The Dragon and the Prince
"...And when the mighty and brave warrior finally discovered the hideout of the rich, stuck-up prince, he charged in and blasted the snobby jerk right back to the minor leagues where he belonged!" Joey finished enthusiastically, punching his fist into his open palm.
"The 'minor leagues'?" Tea echoed, laughing at the absurd ending to his story. "Since when did the medieval times have a minor leagues?"
"Since Joey decided he couldn't beat Kaiba -excuse me-, the 'snobby prince' at Duel Monsters." Tristan commented dryly, reaching for the snack bowl. "He needed a new time period to kick his butt in."
"Well you've gotta admit, it was a sweet ending anyway." Joey said, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Then his look abruptly soured.
"And I could so beat Kaiba." He protested. "I'm just lettin' him bask in the glory for a while."
"Yeah, sure." Tristan mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn. Joey reached over and tipped the bowl into his lap with his toe.
"Hey!" Tristan gasped, horrified at the sight of spilled food. He scrambled to get the contents back into the bowl, mumbling something about a 'ten-second' rule.
"Well, I think we've heard from everyone." Yugi uncrossed his legs and leaned back on his hands to keep them from falling asleep. "What do you guys want to do now? Watch a movie?"
"Lets do a role-play!" Tea exclaimed excitedly. "We could even put together our own theater!"
"Oooh, good idea." They agreed, leaning in to pool their ideas, voices lowered to hushed whispers; their attitudes suddenly shifting to secretive and plotting.
****
A few minutes later they were scattered around the house, taking their positions for their game.
"O my daughter," cried Yugi in his best 'king' voice. "I fear greatly for the fate of this kingdom. For behold, the great dragon stirreth from his perch of fire on high."
He gestured to the mound of pillows that had been piled high next to the couch. Taking his cue, Tristan ruffled a few of the pillows and growled menacingly.
"Fear not, father." Tea soothed. "I am sure that the rumblings of the mountain do not foretell any danger."
She started toward the pile, exaggerating her movements, and Tristan tensed.
"See? There is no danger here!" She called, and Yugi's face blanched.
"No princess, do not stray too close!" But it was too late. Tristan exploded out of the pile, sending pillows flying everywhere.
"Rooaaargh!" He roared, lunging and tossing Tea over his shoulder with ease.
"You are coming with me, your majesty!" He laughed.
"Help! Help!" Tea cried, trying hard not to laugh from atop her perch as Tristan swung around and pointed a finger menacingly at Yugi.
"I want your entire fortune in exchange for your daughter's safe return. A treasure for a treasure!" he cackled.
"Oh no!" Yugi cried. "Not my daughter! Please great beast, spare her!" But Tristan only laughed again.
"Bring my gold to the base of my mountain before the dawn of the morrow. Should you fail, I will devour her!"
And with that, he turned away, speeding off to his 'lair'. He dumped Tea unceremoniously onto the couch and 'chained' her down with a can of silly string.
"Help!" Tea called once more, before the foamy stuff completely covered her and she could hold back her laughter no longer.
"Cut it out!" She spluttered. "I'm a princess, I'm not strong enough to break a solid chain!"
Tristan squirted her once more for good measure, and then sat himself down on the armrest with a dark scowl. He looked every bit the part of a dragon guarding its prize.
"What shall I do?" Yugi lamented. "My beloved daughter has been taken. Yea, the kingdom's royal bloodline is doomed!"
"Have no fear!" Joey called out in return, jumping out of the closet and brandishing a rolled up newspaper. "I shall rescue the princess from the maw of that devilish serpent."
He struck an impressive pose, which would have been even more impressive if not for the overturned soup pot he was using as a helmet. Yugi took one look at him, blinked, blinked again, and then doubled over laughing.
