I'm getting closer to Death T, I'm excited since that'll mean a really long chapter for you guys! Thank you for all the support so far! I really appreciate it.
Chapter 6: Capsules, Fake Bruce Lee's, and Food Roulette Oh My!
Winter sighed as she and Yugi walked down a small shopping area. Jounouchi and Honda were hanging out that afternoon and Anzu had dance lessons. She almost felt a little like they had purposely done such things as a way to get the two alone. Yugi scratched his cheek slightly, he couldn't know that she had the exact thoughts that he did. He felt as though someone else's emotions were tampering with his, perhaps it was the 'other him' that Shadi had been speaking about. He looked towards the taller teen and noticed that she was looking at a group of kids in confusion.
"Ah, they must like Capsule Monsters," Yugi stated.
"Capsule…Monsters? Is it played like chess?" Winter questioned.
"Almost, the only difference is the attack ranges and abilities the different monsters have, you only get five monsters to play with," Yugi explained.
"Sounds interesting," Winter smiled.
Yugi has noticed the sadness that had crawled back into her eyes a while ago. Jounouchi had informed him of the strife that had happened between her and Sachiko. The blonde had even brought up his own concerns with how willing she was to get hurt.
"So it comes from a Gashapon?" Winter asked, bringing him away from darker thoughts.
"Yeah, want to try and win a cool monster?" Yugi asked.
She blinked in surprise before gaining a childlike innocence in her eyes. A slight blush appeared on her face.
"It sounds really fun," Winter quietly stated.
That affirmed it for him. Yugi grabbed onto her hand and lead her to the line. She stood there with a blush on her face as the children around her all stared up at her. They all looked at her like she was a giant. Yugi chuckled quietly, she was a giant. A gentle giant. Who just had a hundred yen eaten by the gashapon machine.
"That's about right," Winter muttered with a slightly amused expression on her face.
"It's Kaiba-Sama," a kid quietly gasped.
Winter and Yugi spun to see who they were talking about. Hazel eyes widened at the sight of a black haired child with blue eyes. She made a face at the nasty smirk on the child's face. Yugi unconsciously stepped in front of her as she eyed the kid with slight dislike.
"You're Yugi-Kun? Right?" The kid asked, he then turned blue eyes towards her, "And you're Winter-Chan."
He was actually smiling a pleasant smile to her. Winter studied him for a few seconds before her eyes widened as it hit her who he reminded her of. She couldn't be wrong about it. She took a deep breath before steeling her nerves.
"Are you Seto's brother?" She asked.
"How clever," the kid stated, "I'm Kaiba Mokuba."
"Mokimon, got it," Winter muttered, the nickname slipped out on accident and the corners of Yugi's mouth twitch upwards.
"I can't believe that my brother was defeated by a midget like you," Mokuba stated as he stared at Yugi, "You know about Capsule monster right, Yugi?"
"Not that much, I just started," Yugi chuckled.
"How modest," Mokuba stated, "Get them!"
The group of kids suddenly pulled out police batons and tasers. Winter yelled as a taser hit her leg. She moved closer to Yugi and glared at the group of kids. She didn't want to start a fight with such brats, it wasn't really in her nature to hurt a kid. Mokuba grabbed the gashapon machine and tossed money at the elderly store owner before leading the group of kids away. Yugi stared up at his tall friend and watched her rub a red spot on her leg. He felt angry that his friend had been hurt. She seemed to notice his anger and gave him a small smile. The two were taken to an abandoned factory.
Yugi sat in a chair across a crate from Mokuba while Winter was sitting on the ground surrounded by kids with tasers. Her eyes were serious as she looked around the factory. There were rusty nails all over the ground and crates littered the area. She met Yugi's eyes and he gave her an apologetic smile that she waved off with ease. It wasn't his fault that the Kaiba Brother's were deranged.
"We're going to play capsule monsters together," Mokuba chirped.
"Please go easy on me," Yugi softly stated, he wasn't too good at this game.
"For a high schooler this guy sure is wimpy," A kid sneered, "How'd a girl like that ever end up with him?"
Winter tilted her head in confusion before her cheeks slowly started to turn a dark red. Yugi slowly joined her before realizing a second feeling was within him. Sadness. He didn't know why he could be sad at a time like this. He took a deep breath and started to get irritated as the kids poked him and continued their spiel of insulting him. When one grabbed his puzzle he snapped.
"Get your grubby hands off the puzzle," Yami barked, "Damn brats!"
Yami studied the area and bristled upon finding the extent to the predicament that his host had found himself in. His crimson eyes locked with slightly nervous hazel and he sent her a minuscule smile. At least he had someone on his side. His eyes narrowed at the kids surrounding her with tasers. No wonder she looked nervous, he mused to himself. He almost wished that he had come out on better circumstances.
"Hey boss, he changed," one of the kids muttered.
"Indeed," Mokuba smirked.
"Instead of sitting around and doing nothing," Yami started, "Why don't we play the game? I have far better things to do right now."
"Set up the planet Ganastar," Mokuba ordered the kids around him, "I'd rather listen to other things than your plans with your girlfriend."
Winter buried her face in her hands as Yami contemplated the title. It was one that his host thought about sometimes. It was a form of courting that he found rather interesting. His crimson eyes flickered towards the red faced teen and he smiled softly at that labeling. He could see that becoming a possibility. He slowly began to wonder if he was spending far too much time in the puzzle thinking. He most likely did.
"This is my favorite field, so we'll be playing on it," Mokuba stated.
"The playing field doesn't matter, just set up the game," Yami growled.
"That's the reason why I prepares the capsule machine, it wouldn't be fair if I used my personal collection," Mokuba stated, a sly smirk slowly forming on his face, "We'll take turns getting out Capsules, you'll go first."
"Yami," Winter softly muttered as her eyebrows knitted together in a frown.
He seemed to have heard her and turned to quickly glance back. He seemed shocked at the smile on her face that slowly grew into a grin. His eyes glinted in slight madness and it almost made her grin fall. She couldn't help but wonder if he was progressing backwards. She shook that thought from her mind.
"Kick his ass," She told him.
Yami blinked at that before nodding. He turned to see the level of his monster and growled slightly. It was a level one. Mokuba took his turn and got a level five. They continued until he had three level ones, a level two and a level four. Mokuba has two level fours and three level fives. Winter began to wonder if this game was unfairly set up.
"Yugi," Mokuba started, "This game will be boring if we aren't risking anything. How's this, if you lose then I get to cut off one of your fingers in front of your girlfriend."
"And if I win you'll face a penalty game," Yami smirked.
The two set up the board and they opened the capsules. Mokuba's level fours were Cobra'd and Doklah, and his level fives were Red Zaccah, Ganpo, and Dinosuar Wing. Yami had gotten an interesting cast of monsters. His level ones were Devil castle, Flowerman, and Eye mouth, his level two was Trigan, and his level four was Great Paa.
"Let's go!" Mokuba shouted, he moved his Ganpo forward.
"Oh, I should inform you that this is a shadow game," Yami stated in a calm voice as Eye mouth was moved in front of Ganpo.
"Putting such a weak monster in front of me?" Mokuba asked, "What kind of idiot are you?"
Yami didn't let his annoyance show on his face as Eye Mouth was cut in half by Ganpo. Mokuba started to cackle and the group of kids that surrounded Winter we're surprised when they saw that she had gotten closer when they had been distracted. She sent them a small wink from her spot on a crate next to the game. Yami let out a chuckle.
"What are you laughing about?" Mokuba growled.
"I'm teaching you a few lessons in gaming," Yami stated, truthfully it was the antics of the taller teen, "When one player has a disadvantage the other will show a weakness. That is the first lesson."
"How dare you presume to coach me!" Mokuba yelled at Yami.
"Lesson two," Yami stated, picking up his next piece, "Never lose your temper. I'll put this monster forward."
Great Paa proudly stood from its position on the field. Mokuba move Cobra'd in front of Great Paa. The two monsters attacked each other but the attacks canceled each other out and destroyed both monsters. The next monster to go was Flowerman. Then Devil Castle. Winters lips parted with a quiet gasp when she noted the way Mokuba's monsters were lined up in a diagonal line. The small boy grinned in victory.
"You only have one monster left while I have four! I believe I've won!" Mokuba shouted.
Yami let out a deep chuckle. Winter looked towards him and her cheeks tinted a light pink. She rather liked his laugh. Crimson eyes grew darker in a twisted mirth.
"Why are you laughing?!" Mokuba demanded.
"It's a laugh of victory," Yami stated, "Have you not noticed the way your monsters are lined up?"
"Oh no!" Mokuba squeaked upon noticing, "And you have Trigan!"
The bird let out a cry and all of Mokuba's monsters lost their heads. The game ended and Yami let out a dark smirk. Winter backed up at the sight of it and Mokuba followed suit. Both of their eyes were wide at the darkness that flowed from the ancient spirit.
"Lesson number three," Yami smirked, "Save your trump card for the end. Now it's time for a penalty game!"
A capsule top appeared above Mokuba and the kid yelled in surprise as Yami walked over to Winter and leaned against the crate she sat upon. The child let out another cackle and Winter jumped in surprise. Blue eyes filled with malice turned towards the two and Yami moved his arm to stop Winter from falling off the crate.
"My brother is starting his revenge, a secret Death T!" Mokuba states before the capsule closed on him.
"I'm sorry but you are not my enemy, think about that for a while," Yami replied, "Here, Hime."
Winter was surprised when the spirit helped her down from the crate and grabbed the school bags. He kept a hold on her hand the entire time. He sighed as they returned to a more populated area. He felt her hand twitch when he came to a stop outside a florist.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
Yami turned and caught sight of his reflection in the window. He felt as though he looked…wrong. He knew that he would look like his host, but for some reason it bothered him a bit. Winter tilted her head slightly and sighed quietly.
"Yami?" Her voice caused him to jump slightly.
"I'm fine," He stated.
He began to walk and she followed next to him. She didn't know what to say to make him feel better so she elected to stay quiet. He turned into a park and sat down at a table under a tree. Winter closed her eyes and enjoyed the early spring breeze. She was glad that her name sake was starting to end.
"You don't seem to like the cold," Yami commented.
"I don't mind it, but I love cool spring days like this," Winter stated, "Jiji likes to joke that I have the wrong name."
Her sheepish laugh caused his mind to relax. There was a question at the forefront of his mind. He contemplated asking it as she began to watch the cherry blossoms fly through the air. One of the pink blossoms got stuck in her chin length hair and she gently removed it.
"What exactly is a Girlfriend?" He asked.
"A girl who is a romantic interest that you are courting," Winter replied, "For a girl we call the opposite sex a Boyfriend."
"Have you ever had one?" Yami innocently asked.
She paused for a few seconds before gaining a somewhat strange expression on her face. She looked both sad and amused at the same time. She scratched her cheek slightly before a light pink dusted her cheeks.
"No I haven't," she quietly admitted, "I've never been on a date either."
"Date?" Yami questioned, "Like an outing during courtship?"
Winter gave him a nod and he smirked at how red her face was. She was rather easy to embarrass. He questioned where his ease came from, usually he was at a loss when it came to things like this. He was always prepared for a game, but he had trouble talking to others. He looked towards an elderly couple that passed them by and the two chuckled quietly. The old woman smiled at the two and Winter went back to being a tomato.
The couple moved on and Yami chuckled at the taller teen. She had buried her face in her hands, and it was rather adorable for someone who towered over everyone else. Yami gently grasped her wrist and moved her hands down. Her face was a bright red and her eyes had a strange glint to them. He wondered if she was going to cry as she attempted to look somewhere else. She's never been this close to a person like this.
"It's getting dark," Yami muttered, he looked up towards the reddening sky.
"So it is," Winter agreed.
She checked her watch and sighed at the time. She needed to get Yugi home and needed to head home herself. A hand in her peripheral caused her to jump slightly. Yami stood there with an amused smirk and Winter flushed before accepting his hand. He helped her up from the bench and began to lead the way. He went to a bus station and the way her fave lit up in surprise caused a smirk to appear on his face.
"You figures out the transit system?" Winter asked, "That's pretty impressive."
"My host, he's memorized the schedule," Yami replied.
The bus came and the two got on. Yami stood on the bus and watched as the town passed by with ease. His hosts stop was after Winters. The bus came to a stop and he watched as the taller teen stretched before smiling at him. His eyes widened slightly when she pecked his cheek before getting of the bus. His cheeks felt warm as he watched her walk up the stairs that lead to her home.
"Aww," an elderly woman cooed at him.
Her husband shook his head in amusement as Yami placed a hand on his cheek. He turned and switched places with his host. Yugi blinked his eyes as he stared out the bus window. It happened again. He looked towards the puzzle around his neck and placed a hand on it. He was getting slightly scared of the idea of another him. His eyebrows knitted together. Another him? That didn't sound right, if there had been another him he would've known long before this. He tilted his head as his stop came up and he got off the bus. A sudden thought hit him, what if the puzzle had a spirit attached to it. That made sense to him. He then thought about the secondary emotions he felt when something bad happened, either to himself or to Winter. He wondered if that's what bothered her sometimes. He could see how that would be difficult to bring up in a conversation. He wondered if he could speak to the spirit. He entered the Game shop and happily greeted his Grandfather.
His night was filled with questions as he stared at the puzzle. He could almost hear static if he stared long enough. His night was easier than Winters. She found herself plagued with nightmares of a darkness she could put a name to. It felt familiar to her, even as she watched it destroy a village before her. She had reached out only to find herself on the floor of her room.
That day Jounouchi noticed that his two best friends looked tired. He watched as they actually took notes on what was being taught. As break rolled around he got confused when both of them let out soft sighs. Yugi had placed a hand on his puzzle and Winter ran a hand through her shaggy hair.
"Winter, can I talk to you for a few seconds?" Yugi softly asked.
She gave him a curt nod and followed after him. Jounouchi looked after the two before smirking towards Honda. Even though his money was on the spirit of the puzzle, something Honda had been given knowledge about as well, and Honda had joined in on that. They couldn't help but wonder what was going on at the moment.
"What's wrong Yugi?" Winter asked.
"The other me, that Shadi talked about," He started, "Did you know about him?"
"Yes, He asked that we not tell you," Winter admitted, "He's done some pretty bad things as a way of helping others. He does care about you, that much I know."
"He cares about you too," Yugi found himself pointing out, "But what if I can't stop him from hurting others?"
"I don't know," Winter admitted, "You two need to be able to communicate and I feel as though he's blocking communication on his side."
"Tell him I want to speak with him," Yugi stated, "If he's ignoring me then next time he takes over tell him that I want to speak to him."
Winter looked at him in surprise before giving him a nod of understanding. Yugi let out a huff of breath at that before smiling. At least she was truthful with him. He headed back to class with her.
"I'm sorry that we kept this from you Yugi," Winter admitted.
Yugi gave her a nod at that and entered the classroom. Winter stayed outside the door with a slightly upset expression on her face. She knew he'd be upset when he figured out what was going on, but she didn't really prepare herself for it. She turned from the classroom and headed up to the roof. She needed a break from the drama of her life.
"Where'd Winter go?" Jounouchi asked Yugi.
"She was right behind me," Yugi quietly replied, he too looked confused as to where she went.
"Relax, maybe she went to the restroom," Honda supplied.
Yugi nodded at that and began to wonder if she was upset at something. Jounouchi gave a sigh, she had a bad habit of not speaking her mind. He was worrying about his sister in all but blood when the teacher walked back in. They couldn't get up and search for her. He silently cursed as the went slowly until school ended. Students were packing when Winter walked back into class.
"Where'd you go?" Jounouchi questioned.
"Outside," she replied.
"Don't close yourself off again," Jounouchi warned.
Her eyes widened slightly at that before she carefully put on a mask of indifference. He looked around and noticed that Yugi was waiting for him and Winter. He turned and gave her a steeled expression before bringing a hand back and decking her in the face. Yugi let out a yell of alarm as she lost her footing and hit the ground. Jounouchi wasn't done quite yet as he picked her up by the front of her shirt.
"Why do you constantly push people away?!" Jounouchi asked, "We're your friends! You should be able to embrace others and have companionship!"
"Because the last time I did that they turned on me!" Winter yelled at him, "every single one of them."
Jounouchi watched as she forced tears back. He sighed before hitting his head into hers. She needed to understand and words weren't working.
"Well we aren't going to do that! Right Yugi?!" Jounouchi questioned.
"Y-Yeah!" Yugi confirmed, he may have been upset about the spirit conversation but he wasn't going to stop being her friend.
The tears finally broke free and Jounouchi released her and watched as she folded into herself. It surprised them when she didn't make any sounds. Yugi walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes widened slightly when she flinched and curled into an even smaller ball.
"Winter…" he quietly called.
She didn't even react when he put his arms around her shoulders. He could feel her trembling and wondered how long she had been holding onto such thoughts. He wondered how long she had the fear of being tossed away. Jounouchi quietly growled before giving her a sad look. He had heard the story from Akira, her father had tossed her aside and so had her childhood friends. Those actions always leave scars. He just never really called attention to them until now.
"I'm fine," came Winters quiet voice.
"No you're not," Jounouchi grumbled.
He helped her up to her feet and watched as she kept her gaze down at the floor. Her eyes were red and her face was blotchy. He winced at the bruise that was forming on the left side of her face. He hadn't meant to hit her that hard. Yugi felt the awkward air and gave a sigh.
"Why don't we go to the arcade?" Yugi suggested, "It might help bring everyone's mind off of everything."
"Nice thinking Yugi," Jounouchi whispered to his small friend, "You can't turn that down Winter."
She went to open her mouth to argue but quickly shut her mouth. They headed to the arcade in an awkward silence. When they got there Winter blinked in surprise at something.
"Kai? They have all the highest scores," She stated in surprise.
"Yeah, and todays the day that I'm going to break their record!" Jounouchi stated.
"In what game?" Winter questioned, "You suck at some of these games."
He blinked at that before realizing that she was teasing. He brought her into a headlock and gave her a noogie. She complained at that and began to smack at his arm. Yugi let out a happy laugh at the twos antics, he was glad that everything was slowly going back to normal. Jounouchi finally let her go and she went to hide behind Yugi.
"I give, all mighty Katsuya you can totally defeat Kai," Winter stated.
"Yeah!" Yugi agreed.
"What losers," A kid stated, "Do you guys really think you can beat Kaiba-Sama's record?"
Jounouchi growled at the kids before Winter tilted her head. She stepped out from behind Yugi and he watched as she walked up to the kid. The kid looked up at her and gained a scared face before she smiled at him.
"The older Kaiba or younger Kaiba?" She questioned.
"T-The older brother, he's a genius at games," The kid replied, "We haven't seen him for a while but we heard a rumor that he's creating the ultimate game."
"Death T," Winter muttered.
"You guys can be here all day and you still won't defeat Kaiba-Sama's scores," The kid cheekily grinned, "See ya!"
"You brats!" Jounouchi growled as he looked at the games.
"Lets just play some games," Yugi suggested.
Winter nodded her agreement and Jounouchi attempted a driving game while the other two watched in slight amusement. Yugi spared a glance to the taller teen and noted the thoughtful expression on her face. She still had the evidence of her tears on her face and he felt a little guilty. She looked down to him and gave his head a pat.
"Don't feel guilty, it's not your fault," Winter told him, "you haven't done anything wrong."
He nodded in understanding and watched as she looked at a fighting game. He grabbed her hand and walked over to it with her. Jounouchi looked from his spot in the racing game and watched as Winter took a seat next to Yugi and watched as he started up a round. Jounouchi got up and looked at the character that Yugi had picked.
"Hey that character looks like Bruce Lee," Jounouchi pointed out.
"I like Bruce Lee," Yugi grinned.
Yugi played the round and won. Jounouchi and Winter gave him grins before a challenger made themselves known. Winter stood up in an attempt to see if she could see who it was. She made a face when she could barely see the top of their head.
"Did you see them?" Yugi asked.
"All I can see is black hair," She replied as she sat back down, "I think you can take him."
Yugi grinned and Jounouchi leaned against Winter and watched as he easily defeated the challenger. Then again, and again. She began to make a face when he challenged again. Yugi and Winter shared a look and traded seats. Jounouchi looked interested as she chose the same character that Yugi had been using. He didn't even last a minute when she laid into him with the character. She then stood up and went around the machines with a frown on her face.
"I think he made her mad," Yugi muttered to Jounouchi.
"Nah, she loves games like this," Jounouchi stated, "She's probably asking him to stop challenging you because he's spent too much money. Want something to drink? My treat."
"I'd appreciate that, a cola please," Yugi grinned.
Jounouchi walked away with his hands in his pockets and Yugi sat at the game with a small smile on his face. He felt better than he had yesterday. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the puzzle. He was imagining a telephone in a way to contact the spirit of his puzzle. He got a few emotions instead of a voice. Loneliness, happiness, love, and hate. He could feel all those emotions as if they were his own. He sighed sadly for the spirit in his puzzle and wondered if it would be an okay thing to bring up to Winter. She'd listen to his worries, he knew she would. A sudden crash came from the other side and he watched as Winter slid across the floor.
"What the hell you jerk?!" She snapped, anger flashed in her eyes as she glared at the person who had hurt her.
"Where's the kid who kept beating me?" A gruff voice asked, tan hands came forward and clenched the front of her school blazer.
"I'm not telling you! You'd just hurt them!" She shouted.
She brought an arm up and blocked the punch the owner of the ran hands sent her way. Yugi got a good look at them and noticed that he looked just like the fighting character. He felt a surge of anger and instantly knew it was both his and the spirits. He rushed forward and tugged on the mans arm.
"Leave her alone, I was the one who beat you in the game," he stated.
"Yugi," She gently stated.
She yelled as the man tossed her down and turned his blows to the smaller teen. She got up slowly and went to help Yugi. The man brought out a pocket knife and she stopped in her tracks as she eyed the knife nervously. The puzzle around Yugi's neck was removed and the man ran off with it. Yugi was surprised when she went to him and placed a gentle hand against his face.
"Yugi, I'm sorry," She stated.
He was helped into a sitting position as the kids from earlier cane over with worried faces. They may have been brats, but they didn't really want to see people get hurt for no reason. After all those two were really nice when they talked.
"You guys okay?" One of the kids asked, his shaggy black hair was ruffled by Winter.
"I've got a first aid kit in my bag," She stated, "For emergencies of course."
Winter brought out her kit and set a cold press against Yugi's cheek. She had to get the swelling down first before it started to close one of his eyes. Jounouchi ran up to the two and his eyes went wide at the state that they were in. He left them for five minutes and they somehow got themselves into trouble. He could fathom how they accomplished such things.
"What happened?" Jounouchi asked.
"The challenger didn't take his loss very well and decided to take it out on Yugi," Winter explained.
"He took the puzzle," Yugi softly stated.
Jounouchi had already taken off before anything else was said. Winter stayed with Yugi and helped clean him up. She sat him down at the game before joining him. He watched as she touched the left side of her face with a gentle hand. The left side of her face was deeply bruised and he winced at that. Jounouchi had hit her face once and butted heads with her. The Man had hit her multiple times in the face until her left side was covered in dark bruises. She seemed to feel his eyes on her and she gave him a small smile.
"How'd you get hurt Katsuya?" She asked as she noticed something.
Jounouchi was walking up to them with the puzzle in one hand and three drinks in the other. He even had a grin on his face as he handed Yugi back the puzzle. The puzzle went around his neck and drinks were shared as they looked for other things to do in the arcade. Jounouchi snickered as Winter played a crane machine with a new mascot in it. Gudetama, apparently it was an egg yolk that was clinically won a rather large plush and the grin on her face as she pulled it out of the machine was great.
"He's interesting looking," Jounouchi stated.
Indeed, the mascot had a blanket that was a strip of bacon. Winter gave a chuckle as they left the arcade and started to head towards a bus stop so they could head home. A limo stopped next to them and a man got out.
"You are Mutou Yugi and Akahosi Winter, plus friend," The man stated, "I have orders from Kaiba-Sama to come and meet you."
"Kaiba?" The three asked in confusion before they were herded into the limousine.
"Why'd Kaiba call us?" Jounouchi questioned.
"It is weird since he hasn't been in school lately," Yugi commented.
"He runs a multimillion company, he replaced his father as the president of Kaiba Corp," Winter stated.
"Akahoshi-San is correct, he has been very busy as of late," The driver commented.
"What is Kaiba Corp?" Yugi quietly asked.
"Its an entertainment company that works very similarly to Industrial Illusions," Winter quietly informed him.
Yugi looked out the window for a few seconds and couldn't believe that the kid who had attempted to steal a card from his was also the owner of a company. He didn't know that's there had been so much pride at stake when he had played against the brunette. He almost jolted from that thought, he was starting to gain bits and pieces back from the spirit who was slowly realizing that he wanted to communicate. He had seen the way that the spirit communicated with Winter and smiled softly. She had always known the difference between him and the spirit.
"And I'm the Vice President," A very familiar voice stated.
"Mokimon?" Winter asked in genuine confusion.
Mokuba almost blanched at the nickname and sent her a slightly frazzled look. Jounouchi barely kept in his snort as Yugi studied the way the kid attempted to get rid of his blush. He couldn't help but think Winter had that effect on people.
"I just wanted to let you guys know that my brothers project is finished and it's grand opening is tomorrow," Mokuba informed them, "He wanted to invite you guys to a special party that's happening tonight."
"What kind of project is it?" Yugi asked.
"I can't tell, it's too secret," Mokuba stated.
The three friends shared a look and Winters look of worry caused them to blanch slightly. If she was weary then they were going to be weary as well. The limo took a sharp turn into a gated community and the three noted all the expensive houses. She could skin this to the richness of Beverly Hills or in the beautiful areas that one of her idols lived in. They stopped outside the biggest house and Mokuba got out first to lead the way inside. The three teens followed after.
"No one break anything," She warned the two.
She got nods of agreement as they walked into a large foyer. Jounouchi couldn't help but notice that it missed the inviting air that the Akahoshi household had. Even if the occupants were strained at the moment the House always felt inviting to him.
"Welcome home, sir," an elderly man greeted, "Yugi-Sama, Winter-Sama, I have orders to see to your every comfort."
Winter questioned why she had been lumped into that category. She hadn't given Seto any kind of problems. Could it have been because she was there to see his defeat by Yami's hands? The more she thought about it the more it made sense. Seto was a man of pride and it had been hurt pretty bad by Yami defeating him.
"Where is my brother?" Mokuba asked.
"He went to lie down earlier," The man replied.
"He even invited his friends over," Mokuba grumbled.
"He's been working for days with no rest I don't want to disturb his sleep," The man stated.
"I guess that means you guys are my guests for the night," Mokuba stated, turning to the teens with his hands in his pockets.
"Shall we prepare dinner, Mokuba-Sama?" The man asked.
A loud growl answered his question and all eyes turned to Winter who was slowly turning a bright red as she stared down at her feet as if she had never seen them before. Mokuba found himself genuinely laughing at that as her cheeks turned a darker red. Jounouchi snickered at her and she elbowed him in the gut.
"I guess that's the answer, let's begin with the appetizers," Mokuba ordered.
"Right away sir," the elderly man stated, he began to direct the servants to their new tasks.
Mokuba lead the group into the kitchen where some food was already sitting on plates. Jounouchi's face fell at the sight of desserts and children's meals. Winter eyed Mokuba was weariness and took a seat between Yugi and Jounouchi. She then sighed and gave the child a look of disbelief.
"What's the catch?" She asked, "This table top looks like it rotates."
"We're going to play a game," Mokuba innocently said, "These tables are usually found in Chinese restaurants, the three of us will take turns spinning the table and you have to eat the meal in front of you."
"You didn't poison any of it, did you?" Jounouchi attempted to joke.
"As my guests you don't have anything to worry about!" