Zypher: Well, time to start on a nice little story for the Christmas holidays and I decided to post it up early to save me from any troubles just in case I can't upload any stories aroung the time I would want to. As with all my stories, I hope you'll enjoy my newest story, Nocturne of Ice.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't care. I just write for the fun of it and to make people happy.

Summary: Yugi was out late one night on a snowy December evening when he saw something peculiar at Domino lake. A mysterious figure skating alone on the icy surface without a care in the world with the grace of any figure skater. But when he went to confront this person, a gust of wind blew and the figure was gone. He came back every night and saw the same person on the lake skating. Then he made it is goal to find out this secret, was it a ghost or not?

Nocturne of Ice

Chapter 1

In Domino City, it was a cold December night. A blanket of snow covered the ground and not one footstep showed in the pristine snow. Not until a young man walked through. Yugi was heading home on this blistering cold night, hands stuck in his coat pockets and a scarf wrapped around his mouth and nose to keep away the frigid cold. he was minding his own when he heard it. The sound of music floating by. And it was coming from the park. Usually he wouldn't worry about it but it was late and someone was still out here in this cold.

So with curiousity flowing in his veins, he started on his way to the park and the source of the music.

When he got there, he followed the music once more to the lake and peered out from behind a bush to see a person out on the frozen lake, skating silently to the music. But when Yugi looked around, he didn't see anything giving off the music. No radio. No portable one either. Not a thing playing the music.

'So how is this possible?' Yugi wondered as he continued to watch the other. After watching a while longer, he stood, ready to call out but soon, the music stopped and so did the figure on the ice. The person looked up to the partly cloudy sky, his form still shadowed to Yugi.

"Hello? Hello?" he called as he walked closer. Soon, a whistle like the wind was heard and a cold gust of wind started blowing harshly, causing the leafless branches to sway in the wind. Yugi covered his face from the gust as well and when it finally stopped, he looked out the lake and saw that the person was gone. "Who was he?" he whispered before he made his way home, his mind plagued with the thoughts of the mysterious man and how he disappeared.

The next day, Yugi met up with his friends at their favorite cafe and once they were all seated at the table, he told them what he witnessed last night. "Yugi? What were you doing out so late last night anyway?" Jou questioned. "Jou, that's not the point right now." Diamond spoke before looking to Yugi. "So, did you get a glimpse of this person while you was out?" she asked and he shook his head. "It was cloudy out last night so I couldn't really see him that well but there's something mysterious about him that makes me want to see if he's there again." Yugi said.

"Well, if you're determined about this, I don't mind. Just don't get yourself hurt out there." Jou said and Yugi thanked him before they gathered their things and left out of the cafe.

Like he promised, he was out once again and started on his way to the park to see if the mysterious person was there and like the night before, he heard music that sounded familiar to him coming from the lake. When he looked out there, he saw the person skating along the ice once more. He listened closely to the soft lyrics of the song as he watched.

Icicle icicle
Where are you going
I have a hiding place
When spring marches in
Will you keep watch for me
I hear them calling
Gonna lay down
Gonna lay down

Greeting the monster in our easter dresses
Father says bow your head like the good book says
Well I think the good book is missing some pages
Gonna lay down
Gonna lay down

And when my hand touches myself
I can finally rest my head
And when they say take of his body
I think I'll take from mine instead

He stood quietly, walking out with soft steps along the crunching snow as he went to sit quietly on the bench, still watching the other. 'But who could he be? A spirit? An apparition? A ghost?' he thought.

Getting off
Getting off
While they're all downstairs
Singing prayers
Sing away
He's in my pumpkin p.j.'s

Lay your book on my chest
Feel the word
Feel the word
Feel the word
The word feel it

I could have
I should have
I could have flown
You know I could have
I should have I didn't go

Icicle Icicle
Where are you going
I have a hiding place when spring marches in
Will you keep watch for me
I hear them calling
Gonna lay down
Gonna lay down

As the song ended, the figure on the ice stopped and Yugi sighed, wishing that he could watch more but knew that the person will leave soon so he stood, ready to leave the park when the moonlight broke through the clouds, causing the pristine snow to glow with a silvery light.

Yugi risked taking a glance back to look at the person and gasped when he saw the near similarities between him and the other. Shining cerise eyes focused on him and he lost his breath, still watching him. The figure on the ice smiled softly before whistling and again, the gust of wind blew, obscuring Yugi's vision with flakes of white before it died down and the last thing he heard was these words:

Meet me here again tomorrow night and I'll give you my name.