Joey gasped and rushed over to his side. "Verily, the king hath been stricken with grief at the disappearance of... aww shut up!" He cut himself off, glaring at Yugi. "It doesn't look that bad." Yet he was unable to bite back his own laugh at the sight of his friend giggling like that. Yugi just laughed harder, clutching at his sides and collapsing to the floor.
Joey quickly slipped back into character.
"Yea, I must rescue the fair maiden, or it will mean the death of the kingdom."
And he turned and charged at Tristan.
"Taste steel, foul worm!"
He thumped the Dragon over the head solidly, jerking him forward a bit. Tristan took the blow without complaint, and looked up with a gleam in his eyes that wiped the smile off Joey's face in a wink.
Suddenly, he whipped his hand around in front of his face and squeezed the trigger. Joey caught a face full of silly string, and he jerked back with a startled cry.
"Taste my breath foolish knight, and die!" He lunged, but Joey brought the newspaper around to poke him in the stomach, though he could hardly see. Tristan gave an overly loud gasp, clutching at the newspaper. He jerked it out of Joey's grasp as he went stumbling away, pretending that the 'sword' was firmly lodged in his gut. He sank to the floor slowly, dramatically.
"Oh just die already." Tea groaned.
"Blaaah…" Tristan sighed in response, collapsing to the floor with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and the biggest smile on his face.
Yugi walked over and clapped his hands, apparently recovered from his fit of amusement.
"Well done brave warrior, you shall be rewarded immensely for your endeavors. Name your desire, and if it be within my power I shall grant it."
"How 'bout some food?" Joey asked, suddenly himself again. Tristan jumped up eagerly.
"Yeah, kidnapping the princess is hard work!"
Yugi laughed just as a delicious smell wafted under their noses.
"I think the pizza is here!" He said, and they all made a mad scramble for the kitchen, stomachs rumbling eagerly.
****
They tore into the food with a vengeance, getting burned more than once, but they were too hungry to bother waiting for it to cool. Grandpa watched with wide eyes.
"If I had waited any longer to get these, you four would have been eating the furniture!" he exclaimed with an astonished shake of his head.
Everyone laughed, but only Tea had the presence of mind to cover her mouth. Joey and Tristan sprayed globs of sauce, flecks of cheese and chunks of meat all over their plates.
"You two are such pigs." She sighed, but smiled.
Yeah, Yugi agreed silently. They're pigs. But I wouldn't trade them for anyone else, no matter how well mannered they may be.
He watched them for a moment, his dearest of companions; a small smile spreading over his face.
Suddenly, a hand grasped his shoulder from behind, and a soft voice whispered.
"Yugi?"
He nearly choked on his food he was so startled. Everyone turned to look as he attempted to swallow without killing himself. He coughed a couple of times before Grandpa took pity on him and came over with a glass of water.
"Slow down child, you'll hurt yourself." He scolded gently. Yugi, after downing half the glass in one swallow, began breathing again and smiled a little.
"Sorry grandpa, I guess I got a little carried away. All this story telling really works up an appetite."
He had gotten the impression, from both the tone of voice and the secretive way Yami had contacted him, that it was not meant to be a public question. So he did not reveal him to the others just yet.
He casually rolled over and put his back to the counter. By all appearances it was to relax, but actually the movement allowed him to speak with Yami in private.
"I'm sorry." Yami apologized immediately. "I did not mean to scare you."
Yugi just waved his hand dismissively. Don't worry about it. It's not the first time you've snuck up on me, and I'm sure it won't be the last! He smiled, but his attempt at levity did not brighten Yami's unusually darkened expression.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. He could sense Yami's disquiet, and the feeling made Yugi a little anxious in return. Yami was never unsettled without good reason.
Yami opened his mouth, but no words came forth. He sighed and hung his head, his lips pulling up at the corners into a sad, half-smile.
"I want to ask you something, but I'm not sure how..." He admitted softly, thinking. "Hmmm..."
You can tell me anything Yami, you know that. Yugi tried to assure him. Yami nodded once, but still seemed indecisive.
