Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Yu-gi-oh or Yu-gi-oh GX. They are owned by Kazuki Takahashi, TV Tokyo, NAS, and the good people at Shonen Jump.
Turn 4: Domino Dash! Yule Duel or Bust!
Good Morning Domino City and our audience in the surrounding area! This is DOMINO TODAY, with your hosts Mat Lowell and Merideth Varia; with Hal Stoker with the weather and Anne Karahi at the news desk...
"Well Mat it's December 23rd, meaning that there are only two more shopping days to Christmas!" said Merideth.
"That's right Merideth," nodded the co-anchor. "The 23rd also marks the first ever Yule Duel tournament to be held at Domino Mall today. Where Duelists will be gathering to compete for a prized card from the I2 corporation's own President, Maximilian Pegasus."
"So while the shoppers battle for last minute gifts, duelists will be battling for yet another tournament. Kids and there card games Mat. I remember when cards were just the tools of card sharks and the a past time for Senior citizens. My how times have changed," said Merideth, while shaking her head.
"Well that's not all Merideth. It seems that the early shoppers have gotten a visit from the man in the red suit himself. We go to Hal Stoker with more, Hal?" Mat said while turning to the large screen behind them.
A stout man with a large smile appeared on the screen. "Well hey Mat and Merideth. I'm here with the man of the hour himself, Maximilian Pegasus!" the forecaster/reporter said while turning to "the man in the red suit."
"Its great to be here Hal. First of all I'd like to thank everyone involved in the creation and promotion of this event! We at I2 would like to let people know that the Spirit of Dueling and the Holiday season are one in the same, that of bringing people together," said Pegasus with a subtle smile.
"Now Mr. Pegasus, I'm sure you know that some of our Duelist viewers out there were surprised your decision to hold another tournament. What with the other, larger Duel Monster's tournaments that have been held in the past...," noted Hal.
"Ah yes. Its true that my Duelist Kingdom tournament and Kaiba-boy's Battle City tournament were quite successful for both our companies, but I think that we need to get back to the basics. Dueling is of course about the strength and perseverance of the duelists, not just titles like "The King of Games." The Yule Duel will hold true to this fact by providing some friendly competition," Pegasus explained.
"Will you yourself be here to witness the matches Mr. Pegasus?" Hal asked while holding the microphone closer.
Pegasus sighed heavily, while looking around. "Unfortunately, I myself have other obligations that must be tended to. So, I will...," Pegasus started to say before being cut off by another voice.
"Excuse me Mr. Pegasus...um, we have a bit of a situation," said the gruff voice.
"What is it now Mr. Huffington?" Pegasus asked as the camera turned to one of Duel Academy's old students, Chumley Huffington.
"Well, some of the workers were wondering when they can take their lunch break. They're serving grilled cheese today and...," Chumley started to say while holding the back of his head in embarrassment.
"They can break for an early lunch at 10:30 as explained in today's schedule. Don't you have the final touches to be made on the main stage's backdrop anyway?" Pegasus asked in a accusing manner.
"Uhh...yes sir, sorry to bother you," Chumley said, before bowing and running off.
"Ah my employees...we've been hiring them younger and younger each year," Pegasus said while shaking his head. "Anyway, I will return for the prize ceremony on Christmas Eve. The winner of course will have a there own card design created by me," Pegasus explained.
"Really? In one day Mr. Pegasus?" Hal asked with a confused face.
"With technology these days it isn't that hard. Now I really must be going...," Pegasus said as he began to stand.
"Alright, thank you sir. Now for today's weather...," Hal began to say before the television was turned off.
Kairi Yuki turned away from the tv and continued to get ready for the day. Unlike her husband and son, Kairi was a "morning person", who had a routine that started ay 5:30 each morning.
"Hmm...," she thought aloud ,to herself. "I've done my workout, taken a shower, watered the christmas tree, pressed everyone's clothes for the day, finished off the last of the laundry, and finished my presentation for today's meeting."
"Now comes the hard part...," Kairi said to herself with a grimace, as she walked upstairs.
She opened the door to her bedroom, revealing a disheveled Jacen Yuki hanging halfway out of their bed and snoring up a storm. Naturally, the alarm that had been going off for the past ten minutes was no contest for the sounds erupting from Jacen.
"OH. IT'S THE SAME THING EVERY MORNING!" Kairi attempted to scream over the cacophony filling her bed room. "JACEN! TIME TO WAKE UP! YOU HAVE A MEETING WITH MR. KAIBA TODAY BEFORE YOUR TIME OFF!"
"Mmm...pancakes would be nice...that'll seal the Kawasawa deal...," grumbled Jacen after ceasing the loud snoring.
"Oh...," Kairi thought to herself while placing her hand on her forehead. "Food and work...this man will never change."
Kairi shook her head and began to rouse Jacen from the bed. Unfortunately for Jacen, his wife had only learned one way to real wake him up.
"WHOA...THE WAFFLES ARE GIVING WAY! CALL MR, KAIBA!" yelled Jacen, as he was thrown off the bed by his wife, blanket and all. "Ow! Is it morning?" he said while holding the back of his head.
"Yes, and you have a meeting today. One that doesn't involve breakfast food," Kairi said sternly with her arms crossed.
"So I was talking about food again huh? I'd better eat breakfast before I run off today," Jacen said with a sheepish smile.
Kairi couldn't help but smile softly at her husband. "Hmm, there's that goofy expression that I fell in love with so long ago. It'll be that kind of face that'll win a girl over for Jaden...," she thought as she walked out of the room. "Speaking of which..."
Kairi walked over to another door and saw that it was literally trembling. She smiled again as she thought, "Here we go again..."
She opened the door to Jaden's room and was bombarded by yet even more loud snoring.
Jaden's room was fairly big and covered with dueling paraphernalia wall to wall. His walls were line with posters featuring both monsters and duelists alike, including a signed poster of Yugi Muto. A Mk-1 Duel Disk was placed below the poster, mounted on a type of display on the far side of the room.
"Hehe, it looks like he still polishes it. I remember when Jacen brought that home for him years ago. He hasn't used that thing since his entrance exam at the Academy," Kairi thought.
Against the right wall of the room was wood framed bunk bed, where Jaden and Syrus were sleeping in the bottom and top bunk respectively. Syrus had noticeably plugged his ears with over-sized ear plugs in order to muffle out Jaden's snoring.
"Syrus is a smart kid. It took me a while to figure out the correct size ear plugs to muffle out Jacen's snoring," Kairi thought to herself as she turned her attention to an oversized sleeping bag on the floor. "We offered to bring the cot out for "Ty" but what can you do when a boy insists that a sleeping bag is like a "second home?" Had Jaden not been snoring, she would have heard a voice from within the sleeping bag say "Asuka" in a dreamy voice over and over.
Kairi walked around Hassleberry to double check that the alarm on Jaden's desk was set to go off. The clock itself was shaped like Blue Eyes White Dragon, which gave off a deafening roar to wake up its owner.
"Alright...its set for 8:30. That should give the boys plenty of time to catch the shuttle to downtown,",Kairi thought as she walked out and closed the door.
Some time passed before both Jacen and Kairi departed for work. They told Jaden the night before that he and the guys should try to be home by 8:00 so they could all trim the tree together. Besides that, the guys were allowed to remain downtown for the rest of the day. With all of the Duel Monster and holiday related events happening at the Domino Mall today, they knew it would be hard to keep Jaden away.
The time was slowly creeping closer to 8:30. The Blue Eyes clock now had 8:28 flashing on its display when something began to materialize at the end of Jaden's bed. A small brown puffball with wings appeared with a very cute "Kuri!"
Winged Kuriboh began floating around the Jaden's room and looking at it for himself. It had never really bothered to appear when Jaden was home, since there was never any major spiritual activity occurring at the time.
Winged Kuriboh floated over to the Duel Disk display and looked up at the poster of Yugi Muto. A small tear appeared in its eye as it gazed up at its old duelist before it moved on to look at the rest of the room. Surprisingly, Jaden kept his room pretty clean, except for the random box of cards or piece of clothing lying on the floor. Winged Kuriboh wondered why it wasn't like this back at the dorm, where it was sure that an egg-wich was still lying around from a few weeks ago.
(Author's Note: Jaden leaving food around, go figure.)
Winged Kuriboh fluttered over to the desk where the Blue Eyes Clock stood. It saw a bunch of pictures and duel monsters cards strewn about the lower part of the desk. A bunch of the pictures had been taken at the Academy over the last year. There was one of Jaden and his friends at the beach. Jaden was diving into the water to untangle Syrus from a thicket of seaweed, while Hassleberry and Alexis laughed from the beach. Another picture was of Jaden and his friends cosplaying as Duel Monsters, including Jaden as mix & matched sorcerer, warrior, thing. One final picture intrigued Winged Kuriboh the most. There was a picture of Jaden and Alexis dosing against each other by an outdoor fire. "When had this happened?", was the expression that Winged Kuriboh gave when it looked at this picture.
All of a sudden, the Blue Eyes clock struck 8:30 and started letting out a deafening roar as its mouth began to glow. Winged Kuriboh let out a chirp of surprise, thinking that the clock was a real monster...and that it was powering up an attack?! This caused Winged Kuriboh to charge at the clock in an act of self defense, sending it tumbling down with the clock itself behind the desk. Winged Kuriboh was knocked out and the clock was broken.
(Author's Note: Yeah, we're just going to go with the idea that Winged Kuriboh generated just enough spiritual energy to interact with the physical realm. Ok?)
The rumbling only caused Jaden to stir for a moment, before turning over and grumbling, "Mmm, pancakes would be great..."
Time passed even more before sunlight started to finally creep deeper into the room, finally shining on both Jaden and Syrus.
"Mmmgh...Sy, can you turn off that nightlight of yours. I'm trying to sleep...," grumbled Jaden as he poked the top bunk with his foot.
Syrus' eyes began to slowly open due to the warmth of the sunlight and Jaden's prodding of the mattress. "A...alright...Jad..en...," Syrus muttered while half asleep. "I'll get...iiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttt...," Syrus suddenly screamed as he toppled to the floor, landing right on top of Hassleberry.
"Argggh. Asuka, not so rough! Even a soldier can only take so much!" Hassleberry said in a muffled yell from his sleeping bag.
"Asuka?!" shouted Syrus, who was now feeling more awake. "Its just me lover boy!" he shouted once more as he shifted his body off of the sleeping bag.
Hassleberry poked his head out of his sleeping bag, revealing a scarlet face. "Private, tell anyone about this and I swear that there will be consequences."
"Like what?" Jaden said as he lifted himself out of bed, adjusting his red pajamas.
"Well...I'll...uh...well there will be consequences!" Hassleberry proclaimed as he wriggled his way out of the sleeping bag.
"Umm guys?" Syrus said while looking around for the missing clock. "What time is it?"
"Huh?!" Hassleberry and Jaden said simultaneously, as Jaden ran out of his room and down the hall.
"OH NO!" the guys heard Jaden scream from down the hall. "Its 10:15!"
"What?! How'd we oversleep for nearly two more hours?" Hassleberry as he scrambled for his clothes in his travel bag.
"Well, we did get back late from "Beyond the Horizon" last night. You kept asking Asuka questions about dueling, her father's collection, and every other personal question in between." Syrus said as grabbed a basket full of toiletries and made a mad dash to the bathroom.
"Hey, its important to know the personality and background of the woman that you plan to...well, be friends with," Hassleberry said he poked his left and right index fingers together.
"You asked her what brand of jerky she liked!" yelled Syrus over the stream of the shower.
"Well when we're lost in the woods, with only the clothes on our packs and the duel disks on our wrists, I'll be the one who has the jerky for her to survive off of!" Hassleberry said while striking a heroic pose.
"Thats great and all Hassleberry, but could you at least put some pants on?" said Jaden as he stared at his friend, while sweatdropping.
"SAM HILL!" yelled Hassleberry as he attempted to cover his T-rex boxers with his sleeping bag.
After about 15 minutes, the guys were out the door and in the front yard. Each had a backpack with their own deck, an Academy issue duel disk, and whatever else they could fit into their bags.
"So what now Sarge? The downtown bus left at the top of the hour and won't be back until 11. I've heard traffic in Downtown Domino before the holidays is more dangerous than walking into a Gorilla Cage with a bunch of fruit," Hassleberry said while nodding.
"Where do you come up with these comparisons?" asked an exasperated Syrus.
"What do you mean?" Tyranno replied.
"Guys Guys. Don't worry about it. I called up Mr. Hayama and asked him if Asuka could run us down there. She's competing too and has a car. So calm down," Jaden said with a confident smile.
That smile turned into a look of surprise when an blaring horn was heard on the horizon. What appeared to be a type of delivery truck was seen in the distance, coming down the street. A familiar short man was poking his head out of the window and waving. "Judai-kun!"
"Mr...Hayama!?" Jaden said with a look of astonishment as the truck pulled up next to the curb. "What are you doing here?!"
"Ah, Asuka was unable to come at this time. She had a delivery to make across town for the shop earlier and said she'd meet you at the mall," Mr Hayama explained. "I felt bad about promising you a ride, so I decided to come down in the delivery truck to drop you off."
"Wait, if Asuka was making a delivery, why are you in the truck?" Hassleberry questioned the old shop owner.
"Uhhh...", said Mr Hayama as images flashed in his head
Flashback...
"Yes, ok Judai-kun. Asuka will pick you up in a while. Alright, goodbye," said Mr. Hayama as he hung up the phone. "Now to review sales from last week ," Mr Hayama said as he opened the records book and started typing on an old adding machine.
At this point Asuka walked in with a blue coat, light blue turtleneck and jeans on.
"Father, I'm heading down the Domino Mall to avoid the traffic. Can you tell Jaden and his friends to meet me in center court?", Asuka said as she adjusted her hair in a pony tail.
"Mhmm, 20 here...carry the 9 there... uh what?" mumbled Mr. Hayama. "Oh, yes, absolutely. I shall see you later Asuka. Good luck!" he replied without looking up from the books.
"Alright, see you later," she said as she walked out of the store's entrance.
"Hmm...we sold 30 packs on that Tuesday, then there was the game station we sold on Friday...," Mr Hayama continued to mumble to himself as he scribbled furiously at the records book.
This went on for ten minutes until... "Aiiyah!" screamed Mr Hayama. "Another one of those moments that people my age are supposed to have! I've got to go get the boys!" he proclaimed as he ran to the back to get the keys to the truck.
End Flashback
"...well, her car has better gas mileage for this particular delivery," Mr. Hayama said with a fake smile.
"Ok", "Sure", "Makes Sense," each of the boys said.
Phew Mr Hayama mentally sighed.
"Anyway, get in boys! We have a tournament to get you to!" Mr Hayama shouted while blaring the horn.
The guys piled into the truck, as Mr. Hayama cranked it into gear and drove off toward the main highway.
Mr Hayama was seated on a stack of what appeared to be a thick pile of magazines wrapped together. Attached to his feet were two ridiculously long blocks of wood, which pushed against both the accelerator and break ever so slightly.
"Uh, so...sir...," Hassleberry started to say from his seat behind the drivers seat, "What are you sitting on for support?", he asked as he pointed toward the magazines.
"Big and Tall Magazines. I've been getting them for the past two decades and haven't been able to get off their mailing list! Solomon and Arthur thought it was a hoot back then," Mr Hayama said with an expression of annoyance. "Of course I deserved it, after offering Solomon an Aztec Warriors' Crest. I said it would make him taller...," he said with a chuckle. "You know the Aztecs worshiped the sun as there..."
"CAT!" yelled Jaden as he gripped the steering wheel to dodge the stray animal.
"YAH!" cried Mr. Hayama as he was flung against the passenger's door. "What cat?! Judai-kun, when a man offers to drive you somewhere, you do not become the driver of the back seat!" he lectured as he gripped the wheel again. "Besides, that was obviously a plastic bag some litter bug left in the road!"
"Since when does a plastic bag have four legs, whiskers, and a tail?" Syrus asked with a blank stare on his face.
"Come to think of it...," Jaden started to say as he examined Mr Hayama's face. "Where are your glasses?!" he asked in horror.
"Silly young man, on my head of course!" Mr Hayama said as he reached up to his head with one hand. Unfortunately, there were no glasses to be found. "Uh...well, we'll be fine. I've driven this truck thousands of times without my glasses. I only need them for reading anyway..."
Mr. Hayama began to pull the truck onto the highway heading toward Domino City. The trip itself only took fifteen minutes, so the guys weren't all to worried of an untimely death due to an auto accident. That is, until 5 minutes later...
"Hey Jay..", Syrus whispered next to him. "...I think we'll actually make it there in one piece! My life's stopped flashing before my eyes now."
"That's great Sy!", Jaden whispered back as he reclined in his seat and listened to another round of "The 12 Days of Christmas" on the radio. "...and a Partridge in a Pear Tree," Jaden sang to himself in his head.
"Say, does anyone really know how this song is really supposed to go?" Hassleberry asked while sitting cross legged in the back. "I mean, is it "twelve drummers drumming" or "twelve lords a leaping"?
"I thought it was twelve drummers drumming, eleven ladies dancing, and nine maids a milking," Syrus retorted as he glanced back at Hassleberry.
Mr. Hayama sighed, "The youth today can't even stop to remember traditional Christmas Carols. It goes "12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, ten lords a leaping..."
"AND FIFTY CARS A STOPPING!" yelled Jaden as he pointed to bumper to bumper traffic that was directly ahead of them.
"What? There is no such line in the 12 Days of Christmas!" Mr. Hayama shouted at Jaden, completely unaware of what was going on ahead in the road.
"No, but I told my parents that I'll Be Home for Christmas!" Jaden yelled as he maneuvered his leg toward the break pedal.
The truck swerved back and forth before screeching to a stop only inches away from a blue Honda Accord. The woman inside, who had been talking on her cell phone, was now trembling at the thought of almost being hit.
"This is why you shouldn't talk on a cell phone while driving," Syrus said as he poked his head out toward the car. "Accidents could happen," he added with a sheepish smile.
The woman promptly fainted after hearing that remark.
"Hey, no sleeping at the wheel either," Sy said while pointing an accusing finger at the woman driver.
"Give it a rest private and get back in here!" Hassleberry said with a stern voice. "You're a duelist, not a cop."
Jaden was still slumped over Mr. Hayama and trying to catch his breath.
"Huff, Huff..Mr. Hayama?" Jaden asked.
"Yes Judai-kun?" said an unnerved Mr. Hayama.
"Maybe you should pay attention to the road a little better? I mean, without your glasses and all...," Jaden continued.
"You may be right...," Mr. Hayama said with a slight air of defeat in his voice. "Besides, it looks like we're not going anywhere anytime soon anyway. This traffic looks like it may be backed up for hours.", Mr. Hayama said as he slumped on the wheel.
The group just sat in the truck for the next few minutes, listening to the blaring horns of other cars and the angry motorists who were driving them.
"Looks like we won't make it to the Yule Duel now," Syrus said with his head in his hands.
"Come on private! We've got well over an hour to get to Domino Mall! There's got to be a way to put less miles between us and that place," Hassleberry said as he held his chin in thought.
"Hmm...", Jaden thought while staring out at the traffic. He poked his head out again to see if there was any chance of the traffic clearing up. The lines of cars seemed to go on forever.
"Wow, we'd need help from above to get past this mess," Jaden thought with his eyes closed.
"Jaden, hey Jaden!", shouted a familiar voice from far away.
"Huh?" Jaden said as his eyes snapped open. "What was that?" he wondered out.
"What was what Jay?" Syrus said as he moved back into the front seat again.
"I heard a voice." Jaden said with a bewildered tone. "It called my name!"
"Maybe its your Guardian Angel Jay," Syrus said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Jaden! Syrus! Is that you guys?!" said the voice a little louder this time.
"Whoa, now I'm hearing it too!" Syrus said in surprise.
"Me too...,"Hassleberry added.
"Who could it be?" Mr. Hayama questioned.
"Jaden! Syrus! Look up!" said the voice again. This time, a loud "whirring" sound could be heard with it.
"Clarence!" yelled Syrus all of a sudden. "Is that you?!"
Jaden, Hassleberry, and Mr. Hayama couldn't help but chuckle at the bespeckled boy's reaction.
"Who's Clarence? Is that another new roommate of yours at Duel Academy?!" said the now confused voice.
Jaden poked his head out of the truck's window and looked for the source of the whirring noise. Above was a chopper with the symbol I2 depicted on its side. Standing within the open sliding door was a familiar boy in a suit. His koala-like characteristics gave him away in a second.
"Hey Chumley!" Jaden yelled back as he waved. "What are you doing in town?"
"Helping Mr. Pegasus set up the Yule Duel at the Domino Mall! We ran out of grilled cheese, so I had to make a run to the store in the copter! Are you guys going there too?" Chumley attempted to yell over the chopper's whirring.
"Well, we were, but not anymore...," Jaden shouted back while pointing at the numerous cars ahead of them.
"Hang on a sec! I'll drop you guys a rope and you can hitch a ride with us," Chumley shouted back.
"Hold on Mr. Huffington! We don't have any clearance from Mr. Pegasus for any pick ups! The paper work for this alone would take months!" the chopper's pilot tried to explain over his shoulder.
"Don't worry! Mr. Pegasus likes Jaden. He helped out the company a month or two back. I think we can make an exception!" Chumley yelled back to the pilot as he hoisted a ladder over the side of the chopper.
"Hey wait a minute Jay...," Syrus said while pulling Jaden back into the van. "What about Mr. Hayama? We can't just leave him here in traffic! That's just rude."
"No, it is alright Sho-kun. Those who are young are drawn to great adventure. Whether it be crossing a treacherous, climbing the high peaks of the world, or avoiding traffic by catching a ride in a helicopter. It reminds me of my one trip when Solomon, Arthur, and I avoided head hunters by catching a ride on a hot air balloon. My point is that there is no disrespect when adventure calls," Mr. Hayama said with a serene smile.
"Wow...he called me Sho-kun.", Syrus said at random, causing Jaden and Hassleberry to fall over.
"As I've said before, my nicknames are a sign of endearment that I tend to give from time to time," Mr. Hayama explained. "Now catch that chopper! Do you know how much of a pain it is to keep a chopper steady at this time of the year with the winds? Go! Go!" said Mr. Hayama as he began pushing Jaden and Syrus out of the window with as of yet unforseen strength.
"Hey wait...what about you Hassleberry?!", Jaden said over his shoulder as he grasped the ladder
"Don't worry Sarge! Someone's got to stay here and make sure Mr Hayama makes it out of here safe. I'll catch up with you after!", Hassleberry said with a salute.
"Wow Hassleberry, that's noble of you!" Syrus said as he grasped the rope behind Jaden.
Hassleberry put on a heroic grin with that comment. "...and I'll be a hero in Asuka's eyes!" Hassleberry thought to himself.
"I'm still not letting you date my daughter...," Mr. Hayama said flatly. "You are too young! I may not have glasses at the moment, but even I can see that!"
Hassleberry's heroic smile shattered to a frown in an instant.
"Still your respect for your elders is noted Tyranno.", Mr Hayma said with a nod.
"Darn. I didn't even get an odd nickname yet!" Hassleberry thought, as tears streamed down his face.
Meanwhile, Jaden and Syrus had already ascended the ladder and were off with Chumley in the chopper.
"So you guys actually got time off for the holidays?!" Chumley said in surprise as he sat across from Jaden and Syrus. "I wish Shepard and the rest of the admin. had thought about this when I was a student."
"Yeah, its been great so far. Hassleberry and I finally got to meet Jaden's parents!" Syrus said in excitement.
"You mean he actually has parents?", Chumley said in a surprised tone.
"Of course Chum. Where did you think I came from, another dimension?" Jaden said with a smile.
"Well there was that. I thought you were a secret prince from another realm, with you seeing spirits and all that. Then I thought that maybe your parents were lost in a horrible accident. Then I just figured that you abandoned them to pursue a life in dueling," Chumley rattled of his thoughts with his arms crossed.
"Chum, you've been reading too many of those crazy stories on the computer haven't you?" Syrus said in an accusing tone.
"No I haven't. I also have random anime on my tv when I'm designing card as well," Chumley said while blushing a bit
"Mr. Huffington, were approaching the landing sight," the copter pilot called back to the guys.
"Alright!" Chumley answered back. "Ok, guys. What you're about to experience may be a little hectic and could mentally scar you for the rest of your life." he said in a darker, more serious tone.
"What do you mean? We've landed in helicopters before," Jaden said a bit confused.
"Yeah, but not like this. We had to set up the landing sight in the middle of the mall parking lot," Chumley said with a quiver in his voice.
"Whats so bad about that?" Jaden wondered.
Syrus was now sitting completely straight, his face was now a sheet of white. "Jaden, have you ever been in a mall parking lot near the holiday?" he said as he slowly turned his head.
"No, not really actually. My mom never let me go shopping with her on the days before. That and my Dad once locked himself in his bedroom when she asked if he could come with her. Frankly, I've never seen him so afraid in his life," Jaden explained.
"Well, you're about to get a literal crash course...," Syrus said in dark tone. "Maybe literally..."
The chopper was now within sight of the Domino Mall. The mall itself was five stories high to compensate for the lack of space in the downtown area. The building itself appeared to shimmer with a black glass like paneling and tinted windows. The corners of the mall itself appeared to have cobalt blue towers on each corner. These towers held elevators, stairways, and a number of televisions screens that advertised goods and services both within the mall and around Downtown Domino.
"The 5th floor, the entertainment complex was reserved for the Yule Duel today. Mr. Pegasus had the theater, concert area, and sporting complex "flash renovated" into a huge dueling ring.", Chumley explained as the chopper began to make its descent.
"Flash renovated?" Syrus questioned. "I never heard of such a thing."
"I have," Jaden said, causing Syrus to look at him in amazement.
"You have?" Syrus said.
"Remember when Vice Chancellor Bonaparte dueled Dr. Crowler in order to tear down the red dorm? Apparently there are workers skilled enough to perform jobs really quick and have places up and running in no time.", Jaden explained with an "as a matter of fact" tone.
Chumley shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, but the catch is that there has to be a structure there to begin with. They can't just build a whole office building in a day or anything like that," Chumley explained further.
"Wow, Pegasus really does know how to plan an event," Syrus said as he glanced out the window.
"Alright folks, prepare for landing and a quick departure!" the pilot yelled back to the guys.
As the chopper descended to the ground, Jaden could make out a bunch of cars surrounding the landing pad . It almost looked like a wagon train set up around a camp sight in the Old West. However, it didn't look like the occupants were protecting those in the circle.
The chopper finally landed and the door slid open.
"COME ON YOU JERKS!"said a disgruntled driver. "YOU'RE TAKING UP ALL OF THE PRECIOUS PARKING SPACES!"
"MACY'S HAS THEIR ONE DAY ONLY HOLIDAY SALE," shouted another woman from her car window.
"They have a ton of "one day only" sales lady", said a disntinctly deep voice. "Attention drivers, please find another place to park your cars! This space is reserved for Industrial Illusions employees only!" shouted the single-spike haired guard.
"Hey Kimo!" Chumley shouted to the guard, who was also dressed in a suit as well. "I need you to get these two to the Yule Duel on the pronto. They're going to be guests of Mr. Pegasus himself," he explained.
The muscular guard looked down at both Jaden and Syrus, causing Sy to cower behind Jaden a bit.
"Of course Mr. Huffington! Anything to get away from these animals," Kimo said as another armed guard was knocked over by an old woman on a scooter. "I'll have to give them the special treatment though...," he said as he bent down.
"WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Syrus screamed in a panic as he was hoisted over Kimo's right shoulder.
Jaden laughing as he was hoisted over Kimo's left shoulder. "Man you're strong!" Jaden said with a big grin.
"Attention duelists, hold on tight. Its going to be a bumpy ride," Kimo said as the light glared over his sunglasses. "HAH!"
Kimo leapt over the blockade of cars and into the traffic beyond. Cars, vans, and trucks left and ride were driving wildly around the lot. People were yelling and cursing left and right as spots were stolen and others were cut off. All the while Syrus swore he could hear "Its Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas" over the malls P.A. system.
"WATCH IT YOU JERK!" yelled one motorist as Kimo leapt with the guys onto a car's hood.
"YOU PLANNING ON BEING THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT?" yelled another motorist as Kimo between two oncoming cars from opposite directions.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU RETARD!" shouted a woman driver as Kimo dove between a line of parked cars to catch a breath.
"Huff, huff. These people are relentless," Kimo said a bit out of breath.
"Hahahahaha...you're amazing. Where'd you learn all of those moves?!" Jaden said with a twinkle in his eye.
Syrus now had swirls for eyeballs, and was mumbling the name "Clarence" over and over.
"Dance school. My mother made me take them until I was eighteen. I could have been on stage!" Kimo said with a bit of remorse in his voice. "Anyway, we're only a few rows away from the main entrance, so hold on!" he said as he sprung back out into the chaos that was the parking lot.
What occurred next could best be described as a happening in slow motion. The large glass doorways were only yards away. The blaring of the horns and the shouts of the disgruntled motorists were muffled by Jaden's heartbeat as Kimo inched closer and closer to their goal.
Jaden's heartbeat grew louder and louder as the trio approached the curb. Until...
"LOOK OUT!" Jaden heard Syrus scream as he snapped his head to the right.
A flash of red, Syrus and Kimo's screams, and the sound of ukelele music were all Jaden heard as everything went black.
To Be Continued...