Yugi mulled over these words and then made his decision, heading back to the game shop, a happy smile on his face now that he was able to learn the facade of the mysterious being of the night.

"So, what happened last night?"

They were all gathered once more at the cafe and it was Ryou who asked the questioned. "He was there again and just before I could leave, the moon shined down on the park so I was able to get a glimpse of him and he almost looked like me." Yugi explained. "Really? That's sounds weird but of course, seeing some person out late at night, skating at the lake is weird enough. Did you get a name yet or did you not bother him?" Jou asked.

"I'm going back tonight. The last thing I heard before he left was that he was going to tell me his name if I come back." Yugi said and he nodded. "Well, I wish you luck and I hope you do figure out why he's always out in the middle of the night skating." Yugi nodded and after finishing his mug of hot chocolate and paid for it, he waved goodbye to his friends before leaving the cafe and headed down to the mall, wanting to get some shopping done for Christmas was soon approaching and he wanted to get the shop set up for the holidays.

He hummed a soft tune, the one he heard last night to be exact, as he walked through the hustle and bustle of the crowded mall. He stopped in a few stores, buying ornaments for the house and once his arm were full with bags, he started making his way through the crowd to reach the door. Of course, he cursed his height since he couldn't see over the bags so he hoped to not crash into anyone but his prayers weren't answered as he bumped into someone just mere inches away from the door and dropped his things.

He murmured a quick apology as he gathered his things, glad that none of the Christmas bulbs or lights weren't damage. The person he bumped into helped him as well and helped him up while holding some of his bags. "Someone as delicate as you shouldn't be burdened with so many bags." The person spoke and Yugi blushed lightly as he looked up to the person and realized it wasn't a person at all. But a dragon. Pitch black scales gleamed under the fluorescent lights of the mall and crimson eyes shine brightly, gazing down to him with a friendly glow.

"It's alright. Preparing for the holidays tends to mean carrying a lot of bags. Although I think I overdone it by getting a pile of bags twice my height and weight." Yugi said, chuckling softly and the other laughed as well. "Then why don't I offer my services and help you out so you won't have an accident like this while on the streets." he said and Yugi nodded gratefully. The other held the door open for him and Yugi thanked him as they left out and started making their way to the game shop.

Once they were there, Yugi led him inside and they placed the bags on the counter. "Thanks so much for the help. It probably would've took me twice as long to get everything back." Yugi said, looking up to him. "It was no problem. I'm happy to have helped out." he spoke and Yugi nodded as he turned his back to him.

"Well, if you like, you can stay for a cup of tea or some cocoa." he said but when he turned, he found the other was gone without a sound of the bell on the door rining to show his departure. 'He's gone. But how...?' he wondered as he stepped to where the dragon stood but them saw something shining on the floor and picked it up, revealing to be a silver envelope.

He examined it silently before opening it, finding a letter and a pendant with a charm in the shape of a snowflake inside. He looked to the charm curiously before opening the letter and reading it, only one sentence printed on it.

Let the music guide you to your heart's desire and your greatest gift shall be given to you in the light of the brightest star on Christmas Eve.

'What could this mean? Could he be the same as the person I'd seen in the park? A spirit or apparition that I could possibly be the only one to see?' he wondered before looking back to the pendant and decided to place it on before he started on the task of decorating the shop. Once he was done with decorating at least the shop, he went into the kitchen and fixed a cup of cocoa before relaxing on the couch, the radio which he turned on when he came past, playing soft Christmas carols.

'Now, all I need is to get a tree and get everything rearranged in the living room.' he thought then sighed. 'This will take a lot of work. Hopefully I can get Jou or Kaiser's help and get a tree soon before all the good ones are taken. With everyone rushing here and there for gifts, trees and decorations, I'll be lucky to get all the good stuff before it's sold out.' he thought once more, taking another sip of his cocoa and sinking more into the cushions, his mind now drifting off getting ready for Christmas and going to thinking of the mysterious skater which he is anticipating meeting tonight and learning of his name.

'And maybe I can figure out why he goes out so late at night just to skate and how he possibly disappears in the gust of a breeze.'

Zypher: And that's all for the first chapter. The song was Icicle by Tori Amos (don't own of course) and I'm always up for any suggestions for songs to use for this story. Hoped you all enjoyed and I'll get the next chapter up soon. See you later.