"I know, but there is a certain way this must be put." He suddenly looked up and deep into Yugi's eyes, as though he was searching for something.
"I think I know how this needs to be done... but I'll wait. I need time to prepare, so I'll see you later, all right?" And with that, he disappeared, retreating to the Puzzle to plan whatever it was he was planning. Yugi just shrugged mentally before rejoining his friends.
****
Joey collapsed onto the couch with a satisfied huff.
"Thanks for the pizza gramps!" He called, crossing his arms contentedly across his stomach and closing his eyes.
"You're making me tired just watching you." Tea commented dryly, smothering a yawn.
"It is getting late." Yugi agreed. "The guest room is free if you guys want it."
"I've got my sleeping bag, thanks." Tristan replied, and Tea nodded.
"I'm set too, and I don't think Joey's going to be moving for a while." She grinned, motioning with her head toward the teen, who was already sprawled and snoring.
"Well, so long as he's comfortable I guess..." Yugi shrugged, tossing a blanket over him.
"The bathroom is just down the hall, give me a shout if you need anything."
"'Night." They both called back, spreading over the floor and wiggling into their bedrolls. Yugi waited till they were properly settled before he flicked off the light. Then he crept silently up the stairs.
****
"Yami?" He whispered tentatively into the darkness. He slipped hesitantly into the room, aware of how very dark it was, and realizing that this could be the perfect opportunity for a certain someone to decide to scare him out of his wits. But he need not have worried. Yami seemed to step out of the very air itself, but he did so in full view so he wouldn't startle Yugi again. The puzzled look was still on his face, but there was a determined undertone to his posture as well.
"Did you figure out what you wanted to ask me?" Yugi asked, walking over to his window and pulling the curtains open. The moonlight spilled onto him, throwing his elongated shadow across the room.
"I think so." Yami answered, turning his back to Yugi and looking out the window as the youth slipped into his night clothes. "Make yourself comfortable, this could take a while."
"Okay." Yugi shrugged and jumped into his bed lightly wriggling under the covers, settling in with an expectant look on his face.
Yami seemed unusually distracted. He sat at the foot of the bed with a faraway look in his eye; and after a moment he sighed heavily.
"Yami?" Yugi asked, concerned. It was so strange, normally Yugi could read Yami inside and out. Like when he was subconsciously glaring daggers at Kaiba, or wanting to hear more about modern day life and yet was too embarrassed to ask. But now, Yugi was finding it difficult to even find a hint of what was bothering him.
"Have you ever noticed that it's always the dragon?" he murmured, more to himself than to Yugi it seemed. "No matter how the story is retold, the dragon is always the villain. Is it because all dragons are inherently evil? Or is it because they have no choice?"
Now he turned to look at Yugi directly, his expression unreadable.
"Can I tell you a story?" he asked, adding softly. "Please?"
"Umm, sure?" Yugi answered, his confusion twisting the response into a question. He shook off the lame answer and leaned forward, resting a hand on Yami's knee.
"If it's that important to you, then go right ahead. Show me what's bothering you."
"Actually," Yami smiled a bit himself. "Showing you my point of view was exactly what I had in mind." he raised his hand slowly, his transparent flesh stopping at eye-level.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Yami asked once more, just to be sure. Yugi wiggled further into the pillows, decided he was comfortable, and nodded up at Yami with bright eyes.
Yami's hand started moving again, closer to Yugi's face, and a small tremble gripped his stomach momentarily.
But he chased it away as soon as it came; firming his jaw and looking Yami right in the eye. He trusted his partner.
As if he was reading Yugi's thoughts, Yami gave a small, reassuring smile. "Don't be afraid. This won't hurt, I promise."
And then, the Millennium Symbol grew to life on Yami's forehead, as his hand closed the gap to settle lightly on Yugi's brow. With a small jolt and a shiver, Yugi fell backwards into blackness.