Hey there! MissBrains101 is back!
So sorry for the wait, everyone!
I was so busy writing other stories and preparing my first volumne of my original graphic novel.
I hope everyone had a good summer and having a good year so far.
Here's a brand-new chapter of this rewritten story to enjoy.
Again, I am so sorry for the delay.
Thank you for reading, following, and reviewing! :)
PEACE
The next morning, the blizzard caused by the Snow Pharaoh did a number on Domino City. By the time it was over, the entire city was coated under six thick layers of ice and snow. Buildings and windows were superimposed with frost. Cars were grounded, the city streets were emptied, and people were stuck inside their homes.
Although the weather was bad, it was lucky that the Domino Snow Festival has not been cancel.
Inside the Kame Game Shop, Yugi sat in the living room, watching the morning news while eating a bowl of steamed rice. "Wowzie! Where did all the snow come from?" The anchorwoman asked in the report. "This is has GOT to be the biggest and probably the most freakiest storm of all of Domino City!" She described the background behind her. "Frost all over the windows of homes, cars buried under mounds of snow, all air flights have been canceled due to the weather."
"However, the snowstorm has not canceled the Domino Snow Festival, so I assure you all participants that our favorite pastime holiday will carry out as planned. The sculptures are remained unharmed and the weather should be clear today. Expectations are met when confirmed that..."
As he kept his eyes on the screen, Yugi picked up a dab of rice with his chopsticks and guided them into his mouth. "Hmm...I wonder if Grandpa has already made it to his partner's house?" He thought as he chewed. He does not have even the faintest idea that his beloved grandfather has been captured by the mystical Snow Pharaoh and taken to his Icy Pyramid.
Suddenly, his cell phone vibrated. He picked it up and answered it. "Hello?"
"Heya, Yug. Did ja see all dat snow come down?" It was Joey's voice.
"Did I? A huge massive blizzard blew over Domino City!" Yugi replied. "I thought my house was going to be snowed in, literally!"
"Yeah, my apartment window's so glazed up with ice, my dad thought he was hallucinating!"
"It's a good thing they didn't cancel the Snow Festival," Yugi said. "I was looking forward to playing in the Ice Cube Monster tournament."
"Yeah, no kidding." Joey agreed. "Dis really no fun beating second-rate amateurs at school, especially against a certain big doofus with green hair."
"Gian? Heh, heh, heh! I wouldn't say that everyone is a amateur," Yugi said modestly, getting up and putting the rice bowl in the sink. "Most of them are just as good too." He turned on the facet.
"Yeah, but none of them can hold a candle to your mastery mad skills." Joey complimented.
"Aw, you're too kind." Yugi smiled as he washed the bowl clean. "I just hope that I'm ready."
"I'm sure you'll do great as usual." There was a loud thump coming from Joey's line. "Ugh, my dad just slumped from da easy chair and passed out onto da floor." He said in displeasure. "I gotta go. See ya in da Snow Festival."
"Later, Joey." Both hung up and Yugi placed the clean bowl in the sink.
Yugi picked up the house phone to call the house of his grandfather's business partner. He heard a busy signal. "All the lines are down." He said to himself. "Must have been some power outage."
He then heard a doorbell rang. He rushed to the the front of the shop and opened the door. Téa was standing in the doorway. "Hi, Yugi."
"Hey, Téa." He allowed his friend to come inside.
"Phew!" Téa huffed her mittened hands warm. "It's totally freezing outside. I can't believe they didn't cancel the Snow Festival after all that snow."
"Well, I guess that's why they called it a Snow Festival." Yugi said pointedly. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be without any snow. You want some hot cocoa?"
"Sure, why not? Please." Téa gladly accepted.
Yugi skipped into the kitchen to make two cups of hot chocolate. He grabbed a stool from under the sink to reach for the mugs in the second shelf of the cupboard. He was about to grab the ears from one of the mugs when he felt a cold breeze meeting him behind.
"Yugi..."
"Huh?" Yugi turned around and saw nothing there. The window was closed, so there couldn't have been a wind. Was he feeling things or is there someone trying to contact him?
"Did you say something, Téa?" Yugi called out from the kitchen.
"No, I didn't say anything," his female friend answered back.
"Hmm..." Yugi cocked his eyebrows and shrugged.
As he got to work on the chocolate, snowflakes piled up in the corners of his window. The magic inside them shone visibly as if by a sign.
A sign that a phenomenal event is drawing near...
"When's your grandfather gonna be here, Yugi?" Tristan asked later that afternoon at the Domino Snow Festival. "I thought he was going to be on time for the snow festival. He always enjoy the snow festival."
"I'm sure he is just talking to his business partner," Yugi said. "He's probably on his way right now as we speak."
"He better be, it's almost your turn." Tristan frowned in concern.
The Ice Cube Monsters Tournament was in session and Yugi was now in the semi-finals.
Nearby, Joey and Téa were looking at the giant sculpture. Each ice stature were carved into various Duel Monsters. There was Dark Magician, Berformet, the three Magnet Warriors, Dark Witch, and other monsters from the card game. "Check it out," Joey pointed to a medium large sculpture shaped like a young dragon. "There's Baby Dragon!" He pointed at another dragon sculpture that appeared longer and scarier than the Baby Dragon. "And there's Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
"Hey, there's one called Dark Witch and Gemini Elf!" Téa pointed to three female elf sculptures.
