fights.
The two best friends Yugi Mutou and Téa Gardener sat at the long table, playing a new game that had recently came out.
"It's my turn," Tèa said. She shook a snow globe up and down, making two plastic diamonds bounce. "Six left and five top." She read. She gently tapped her tiny iceman figure, causing to move 6 squares on the left and hop five more north. It landed on a cube surface facing another with a red picture icon that shaped like a beast. "I landed in front of a beast cube. That means I get to summon another beast warrior." Her eskimo toy hammered his ice pick on the ice cube until it dropped to the floor underneath the ice path. "Oh look. I summoned Kitty Gladiator." She read from the card she drew out from the stack on her side. She added a orange kitten figurine dressed in a cute gladiator armor and on the ice path.
"No offense, Téa, but your little pussy cat won't stand a chance against my Celtic Guardian," Yugi said.
"Never judge a monster by its whiskers." Téa advised. "With Kitten Gladiator's special ability, it allows her to use her adorable charm on Celtic Guardian and lower his attack strength."
Yugi chuckled.
Just then, two figures, heavily bundled up stepped into the cafeteria. They were coated head to toe with snow grits, and their boots still had rings of gray ice around their soles of their boots. They tracked water on the floors as they walked toward the long table where Yugi and Téa are sitting, bringing several stares from the students.
"Havin' fun, guys?" A male Brooklyn voice addressed from a blond boy's scarf.
Yugi and Téa looked up and snickered at their appearances. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking," the blond boy responded. "But don't you say another word." He said it firmly and pointed his finger.
"Hey, Tristan, hey Joey." Yugi greeted. "Whatcha been up too?"
"Just finished shoveling snow in the school yard," Tristan Taylor blurted out, pulling off his snow crusty earmuffs. "I gotta say, this has gotta be the most coldest time of winter. I think my nose hairs are frozen."
"Sounds like Jack Frost is already nipping at your nose." Téa said.
"More like kicking our butts." Tristan said, unwrapping his scarf.
"You look like the Thing from the movie, The, um Thing." Yugi joked.
"Ha, ha, ha! Real funny, Yug." Joey Wheeler retorted and removed his wet scarf. "So whatcha been doing in dis cozy warm room?"
"Just playing this new board game called Ice Cube Monsters," Yugi answered.
"How do you play?" Tristan asked.
"It's really fun." Yugi explained. "You have roll the dice to move your iceman on each different paths of ice blocks. Our icemen can duel each other while trying to sculpt this ice mountain." He pointed to a mound of plastic white "snow in the middle of the ice grid. "Their health meters are usually up to 500."
"Depending on what type of block the iceman lands on, you can either sculpt a monster, play magic spells, or set up traps to knock out their monsters, boost up your monster, or deflect their attacks you carve the ice sculpture. You can even sculpt the most powerful high level monster when you collect enough star block your iceman collects."
"Ooh." Joey and Tristan look interested.
"Whoever finishes each other's iceman is the winner." Yugi finished.
"Nice." Tristan said.
"Think I could play?" Joey asked, seating himself on the table bench.
"I don't see why not." Yugi responded. "I have to warn you; this game can be quite addicting. Plus, I am the magician of Ice Cube Monsters." He held the Dark Magician pawn in his hand.
Just then, they heard obnoxious snickering interrupting their conversation. The four friends looked up to the source of those voices and saw that they belonged to three teenage boys sitting next to them in the same cafeteria table. One was large, bulky, and has shaggy black hair with tiny beady eyes and a double chin. The second purple-haired boy was short, scrawny, and had the face of a weasel. The third boy was average height, and had green hair, a lemon-shaped head with a obnoxious face and black eyes. They laughed so loudly that half of the cafeteria heard and shook their heads.
"Is something amusing goin' dere?" Joey addressed the chortling trio.
"Ha ha ha! Sorry, but you just said the most stupidest thing in the whole wide world!" The middle-sized boy said.
"'Scuse me?" Joey asked with pique.
"For your information, pointy head, I, Gian Tahoe, am the champion of Ice Cube Monsters!" The green-haired boy declared.
"It's true. Gian can crush anyone who was foolish enough to challenge him." The small boy remarked in a Southern accent.
"Duh, yep." The huge boy agreed. "Gian's the runner-up of Domino Snow Festival tournament three times in a row."
"Shut up, Tomoko!" The two bullies snapped and jabbed him in the round gut.
Tristan snorted. "Please, you couldn't hold a candle to Yug's monsters or his mastery."
"Ha! Ya dorks can't hold on ta anything, including your brains!" Joey added.
"Snap!" Tristan laughed and slapped hands with his best friends.
"Ha ha! That's true!" Tomoko laughed.
"SHUT UP!" Gian and the small boy shouted at their dumb friend.
"Come on, guys. Let's go." Téa said, getting up. "We don't have to waste our time with these losers."
She and the boys packed up and left the cafeteria table.
"Yeah, that's right! Go on and play with your little kiddie games!" Gian said in a cheeky voice. "
Joey growled in irritation. "Easy there, Joey." Tristan eased.
"My grandpa says that those who bullies others to make one feel better will only hurt themselves even more and make them lesser," Yugi advised. "So sticks and stones cannot break my bones, but I will not stoop to your level."
"Well, your grandpa is a loony toon! An old nutcase!" Gian retorted.
"He's kookier than a cuckoo clock!" The small boy said.
"Good one, Choji!" Tokomo chortled. "Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" He then did a impersonation of a cuckoo bird, eyes rolling around like he gone berserk.
Some of the students chuckled. Yugi froze in hhis tracks. "Oh no he didn't!" Tristan ejected.
"What?" Yugi spoke up.
"Where's your mommy and daddy, Yugi?" Choji the short boy asked in a taunting voice. "Or do you even have any?"
"Hey, mind ya own businesses, ya pea-brained Neanderthals!" Joey snapped, defending his best pal. "You're just jealous 'cause you don't have a great grandpa like Yugi's."
"That's right." Tristan added. "Yugi's grandfather raised him like his own son. Mr. Muto is also like our grandfather. Every summer, he gave us free passes to the Domino Water Park...after we do his chores that is. He would tell us jokes just to make us laugh, even though some of them aren't funny and we don't get the rest. But the point is that he's loads of fun and he's the best grandpa Yugi's ever had."
"Oh, we are so jealous!" Gian said sarcastically. "We totally yearned for an short fat boring old geezer who works in a lame game shop."
"Dat's it, it's go time!" Joey said, putting up his dukes.
"You wanna take this outside, blondie?" Tokomo boomed.
"Let's do it in here," Choji said.
"Bring it, shrimp!" Tristan glared down at the short teen.
Téa acted like a referee and and tried to break this up. "Remember last time, you were almost kicked out of school for fighting?"
Yugi stood between the disputing boys. "There's a better way to settle this." He turned to Gian. "Gian, I challenge you to a game of Ice Cube Monsters."
"Eh?" Gian looked down at the serious spiky-haired teen boy.
"Meet me in Burger World. One round at Ice Cube Monsters...that is, if you're not chicken." Yugi's purple eyes gleamed in challenge.
"Oooohhhh!" The students oohed.
"Chicken? Me?" Gian spat out.
"You can take him, Gian!" Choji said. "You're good at Ice Cube Monsters."
"Yeah, send him home crying to his grandpoppy!" Tokomo added.
Gian grinned smugly and chuckled. "Okay then, Little Yugi, I accepted your challenge! See at three, Mutou!" He and Choji traipsed out of the cafeteria.
"Better have a big appetite, Mutou 'cause you're gonna taste...um..." Tomoko tried to think of a good comeback. "Uh...of not winning!"