Joey chuckled as he gulped down a bag of doriyaki hot cakes.
"Hey, Yug, you're up." Tristan tapped his friend's shoulder in alert.
Yugi looked around for his grandfather before getting on to the table to challenge the next opponent.
As the two competitors faced each other in opposite seats with the ice cube board game all set, the judge allowed them to begin. "Round 8: Yugi vs. Theo! Ready, set, play!"
Joey and Téa arrived at the benches, just in time to see their best friend go at another competitor.
"Alright, looks like Yugi's still in da tournament and totally in da lead, as usual," Jory said, now gnawing a piece of fried chicken.
As he played on the game, Yugi kept looking at the audience, looking for his grandfather.
"Something's up with Yugi." Téa observed. "Yugi seems kind of distracted and less spirited."
"That's because Yugi's grandpa isn't here yet." Tristan informed them.
"That's weird. That's not like Mr. Mutou ta miss out on his grandson's tournament," Joey said, chewing on the bits of chicken in his teeth.
"I'm sure he's driving on his way here right now as we speak," Téa said.
Yugi was so distracted with his grandpa's absence, he nearly missed his chance to pulverize his opponent in the last phase. After a few rounds, Yugi defeated each and every opponent, eventually winning the Domino Ice Cube Monster Tournament. Nearby, a couple of police officers entered the tournament area, as if they were looking for someone. They eyed on a certain spiky-haired teen upon the stage.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, our winner and still champion of Ice Cube Monsters is Yugi Muto!" The judge announced proudly, presenting the trophy to the sullen young winner of the competition. "Please, give him a round applause!"
The crowd cheered and clapped. Téa, Joey, and Tristan also applauded for their friend, frowning at the fact that Mr. Mutou had not arrived to see his grandson win. Yugi held the trophy in his hands, though he didn't feel like celebrating. His grandpa was not here to cheer him on. He'd never missed any of his games, even on the busiest and hardest days his grandfather had at his game shop. What could have happened to him?
That when he got his answer when the policewoman walked up on stage and approached the short spiky-haired teen.
"Excuse me, is your name Yugi Muto?" A policewoman asked.
"Who wants to know?" The small boy asked.
The policewoman's face turned serious. "It's about your grandfather. There's been a car accident."
Yugi gasped speechlessly and morphed into great worry. "What?" The trophy slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor, but he did not care. The friends looked up the stage in concern.
"Yugi? Are you okay? What happened?" Téa asked.
"What's wrong, Yugi?" Tristan asked.
"Everything okay, pal?" Joey asked.
"What happened to my grandpa? Where is he?" Yugi frantically asked and griped the policewoman's arms. "Is he okay? Tell me!"
"We're not exactly sure. We're still investigating the scene." The policewoman answered.
"Take me to him!" Yugi insisted pleadingly. "I need to see my grandpa!"
Joey, Tristan, and Téa looked at each other in bewilderment, worried about their friend.
Not ten minutes later, the gang were gathered in the police car, on their way to the car accident scene in the countryside. Yugi sat in the front seat with a perturbed and silent expression on his face. Joey, Téa, and Tristan sat in the back, looking at each other, they too are anxious and scared their friend's grandfather. The police car finally arrived at a vehicular accident reconstruction, next to the bridge where Solomon's car ran over and laid in the creek water.
"Grandpa!" Yugi exited out of the police car and made a rush to the road.
"Son, get back!" A policeman chief held him back.
"Where's my Grandpa?" Yugi demanded as he tried to see through the crime scene.
Téa, Tristan, and Joey exited the back seat of the police car as well and joined their friend and tried to see through the police. "All you kids, stay back."
They peered at the area, where they noticed fresh black skid marks on the road.
"Where's Mr. Mutou's car?" Téa asked.
"What happened?" Tristan asked
"Mr. Mutou's skidded among the curves and somehow rolled off the road," a policeman explained. "We're still investigating the scene."
The kids looked downhill and saw Mr. Mutou's car lying in.
"There's the car!" Tristan pointed there.
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried out and broke through the policeman's hold and ran down hill.
"Wait! Come back!" A policeman hollered. Joey, Téa, and Tristan slid after their friend.
"Where's my grandpa?" Yugi frantically asked as he tried to look inside the upside down Buick in the creek. "GRANDPA!"
"Son, this is a traffic collision recronstruction scene," the policeman said. "You need to step away. It's dangerous."
"I want to see my grandpa!" Yugi insisted in a shout. "Let me see my grandpa!"
"Yugi, calm down!" Téa hollered.
A short-haired woman in a long brown jacket and long black pants walked toward the scared boy. "My name is Detective Shifu," she presented her official badge to him. "I'm assigned to investigate the car accident that involved your grandfather, Solomon Mutou."
"Do you know where my grandpa is?" Yugi inquired the newly assigned detective. "Is he hurt? Is he alive?!" He grilled with panic in his eyes.
Detective Shifu sighed sadly. "We couldn't find Mr. Mutou's body. We couldn't find any traces of him or his whereabouts after the car accident."
"No, he wouldn't just disappear like that!" Yugi shook his head in denial.
Another investigator came to him, presenting a familiar black "It was all we could find." He informed.