"Yeah, keep up with good comebacks, dude!" Tristan returned smartly.
Tokomo growled and clomped out of the cafeteria, following his friends.
The students went back to their business. Others were highly interested in going to Burger World to see Yugi battling against Gian in Ice Cube Monsters.
"You sure you wanna do this, Yugi?" Téa asked. "Those guys are hardly worth it."
"If you want, I can take care of those creeps for ya," Tristan offered. "That way you won't have to do it."
Yugi looked very confident. "I'll be just fine, Tristan," he said confidently and cracked his knuckles. "Nobody makes fun of my grandfather without paying the price." His large violet eyes flared with fire in his heart.
"Dat's my boy!" Joey grinned. "Just like I taught ya!"
To their unknowing, floating aside the falling flakes, a translucent brown furry little creatures with round eyes and four claws peaked through the school window glass and saw the whole thing. He squeaked excitedly and dissolved through the snow flakes, teleporting somewhere.
Somewhere in a different dimension, there was a frozen ruined kingdom made entirely out of ice. It shone in the twilight atmosphere like a crystal metropolis. It was once a beautiful and grand kingdom of ancient Egypt.
Yes, that's right. Ancient Egypt which was supposedly scorching hot was covered up in cold ice and snow. It was once ruled by a certain benevolent and wise king, that is until a great disaster occurred and the king fled from his kingdom after it was all covered with unmeltable ice.
At the tip of the glacial wasteland, there was large Egyptian pyramid made entirely out of ice. Inside it is always cold as the Arctic, the corridors are empty and quiet as the tombs.
The only company inside are the statues of Duel Monsters which are actually spirits. They emerged from the statues and roamed around for a bit.
One spirit monster who appeared to be a blond teenaged girl dressed in a purple and blue sorcerer outfit and pointy hat floated up and down giddily and twirled her magic staff.
"That was a nice nap," she said. "What do you want to do next?"
"How about another nap?" A blue stumpy dragon suggested.
"How about a round of wrestling?" A black-haired warrior carrying a large shield added in.
"Or maybe a friendly free-for-all?" A golden skeletal dragon named Curse of Dragon implied.
"Last time we did it, you and Winged Dragon nearly burned down the pyramid." A black, purple, and blue humanoid mage recalled. "Dark Magician had to quickly resolidify the ice blocks before they melt to the ground. It took us everything we had to rebuild the place and restore things to normal before the Snow Pharaoh could find out.
"It was an accident." The blue dragon named Winged Dragon said. "If Curse of Dragon hadn't gotten out of the way, it wouldn't have happened."
Curse of Dragon growled.
"It's just that it's so quiet in here," the blond girl said. "Hardly ever exciting things happen here."
"It's always too quiet here, Dark Magician Girl," Curse of Dragon pointed it out. "We rarely have guests. Not since the last warrior who traveled here and challenged the Snow Pharaoh to a game."
"Poor Alexander, he never had a chance," an elf swordsman called Celtic Guardian said.
Among with them was a humanoid creature wearing a creepy mask with long red mane, sharp clothes, and long dark robe. "That's because no one can stand up to the Snow Pharaoh." He spoke up in a cold raspy voice. "No mortal could."
"That is true, he's always unbeatable," Big Shield Gardna said. "He wins at every game. There is not one mortal whose skills are equal to the Snow Pharaoh's."
"Maybe, but I have faith that someone will stand up to the Snow Pharaoh and beat him at his own game at last." Dark Magician Girl speculated.
"In your dreams, girlie." Winged Dragon said.
Just then, the same little fuzzball appeared bouncing back in the corridors, approaching the spirit monsters.
"It's Kuriboh! He's back!" Big Shield Gardna said.
The brown fuzzball jumped up and down excitedly as if he couldn't wait to tell his friends what happened.
"Sounds like he's got something to tell us!" Dark Magician Girl said and picked the brown furry creature in her hands. "What is it, boy? What did you see?"
Kuriboh chittered rambunctiously.
"You did?" Dark Magician Girl understood.
"What? What did he say?" Big Shield Gardna asked.
Kuriboh chittered some more, ejecting more details in his own language.
The monsters expressed in awe at the news and rushed all the way upstairs to the apex where their ruler lives. They approached the throne doors, only to be guarded by a humanoid spellcaster dressed in dark blue, has a pointy hat, and carries a long magic staff. He looked like Dark Magician Girl's male counterpart, except his face is slate and has long light lavender hair.
"Yo, Dark Magician! We need to speak with the pharaoh!" The Magician of Black Chaos, the dark colored monster called out.
"The pharaoh is busy." The dark spell caster said. "He does not like to be disturbed."
"But we have some news to tell him," Dark Magician Girl said.
"Kuriboh said he has found another opponent." Celtic Guardian added.
"Really? You don't say?" The Dark Magician replied. "Another unfortunate victim for the pharaoh's collection
With caution, he opened the heavy doors with his magic staff and the monsters entered the throne room.
Inside was a young man in his early twenties who has bronze skin and a star-shaped hairstyle with three colors; red, black, and gold. He had pure white royal Egyptian clothing with gold bangles, jewelry, and a longblue cape that matched the colors of the Icy Pyramid.
Their ruler, the Snow Pharaoh was in deep concentration of trying put the pieces of some kind of broken mirror. "It's been nearly a millenia, and I've only got only half of the mirror fixed." He said in a deep tone voice. "At this rate, I may need someone smarter and a much expert to this..."
"Pardon the intrusion, Pharaoh," Dark Magician imposed.
The Snow Pharaoh paused his puzzle fitting and turned his head around. "Dark Magician, you were told to make sure I was not to be disturbed unless there is something deeply wrong or if there is another foolish opponent who dares challenge me," he said in a cold voice that could give anyone the shivers, literally. He also had cold ruby red arched eyes which shone like the ice. "Do you not see I am trying to get this puzzle done?"
"Forgive me, but Kuriboh informed he has found another strong opponent, Your Majesty." Dark Magician explained.
The Snow Pharaoh's glare lessened up and appeared interested. "Is that right? Then I must find out who my next victim is."
Using the power of his Millennium Pendant, he drew a curved line of ice on the floor from his hands, shaping into some kind of a large Egyptian eye carving beneath him and his monsters.
"Eye of Wdjat, show me the newest strongest opponent in the mortal world!" The Snow Pharaoh casted his snowy magic and the ice eye symbol he created activated at his command and glowed mystically light blue, displaying the mortal world.
There inside the eye's pupil, Yugi and his opponent were sitting at the table, playing a round of Ice Cube Monsters. From the looks of it, Yugi appeared to be winning.
"Go get him, Yug!" Joey encouraged.
"Whoa, you got the lead, Yugi!" Téa exclaimed as she passed by holding a tray of orders.
Téa worked there as a waitress to save up money for her trip to New York to study ballet when she graduates from high school. She watched her little friend roll the dice to move his iceman.
"North five steps, left six." He recorded. "Your move."
The Snow Pharaoh's arched eyes rose up. "This human child right here supposed to be my next opponent?" He frowned and folded his arms. "I'm not amused."
"Keep watching, Your Majesty." Dark Magician said.
"Dude, he's kicking your butt!" Tomoko said.
"Are you losing your touch, Gian?" Choji asked.
"S-shut up!" The losing green-haired teen snapped as he reached his card deck. "He ain't gonna defeat me!" Panicking inside, he fumbled with the cards in his hand and slipped off his palms. "Blast it!"
"He's toast!" Tristan said.
"I sculpted Timaeus the Knight of Destiny!" Yugi declared as he held a golden knight in his hand. "His level is at 10. One swipe from his golden sword and your monsters and the rest of your iceman's health meter are history!"
"NOOO!" Gian shouted in horror.
Yugi pushed his Timaeus pawn forward and all off Gian's monsters fell down by his sword. It then smote the opponent's health meter down to zero, declaring Yugi the winner.
"Game over, Gian!" The young champion of Ice Cube Monsters proclaimed and tipped his thumb down. "You lose."
The teens watching the competition cheered. "Way to go, Yugi!" Téa said.
"Yeah! That's my pal!" Joey grinned and gave his best friend a thumbs up.
"I knew he would win!" Tristan added.
Gian sat there stupefied, couldn't believe what just happened. He has just been overpowered by a pipsqueak with tricolored hair.
"Whoa, dude. You just got...eh, anil...anilat...you got whupped by a shrimpy little twerp!" Tomoko said.
"What happened, man? You said you're the best." Choji asked. "Did you suck all of a sudden? Or were you just bluffing all this time?"
Gian glared at them. "How would you like to wake up with your faces totally disfigured?" He snarled threateningly. Choji shut his mouth at once while Tomoko cocked his head confusion.
The monster spirits were amazed by what they just watched. "Wow, he's good! No, he's great!" Dark Magician Girl said.
"Uh, yeah!" Big Shield Gardna agreed.
"Hmm, I must say I'm very impressed with the boy's skills." The Snow Pharaoh said. "He does possess a lot of passion for this game."
Kuriboh squeaked as if saying "I told you!".
"Though he does not compare to my mastery of Ice Cube Monsters. Perhaps, I should learn more about this boy and find out who he is."
"You were great, Yug!" Joey congratulated. "Great job kicking that doofus' butt!"
"Thanks, guys!" Yugi said.
"You rock!" Tristan said. "Or should I say, 'iced'."
The friends expressed in reaction at his pun. "Tristan!"
They then looked outside the window. "Wow, look how hard snow is pouring." Tristan said.
"They kind of look like snow bees." Téa said.
"Yeah, but where's da queen?" Joey asked.
"Actually, they may not look it but they are living spirits living inside of these crystals," Yugi said. "Every swarm or colony has a leader, like the swarm has a queen and the spirits of Duel Monsters are ruled by the Snow Pharaoh.
"Who?" The three asked in unison.
"The Snow Pharaoh," Yugi repeated.
"What's a Snow Pharaoh?" Téa asked.
"He's the ruler of these snow flakes. He reigns a land of ice and snow. He can bring in blizzards, snowstorms, and even ice showers with a lift of a finger."
"Come on, Yug." Joey rolled his eyes.
"It's true. My grandfather used to tell me lots of stories about the Snow Pharaoh," Yugi explained. "He told me that every year, his Icy Pyramid arrives from the northern lights and stay on Earth until the end of winter. When it gets colder in February, the Snow Pharaoh would depart from his abode and wander around the world on his magical horse, searching for a worthy opponent to challenge him to a game."
"A worthy opponent?" Téa asked. "What do you mean 'challenge to a game'?"
"Like he can create snow out of magic, the Snow Pharaoh is also the master of every game he invents. He's the king ice and games. He's the reason the winter has come. He was the one who created Ice Cube Monsters a long time ago."
"Ancient warriors from around the world used travel to his Icy Pyramid and contested him to a one-chance of Ice Cube Monsters. When they all lost to him, he froze them all into ice statues. They were no match for the invincible Snow Pharaoh. And now he sits alone in his Icy Pyramid, waiting for another opponent to come challenge him."
Téa was fascinated by this tale, but the boys just scoffed as they didn't buy Yugi's fairy tale at all.
"That's sounds a little, how do I put this, far-fetched," Tristan commented. "Not to be disrespecting you, Yug, but I think your grandpa might be making it all up."
"There's no way dat a man can control snow or create snowflakes out of magic, let alone a pharaoh." Joey said. "Pharaohs don't exist anymore, remember?"
"You can believe what you want, but the Snow Pharaoh is real. Make no mistake." Yugi put in firmly. "He could be roaming around the Earth as we speak. He could even be in Domino City!"
"Oh, yeah, sure!" Joey said sarcastically.
"Well, I believe what Yugi's story." Téa interposed. "If the Snow Pharaoh exists, then he better beware, 'cause Yugi's the best gamer in town."
Yugi scratched his head and chuckled modestly. "Oh, I don't know about that."
"It's true, Yug. You are da best." Joey said.
"No one can beat you in Ice Cube Monsters," Tristan said. "Heck, no one can beat you in any game!"
Yugi chuckled modestly and scratched his head. "So it is."
The Snow Pharaoh growled quietly as he kept his cold glaring eyes at the pot water. "No one can defeat you in any game, he says. Is that what those fools believe?" He said in a cold baritone voice, caressing his Millennium Pendant. "We'll just have to see about that, won't we little one?" He eyed on the spiky haired child. "Though, I can't help but notice he does look like me."
The creatures besides him looked with particularity.
Later that afternoon, Yugi and his friends arrived at the Kame Game Shop which was also Yugi's house after school. "Grandpa! I'm home!" The spiky haired teen called as he astepped into the warm lobby. Behind him, Téa escorted a shivering Joey and Tristan who looked cold as death and let out huge loud sneezes that nearly blew away the card stacks and mini posters on the counter.
"H-h-how d-d-did I l-l-let you t-t-t-talk me into...t-t-this...s-s-s-stamina game!" Tristan gritted through his chattering teeth.
"Y-y-you-ACHOO! You're t-t-the one who-who-ACHOO! C-c-challenged me!" Joey chattered back. Another sneeze exploded from his mouth. A frozen booger hung from underneath his nostril like an icicle.
"It was both of your faults." Tèa put in firmly, hands on her hips. "What lunkheads would stand around in their underpants when it's freezing cold outside?"
"Hey, i-i-it's a m-m-man's s-s-sport!" Joey sputtered. "The R-R-Russians used to d-d-do it in the f-f-forties! ACHOO!"
"Did someone call for me?" An elderly man's voice followed. A short senior man wearing a bandanna over his gray hair and overalls approached from the doorway and stood behind the counter.
"Hey, Grandpa!" Yugi greeted.
"Hello, everyone." Mr. Solomon Mutou smiled.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Mutou," Téa added.
Joey and Tristan just stood stiff, stammering freezingly between sentences.
"Are you two alright, boys?" Solomon asked them in concern.
"ACHOO!" That was their response. Their white mucuses splatted on the floor and hung from their noses and mouths.
"Ew!" Tèa exclaimed.
"Goodness! It seems that you two got bit of pneumonia," Solomon said.
"Joey and Tristan challenged each other to some kind of endurance contest to see who can stand the cold the longest." Yugi explained.
"And then they had to take off all their clothes," Téa added. "And stood under five inches of snow in their undergarments for like thirty minutes."
"Really?" Solomon's gray eyes widened in amazement.
"I...w-w-won!" Joey declared. "I'm the s-s-strongest! ACHOO!"
"D-d-did not!" Tristan retaliated. "You dropped t-t-two seconds, b-b-before I...d-d-did!" He paused to cough. He moaned and held his burning head. "Oh my head! Why's the room spinning?"
Solomon shook his head and tsked at them. "Come with me, you two. I've got just the remedy for colds." He walked toward the backroom. Yugi and Tèa followed behind, escorting their frozen friends.
The children sat at the kitchen table with mugs of hot chocolate. Joey and Tristan were wrapped tightly around in fleece wool blankets, still shivering and looking pale. Solomon was in the kitchen preparing a pot full of bubbling reddish brown chili. He hummed cheerfully as he sliced up some peppers, plopped horseradishes in the substance and stirred.
"Can your grandpa really get rid of Joey and Tristan's bad colds?" Téa asked.
"My grandpa has a cure for everything," Yugi answered. "He can cure stomach bugs, fevers, small pox, you name it."
"You lucky to have a grandpa like him," Téa smiled.
"My grandpa raised me from the time when I was baby," Yugi said. "He's like a one-man father figure who made sure I had everything. Of course, he's the only family that I knew."
"And there's no other relative?" Téa asked.
Yugi shook his head. "Nope."
"You have no relatives at all. Just Grandpa?"
"Yep." Yugi sipped his chocolate.
"Hmm..." Téa stirred her chocolate.
"Can't ya hurry it, Mr. Mutou? I'm dyin' ova here!" Joey whined.
"You big ba-ba-baby! You spent half an hour against the ice flakes in your boxers and you're whining over a little cold?" Tristan snapped.
"You're lucky I can barely move!" Joey retorted. "Or else I woulda smack you upside the head!"
"I need some female friends," Téa mumbled.
"So what's for dinner, Grandpa?" Yugi asked. "What are we having?"
Solomon came back in the dinner room, carrying the hot pot. "You'll like this one. I call it my Flaming Wasabi Hot Cooldown Chili'." He said as he scooped a ladle of chili in each of the children's bowls. "One spoon of that and your whole body will feel like a hundred degrees."
Téa and Yugi took their spoons and blew on the steaming hot chili.
Joey and Tristan chomped a whole spoonfuls into their mouths and no two seconds later, the extreme spiciness hit their taste buds. As Grandpa foretold, their faces redden up like a Fahrenheit thermometer and their eyes filled up with seeping salty water. They howled in agony and breathed out fires from their burning tongues. Yugi and Téa gasped and gawked.
Joey and Tristan launched from their seats and rummaged around the kitchen in attempt to find something to put out the fires. Joey opened the window and dunked his head in the snow on the pane.
Tristan switched the sink faucet all the way around and gulped cold water as much as he could. They both sighed contently and slouched on the floor. Their faces were red and steam puffed out of their mouths and noses.
"Well, I did hint that my chili will leave you rather 'fervent'." Solomon chuckled.
"It worked. I feel like tha cold has suddenly left me," Joey said, tears still flowing from his eyes.
"Me too." Tristan sniffled and wiped his flaming nose.
"Of course it did." Solomon chuckled.
"Really good chili, Grandpa." Yugi complimented. "And good chocolate too."
"They really hits the spot, Mr. Mutou." Tèa added. "Thank you."
"Good." Solomon smiled in satisfaction and clapped his hands. "Now then, would anyone like to hear a story?"
"No offense, Mr. Mutou, but aren't we a little too old for stories?" Tristan asked.
"Right. And I supposed you're too old to be drinking hot chocolate or standing in your underwear for so long?" Solomon returned. Joey and Tristan looked at each other sheepishly.
"Grandpa's stories are really fascinating," Yugi added. "I think you'll like them."
"With a weather like this, this will definitely put you in the mood," Grandpa smiled. "Everybody into the living room."
The group got up from the table and made their way to the living room, bringing their leftovers with them. They gathered around on the sofa and easy chair while Grandpa stood in the center. "Now then, is everybody all comfy?"
"Yep!" Everyone agreed.
"Alright then," Solomon cleared his throat. "This is the tale told behind winter. It's the story of a man whose ability is to create ice and snow with his bare hands. This is the story of the Snow Pharaoh."
"Oh yeah, Yug's told us about dat." Joey said.
"We already know about the Snow Pharaoh," Tristan said. "He can control blizzards, lives in his Ice Pyramid, and freezes his opponents in his board games and stuff."
"Yes, but where exactly did the Snow Pharaoh come from? That is the story I'm about to tell you," Solomon said.
The children quieted down as Mr. Mutou began to tell the origin of the Snow Pharaoh.