Yugi took his grandfather's bandanna from the investigator's hand and squeezed it preciously in his hands. He refused to believe that his grandfather is gone. "Grandpa..." He murmured.
"Poor Yugi." Téa softly said, eyes glistening, feeling her pain for her friend.
Joey and Tristan shared their grief for the disappearance of Yugi's beloved grandfather, for Solomon Muto was like a grandfather to them too. What could have happened to Yugi's grandfather? And where in the world he have gone?
Meanwhile, the aurora borealis streaming across the dimensional skies dropped off the Snow Pharaoh's white horse which trotted through the transcendent stars, carefully descending upon the white snowy lands. The Snow Pharaoh secured his sleeping prisoner on the saddle until they were at the Icy Pyramid where his loyal monsters were waiting for him outside.
When they saw him arrived, they gathered and swarmed all around him, greeting him of his return.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty!" Dark Magician Girl chimed.
"That was quick," Celtic Guardian said. "We were expecting that you'd be gone for a while."
"How was the trip? Did you find anything new?" Big Shield Gardna asked.
"Did you bring me anything from the other dimension?" Winged Dragon Guardian asked.
The monsters thronged around the Snow Pharaoh's horse as its master prepared to unsaddle from his ride.
Dark Magician swooped in front of his master to control the mobbing. "Back away! Give His Highness some space!" He swooshed his staff and pushed the monsters back with his magic aura.
The Snow Pharaoh dropped off from his horse, carrying the sleeping old man in his strong arms. The monsters swarmed and eyed at the human elderly in curiosity.
"It looks like he bought something alright," the Magician of Black Chaos said. He looked closer. "Actually, he bought a someone."
"Who is he?" Dark Magician Girl asked.
Solomon stirred up slightly in the Snow Pharaoh's arms and mumbled incoherently.
"Is this one your new challenger?" Winged Guardian asked.
"He looks kind of old, doesn't he?" Big Shield Gardna said.
"Quite the contrary, he will have a special role for my real opponent." The Snow Pharaoh replied with a sly tone.
The monsters cocked their heads with confusion. Their ice king walked toward back into the Icy Pyramid with his monsters followed him from behind. The Snow Pharaoh, cradling his new prisoner in his arms, walked leisurely up on the crystal stairs. He eyed at the sleeping Solomon with a dexterous smirk. "Yes, my sleeping old geezer. You will do just nicely...for my trap for my new opponent!" He chuckled deviously.
Back on Earth, Yugi sat in his school desk, looking all mighty depressed. Today was only half of day at school due to the snow outside. But Yugi did not care about that.
"Come on, Yug, cheer up!" Joey consoled him, rubbing the back of his friend's shoulder from behind. "It'll be alright. I'm sure yer grandpa will turn up sooner or later. The police will find him, I promise."
Yugi just sank his face beneath his arms in silence. Joey groaned.
"Poor Yugi," Téa whispered.
"I know he misses his grandpa, but he needs to pull himself together." Tristan said to her.
"Aw! Poor little Yugi!" A gruff mocking voice occurred.
Just then, the same snickering noises from before interposed.
"Huh?" Joey, Téa, and Tristan looked that direction.
The three bullies, Gian, Choji, and Tomoko approached Yugi's desk, wearing interested smugs. "Hey, Motou, you look like someone just died." The green-haired boy spoke up.
"Why the tall face?" Tomoko asked stupidly.
Choji poked the big large boy in the gut. "It's why the LONG face, doofus!"
Yugi didn't respond.
"Well, answer us, Mutou!" Gian demanded.
"Leave me alone, Gian." Yugi replied gloomily and turned around.
"What's the matter? Did you lose your favorite Ice Cube Monster?" Gian guessed.
"My grandpa is gone, okay?" Yugi replied with slight irritation in his tone.
"He died?" Choji asked, eyes widened.
"I don't know! He was kidnapped or something! I don't know, okay?" Yugi snapped disdainfully, eyes glistening.
"Oh..." The bullies looked at each other and smirked.
"Gosh, we're sorry. We didn't know how much you cared about your grandpappy!" Choji remarked.
Joey, Tristan, and Téa glared, not liking the bullies' behavior.
"Correction: His Grandpa ain't not missing, he's just hiding..." Choji razzed. "Hiding from you that is! Ha ha ha!"
Yugi gasped in turmoil at those words.
"Truth is he doesn't wanna be with his own grandson, that's why he's been missing for a year!" Gian sneered.
"Duh, yeah. He doesn't like his grandson 'cause..." Tomoko paused and thought emptily. "...cause he's a, stupid grandson! Yeah, ha ha ha!"
The bullying trio laughed heartlessly. The students in the classroom expressed disgust by their choice of verbal abuse. Yugi whimpered and held his head down, trying to shield his watery eyes. Téa ran to him and held on to him, trying to comfort him. She gave the bullies a cold glare in the process.
"Hey, you punkasses! SHADDUP!" Joey yelled at the bullies. "How dare ya poke fun of Yugi's tragedy?!"
"Oohhh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was bothering him!" Gian said sarcastically.
"You heard him! Leave our friend alone..." Tristan stepped in. "...Or else!" He presented his fist.
"Or else what?" Tomoko retorted.
"Why do you jerks have to be so insensitive?" Téa asked.
"Ooohhh, whatcha you gonna do about it?" Gian returned. "You're gonna tell Grandpa I'm picking on Yugi? Well, you can't! You see, Grandpa is gone! Ha ha ha!"
Joey and Tristan growled in great dislike.
"Look at that, the two psycho twins are standing up for their little friend. How inspiring!" Choji added.
"Hey, I got a suggestion for you; Why don't you three sew up your pink fat bubble lips together and keep quiet for like ever!" Tristan put in venomously. "Better yet, why don't you three go dig your own graves and then...drop dead!"
Gian scowled and put up his fists. "You wanna take this outside, Taylor?" He challenged.
"I'll knock your balls out in round one!" Tristan clamped his fists.
"We want a piece of you, too!" Tomoko joined in a soon-to-be classroom brawl.
"I'll take four pieces ta go!" Joey jumped in and grabbed Choji by the collar of his jacket.
"Put me down, you blond-haired buffoon!"
The two best friends and the bigger bullies were about to face off when they were canceled by their homeroom teacher.
"That will be quite enough of this rhubarb, gentlemen."
The boys ceased fighting at once and saw their homeroom teacher standing between them. "Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Taylor, unless you want to spend a day in detention..."
"Gian, Choji, and Tomoko were the ones who started it!" Téa pointed out.
"I am aware of that, Miss Gardener," the teacher replied. He then turned to the three hooligans. "You three; go stand in the hallway." He instructed sternly.
As the bully trio walked out of the classroom, Gian gave Joey and Tristan nasty hateful glares and the duo returned by giving them the finger and Akanbe.
"There will be no violence in my classroom. The next person who talks will be staying after school to wash the classroom floors." The teacher added to that firmly.
The classroom fell silent. "What bunch of A-holes!" Téa mouthed to her friends.
"Mmm-hmm!" Joey and Tristan nonverbally agreed.
Yugi didn't speak a word for the rest of the morning. After the early school bell rang and let everyone out, the small tricolored haired gamer walked forlornly down the city sidewalk with his head sagging below his shoulders. People walked by him and nonchalantly bumped without saying "excuse me", but Yugi did not care. He is all alone in this world. There is no one else to take care of him now.
Téa, Joey, and Tristan observed in deep concern. "Poor Yugi. He's in serious bad shape." The short-haired brunette said.
"I know he misses his grandpa, (I know I do too), but he needs to pull himself together," Tristan said.
"We just gotta cheer him up!" Joey suggested. "Hey, Yug!" He ran after his short best pal. "Yugi, wait up!"
Yugi arrived at the door of his shop, not answering his best friend.
"Hey, Yug! I hear dar dere is new video game that came out today," Joey started. "Whaddaya say we head to the arcade and give it a spin? I'll bet ya'll hit top score like ya did with the other games."
Yugi didn't say anything. He kept on a sullen face and leaned on the shop door.
"Hey, let's go out for pizza!" Tristan took a try. "After that, we can watch Téa's dance audition for The Nutcracker. If we're lucky, Téa can get us front row seats."
Yugi again did not said one word. His blond bangs shaded his sullen eyes.
Téa bit her lip and placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Yugi, please, I understand that you're sad about your grandpa, and believe me, we're all sad that he's gone." She said with forming tears in her eyes. "We all miss him terribly, Yugi. Mr. Mutou is like a grandpa to us too! But the only thing worse than having our beloved grandpa missing is seeing you so sad and depressed all the time!" She paused to sniffle and put on a light smile. "But if we keep our chins up together, things will look up and we'll all feel better."
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I really need to be alone," the short spiky-haired teen responded gloomily.
Téa, Joey, and Tristan sighed heavily in dismay, all out of ideas.
Just then, Detective Shifu approached the gang with some updates.
"Any news of my grandpa?" Yugi asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, Yugi, but there's still no sign of your grandfather." Detective Shifu shook her head. "I'm afraid we couldn't find any more clues of your grandfather's disappearance. I'm afraid will have to call it off."
Yugi sullened in despair.
"Wait a minute, how can you be givin' up just like dat?" Joey asked in exasperation. "You can't just let Yugi live all by himself! He needs his grandpa!"
"I'm sorry, young man, but we've done all we could." Detective Shifu answered calmly. "But without any evidence or witnesses, chances are we may never be able to solve the disappearance of Solomon Muto. In conclusion, I'm afraid that we'll have to presume the missing victim dead."
"Maybe you're not trying hard enough?" Tristan faced the missing person detective with a forceful look on his face. "Come on, you're an investigator, aren't you for crying out loud? Investigate something!"
"Excuse me, Detective?" Téa addressed the detective. "But what is going to happen to Yugi? What will happen to his home?"
Detective Shifa sighed solemnly. "Well, Miss Gardener, if the store owner isn't found, then we'll have to close down the Kame Game Shop."
"But that's Yugi's home!" Tristan protested. "Where is he going to live?"
"Well, since there's no other kin who could take care of him and Yugi is still a minor, he will have to be resided in a homeless shelter."
"A homeless shelter?" The teens repeated in unison.
Yugi expressed in trepidation at the thought of living in small, cramped quarters with a couple of smelly homeless old men, ragged strangers, and pickpockets who may be armed with knives to "demand" him the last of his money or possessions.
"Oh no!" Téa cupped her mouth. "Not that!"
"But Yugi can't be with the homeless!" Joey said. "They'll eat him up alive!"
"I heard that the shelter food is crappy," Tristan said. "There are no showers and toilets are always dirty! I mean, have you ever seen the inside of a homeless shelter? Total disease town there!" He shuddered his head in disgust at the description. "Plus, cockroaches fill up the building more than people! Yugi won't be able to last in a place like that!"
"Unless there is someone else who will take him in, Yugi doesn't have anywhere else to go but the homeless shelter," Detective Shifu shook her head, writing down her mini notebook.
Yugi sank down to the sidewalk in dejection, sitting on the concrete with his arms across his arched knees. Joey, Téa, and Tristan had to think fast or else they will lose their best friend. "Well...what if...what if one of us will take him in?" Téa proposed. "You said Yugi just has to be under adult supervision, right? Our parents can hold custody of him. It's just until his grandfather has been turned up."
"Yeah, Yugi won't have to live with the homeless because he'll be living under our roof," Tristan said. "That is if it's okay with you, ma'am? And Yugi?"
Yugi looked up in hope and nodded.
"Please say yes." Joey begged.
Detective Shifu scratched her head with her pencil. "Well, if your folks approve of it and sign the papers, then your parents can be Yugi's legal guardian by law." She approved.
"Really? That's great." Téa said.
"So Yugi doesn't get to go the homeless shelter," Tristan beamed, pleased. "Awesome!"
Yugi smiled with hope and relief. "Thank you."
"Great! In dat case, I'll take him unda' my wing!" Joey ecstatically proposed and snagged his short friend's head under his arm. "Yug can live with me! We'll be like brothers, only we happened ta live in the same house, and we're not related."
Yugi chuckled comfortably. "Thanks, Joey."
"No, Yugi can stay with me!" Tristan offered, pulling his small friend away from Joey. "We got a free room available and we won't charge you rent!" He smiled.
"Uh, thanks Tristan." Yugi gratified.
"Back off, Tristan! I volunteered first." Joey yanked his best friend back. "It'll be fun, Yug! It'll be just like a sleepover with justa two of us. We can stay up late, eat junk food, read seinen manga, and fight zombies together on my Videogamer 3ooo!"
"Forget the zombies, dude!" Tristan pulled Yugi back. "You need a study buddy! You and I can cram together and help each other with our homework! My mom bakes fresh cookies every night and my dad always brings pizza on Fridays. We can even have a movie night and watch my entire anime movie collection!"
"Uh...sounds great!" Yugi chirped.
"Hey, man! How are ya tryin' play a guy?" Joey argued.
"I'm trying to be generous!" Tristan retorted.
"I'm his very best friend!" The blond argued.
"And mine too!"
"Ha! Yug doesn't even pay attention to you! You're just second place! Right Yug?" Joey eyed on his best friend.
"Uh..." Yugi gazed.
The boys bickered and quarreled over who should watch whom while Téa sighed and shook her head. "I want some female friends."
Yugi stepped in and broke up the fight. "Hey come on, guys. You don't have to fight over me. I really appreciate what you're doing."
"He's right. You two can chill out..." Téa stepped in between and announce her decision. "Because Yugi will stay with me."
"I will?" Yugi looked at her friend in inquiry.
"He will?" Tristan, and Joey said in unison.
"I've known him since we were kids, and my parents are good friends with my grandfather. I think Yugi will be safe with my family, and I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't mind taking care for the both us." Tèa said.
"Thank you, Téa." Yugi smiled.
That took care of Yugi having a place to stay, but that still left out the case of the disappearance of his grandfather.
Back in the Icy Pyramid, Solomon, who was still momently unconscious laid facedown on the throne room floor put down by the Snow Pharaoh who was already seated on his throne. The monsters circled around him, studying the abducted visitor.
"You know, he looks kind of familiar," Dark Magician Girl commented to Dark Magician. "I mean, is it me or does he remind us of someone we know?"
"He does have some resemblance to a certain vizier we used to know," the dark robed magician agreed.
Another monster spirit reddish brown lion-like beast called Berformet came into the throne floor and sniffed at Solomon's face. "So this is what the fuss is about." He said in a deep voice. He smelled the sleeping old man again. "Strange, he even smells like the vizier we used to know."
"It's because he is," The Snow Pharaoh said.
"Hmm?" The monsters looked up in reply.
Solomon stirred up from his slumber and slowly regained consciousness. The monsters spotted him getting up and circled around him. "Hey look, he's waking up!" Dark Magician Girl said.
Solomon groggily lifted his sore head up and slowly pried his eyes. "Ohh..my head."
"Wakey, wakey!" Winged Dragon of Fortress chirped.
"Where am I?" Solomon mumbled and viewed his new surroundings.
He sat up and rubbed his bare gray head. His body shivered at the incredibly low temperature and wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. "Brr...it feels like a icebox in here!"
"Welcome to the Snow Pharaoh's Icy Pyramid." Dark Magician Girl beamed.
Solomon gasped and stared at the floating magical girl. "Dark Magician Girl?"
"Boh!" Kuriboh jumped into the pictures.
Solomon stared at the other creatures. "What's the matter? Never seen an ogre with a shield before?" Big Shield Gardna said.
Solomon yelped loudly and scrambled backwards from the pack of monsters. "Aah! Who are you!" He yelled. "You can't be real!"
"They are real." A deep voice said behind him.
Solomon turned around and choked out in speechless wonder. His eyes were so wide, his lids looked liked they would be torn away.
"You!" Solomon gaped in admiration. "It's you!"
Right in front of him is the majestic, the mystical, the one and only Snow Pharaoh! He was everything Solomon had always described in his stories. His skin was as beautifully auburn as the soil next to the Nile River. His red, black, and blond hair was spiked up in different directions like star tips, added with extra blond streaks shaped like lightning. His red eyes shone like a cold cut rubies. His bronze cold hand held on to his pyramid pendant.
"I can't believe it!" The old man jibbed. "
"Do not talk to the pharaoh this way!" Dark Magician snapped. "Show some respect."
"It's alright, Dark Magician." The Snow Pharaoh assured.
"Why did you bring me here?" Solomon asked. "What do you want from me?"
The Snow Pharaoh looked surprised. "Shimon, don't you recognize me?" You were one my vizier."
Solomon expressed in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"
"Do not deny me, old friend." The Snow Pharaoh said. "Your face may have changed but the features cannot hide the identity of the man you once were."
"You must be mistaken! I'm actually a game shop keeper from Earth!" Solomon contradicted. "Brr! It's so cold here! Let me warm myself up." He dug his pocket and took out a box of matches.
"What are you doing?" The Snow Pharaoh asked with a hint of fear in his voice.
Solomon lit up a match, no sooner that a flick of flame appeared on the stick. The monsters gasped in horror.
"NO FIRE!" The enraged snow king roared. He bellowed so loud, the whole pyramid started shaking. The monster spirits ran for cover.
"Fire is out of the question!" He bellowed. "FIRE IS FORBIDDEN IN MY DOMAIN!"
Solomon screamed and the fire immediately went out.
"You try as much to lit another match and I will imprison you in a block of ice until your hearts stops beating." He glared with such
Solomon quivered even more violently from the frost king's wrath. "Please...I'm sorry..." He whimpered. Terrified tears seeped from his eyes.
The Snow Pharaoh kept on glaring. Slowly, his anger died down and left him. His glorious handsome face restored to normal. He brushed his tricolored hair and breathed out heavily. "Ahem. Sorry. Lost my temper for a bit. I let my powers get out of hand." He rose his hand and reduced the stalactites with his powers and shattered into several dissolving pieces. "But fear not, old man. I will not hurt you. I do not use my powers to harm an innocent soul." The Snow Pharaoh assured him softly in a sincere tone. "I know that the gods granted me this gift for a reason. Of course, I do sometimes feel that having these powers are a curse to me. I can't seem to let things go."
Solomon stared at the bronze-skinned iceman, both with uneasiness and pity. He kept on shivering from the temperature and rubbed his hands together, trying to keep warm. "Please, Your Majesty. You must let me go. I have someone I love who is waiting for me back home! You must let me go to him, please."
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot do that." The frost king replied stonily. "That someone who is waiting for you at home is the reason why you are here. He's the champion of the Ice Cube Monsters tournament, is he not? I bought you here so I can lure your grandson to me. It is him I want, not you."
Solomon's gray eyes widened in horror. "No, not my grandson! You can keep me here for hundreds of years, but please leave my grandson be!" Solomon pleaded. "Besides, it's so cold here, I'll die in here!" He whimpered and rapidly rubbed his hands together.
"Relax, I won't let you freeze to death, I'll make sure of that." The Snow Pharaoh complied. "After all, I'm not that cold-blooded." He bought out a tiny snowflake on his finger and aimed at the quivering elderly man. It flew out from the fingernail and
"Oh!" Solomon stopped shivering and felt as if his body temperature had suddenly rose up, only to be drop to the same degree level as the freezing air of the heatless Ice Pyramid. "My skin is so cold, yet I feel like a happy penguin in the Arctic."
"There. Now your body temperature is adjusted to the freezing temperature here, just like I am." The Snow Pharaoh announced. "When you spend more time in the snow, your body would accommodate to the weather, your blood would freeeze like the ice, and your heart would become like a crystal shard. Your feelings would be noid, and you would forget everything you had in your former life, never to love things again...just like me." He added with somberness filling up red eyes which glistened like hard ruby gemstones.
Solomon stood up and leveled his eyes as the Snow Pharaoh's. "Oh, sire. Please, leave my grandson be. He's just a child. He has done nothing to you!"
"Calm your griping, Shiman. I only want to play with him in a game of Ice Cube Monsters. I got bored just sitting here and I hadn't had a good challenge on a long while."
Solomon stared at the Snow Pharaoh with caution.
"I know all. I see everything from my eye portal." The snow king created another dimensional window in the shape of a Wdjat eye. "As you see, I don't just watch the world from here, I control the weather. I can make blizzards from here, rather than in person." He produced a small snowball in his hand out of magic and tossed it at Solomon which smacked him in the face and he promptly wiped it off.
"That's really cold." He commented.
"Well, of course it's cold." The Snow Pharaoh replied. "What can you expect from the Snow Pharaoh? Occasionally, I like to play tricks on random mortals I pick through my eye window."
Solomon raised his eyebrow in question.
"For example..." The Snow Pharaoh continued and pointed to the window "hole" which displayed three teenage boys bathing in a onsen. It was the three bullies from school and taking a steamy bath near the snowy mountains. "Ahhhh...this is life, eh boys?" Gian commented as he leaned on the edge of the hot spring, his head resting on top of his curled arms.
"Sure is." Choji agreed. "Glad we ditched detention so we can get away and take dip in one of Japan's finest hot springs."
"Oh yeah. This place is bombing!" Tomoko added. He sat up in the tub, spread his legs apart. He sighed in content as he was relieving something beneath the water...and from under his towel. "Oh yeah, that's feels good." He smiled goofily.
Gian and Choji stared, realizing what their friend was doing. "Dude, a...are you peeing in the water right now?" The green-haired boy asked with aversion.
Tomoko chuckled haughtily. "Maybe..."
"That's disgusting!" Choji exclaimed and jumped out of the water.
"What? It's mineralized." Tokomo protested. "Plus, it's heated and it's mineralized. So what's the difference?"
As the boys quarreled and splashed in the water, the Snow Pharaoh, smirking and keeping his eye on the eye glyph twirled his two fingers, producing a gray fluffy cloud from his eye window. It foamed over the hot spring and expelled sprinkles of white dots of flakes. The boys looked up, shivering rapidly under the icy flurries and wrapped their arms around their hot and cold bodies.
"G-g-geez! H-h-how t-t-the h-h-hell d-d-did it g-get s-s-so c-c-cold all of a s-s-sudden?!" Gian chattered through his gritted teeth.
"W-w-where did the s-s-snow come from?" Choji asked.
"S-s-somebody must have o-o-o-opened up a w-w-window!" Tomoko added through his teeth.
"L-l-let's get under!" Gian suggested. "The hot s-s-spring will p-p-protect us from...the c-c-cold air!"
"Yeah!" The other boys agreed and the bully trio sank deeper in the hot spring to elude the snow air.
"Think that's too cold? Try this one for size." The Snow Pharaoh chortled deeply and snapped his fingers and the temperature in the room dropped even lower and air turned terribly freezing cold. The boys moaned from the extreme chilliness over their heads and the rising steaming heat from the hot spring which boiled their red bodies like lobster.
"This ain't gettin' any better!" Tomoko blubbered. "I feel like a lobster in a boiling pot!"
"It's getting so hot in here!" Choji whined, tears seeping from his eyes. "I can't take it!"
"Shut up, Choji!" Gian snapped. "We ain't gonna let one stinkin' blizzard run our bath! We can take the heat like strong men!"
The mini blizzard in the onsen intensified. Soon, the temperature in spring pool was no match for the Snow Pharaoh's powerful mana and lost its heat. The trio screamed in shock as the hot spring they were bathing in has turned into ice soup. Their lower naked bodies were trapped under the nearly frozen water with their red heads and torsos toppled with snow flakes. "I...c-c-c-can't f-f-feel my b-bu-body!" Gian clurted through his gritted teeth.
"I think m-m-my n-n...nuts are f-f-frozen!" Tokomo whimpered in a tiny voice.
"Somebody get me out of here!" Choji sobbed and flapped his arms up and down. "MOMMY!" The three bullies shouted and cried in distress under the ice.
The Snow Pharaoh laughed roguishly as he simply enjoyed watching his poor victims writhed in his prank. "You can't say that you can't have a hot body and cold shoulders! Heh heh heh!" He wiped his nose with his finger.
Dark Magician stared at the eye, looking both slightly amazed and displeased at his master's extreme mischief.
Solomon scowled and placed his hands on his hips, glaring at the snow king as if he was a naughty child.
"What? You don't find this amusing?" The Snow Pharaoh asked, still smirking.
"No, I do not. Don't you know it's not nice to terrorize people with your snow magic?" Solomon said scoldingly.
"Oh, come on now, it's just a little fun. You should lighten up." The Snow Pharaoh remarked, examining his nails.
"I see you're still just as arrogant ever. You haven't changed a bit at all, Your Majesty." Solomon said sternly, placing his hands on his hips.
The Snow Pharaoh's smirk kept on and closed up the eye portal. "Arrogant? Who says I'm arrogant?" He remarked. "I just happened to be full of myself."
"Hmm-hmmm." Solomon nodded in agreement. "Got that part right."
"How would you know? You said and I quote 'you do not know me'. You are Shiman, are you not?"
"No, I am Solomon Mutou, the owner of Kame Game Shop. I just know the story about you," Solomon answered sheepishly.
The Snow Pharaoh glanced at him dubitably. "Come with me. There's more I want to show you."
He patted his hand on Solomon's shoulder and the two of them walked out of the throne room.
"Have you been living here after all these years?" Solomon asked curiously.
"I leave alone with just my monsters." The Snow Pharaoh answered. "After I fled from Egypt, I resided here in this tundra wasteland. There were no people where they couldn't get to me or where can't get hurt by me. I decided to build my pyramid here and become king of the Winter Outlands. I'd never knew what I was capable of," he rubbed his nose. "I can be who I am without hurting no one."
"Hmm..." Solomon yelped as his foot lost balance and he tumbled on the icy stairs.
"I'd be careful walking if I were you," the pharaoh said. "The floors are quite slippery." He proceeded downstairs.
Solomon wobbly stood on his legs and slowly and carefully followed the Snow Pharaoh down over the amorphous steps.
They came to a large room where it was equipped with a huge ice rink cut into a grid, a mountain in the middle, and aside in opposing sides, there were slots of medium blue dice with symbols and icons imprinted.
"This is my dueling arena," the Snow Pharaoh detailed. "This is where I play my Ice Cube Monsters. That is where my game takes place."
Solomon stared at it with amazement. "Ooh! It's so huge! It's bigger than the ordinary board game back home! So magical!"
"Yes. Every year, brave and foolish warriors would come and travel to my pyramid and challenge me to a round of Ice Cube Monsters. Of course, every opponent who dueled against me lost and well, I always win."
"I see." Solomon said.
"Come. Let me show you my collection..."
Next, they were located in a deeper chamber where it was filled with human-shaped ice sculptures.
"This is what I call my trophy room..." The Snow Pharaoh toured.
To Solomon's dismay, the sculptures had agonized faces, their expressions that literally froze when they lost the game.
"Yes. These the poor souls who lost to me and...let's just say that they had to stay that way for me in a very long time.
Solomon choked out in terror.
"I turn one or two of these ice statues into pawns of my own game. For example;" he pointed to an ice statue that was shaped like a young man wearing a Roman armor, helmet, cape and sandals.
"This one was Alexander the Great. He was once a great warrior, but lost to me in a duel. I transferred his soul and transformed him into Seven-Armed Fiend."
At his will, the statue of Alexander the Great morphed into a new spirit monster, shaped like a purple demon with seven limbs and wings.
"Pretty impressive, wouldn't you agree?"
Solomon just twittered and gulped.
"Your grandson would make a nice pawn for my collection." The Snow Pharaoh chuckled in thought. "I think I might turn him into White Mage."
"Oh no! This isn't right!" Solomon looked up to the snow king pleadingly. "You were once a kind and merciful king! You used to love helping people and bring joy to your people."
The Snow Pharaoh shook his head solemnly. "That's all in the past. The Snow Pharaoh is long done from helping others. Look what has done to me."
"You can't just take away your unhappiness from my grandson just because yours got stolen! I'm begging you, spare him!"
The Snow Pharaoh remained unmoved and his expression was still. "My heart is as frozen as the ice mans in my blood. Your piteous begging will not change me."
"Atem-!" Solomon blurted out. Though that was a mistake he had just made.
The Snow Pharaoh glared viciously as if the old man had called him an ugly and disrespectful name. "SILENCE!" He roared so loud, the icicles on the ceiling shook. "Don't you ever EVER call me that name!" His emotions ran as his ice mana exploded from within his control. Solomon screamed and was nearly impaled by the ice stalactite.
"GREAT SHADOW MAGUS!" The Snow Pharaoh bellowed. A twister of snowflakes whooshed mildly around him.
At once, a gray mist of black energy appeared in the chambers and formed came his servant.
"You called for me, Master? Did this old geezer upset you, Your Majesty?" Great Shadow Magus asked with such dignity.
"Get him out of my sight!" The Snow Pharaoh ordered growlingly. "PUT HIM IN HIS CELL!"
Dark Shadow Magus's red eyes gleamed and rematerialized behind the frightened senior shop keeper. "As you wish, Your Highness." He disappeared in a wisp of smoke, taking Solomon with him.
The Snow Pharaoh's emotions expanded and it spread throughout the chambers, coating the frozen people statues with more ice, and upon the walls of each other rooms.
Great Shadow Magus threw Solomon in his new cell and slammed the door shut.
Solomon groaned in perturbation and held his chest tightly, feeling like it had just stopped. "Oh my heart! What have I said?"
Great Shadow Magus peered his malevolent eyes through the cell bars. "You best hold your tongue and think twice what you say next time, old man." He warned in raspy creepy voice which gave the old game shopkeeper the creeps. "The master is very sensitive. I'd be more careful if I were you. You would not want to make the Snow Pharaoh upset." The masked ghoul monster's red eyes lowered in seriousness.
Solomon breathed heavily and shuddered more violently, not just from the cold, but from the Snow Pharaoh's hostility. The other monsters, sensing the pharaoh's wrath retracted to their statues. Dark Magician Girl gasped when she noticed the frost covering the walls. She feared that her master may yet release another snow disaster just like he did in old Egypt.
The Snow Pharaoh stomped up the crystal stairs, leaving more icy thorns behind on the rails. He stormed back into his throne room and clomped across the floor, unsurprisingly bring in more crystal spikes. Dark Magician saw his master in turmoil. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" He asked.
The Snow Pharaoh didn't answer him. He pushed his favorite monster out of the way and plumped back on his throne.
"Your Majesty?" Dark Magician tried again.
"It's fine!" The Snow Pharaoh shot back with aggravation and placed his hands on his head. "Leave me!"
"But-"
"LEAVE NOW!" The Egyptian King shouted.
There was more crackling in the room. Dark Magician knew that his master must be alone to calm down and teleported out of the room.
The Snow Pharaoh rocked back and forth. "Must get my powers under control...get my powers together...I promised Mother and Father..."
Meanwhile in another room, Dark Magician Girl was on her knees towards a painting of Horahtky, the Creator of Light on the limestone wall. "Oh Divine Horahtky Goddess of the light, please hear my prayers." She prayed with her might. "If there is someone who can save the pharaoh, please bring him here to us. Please."
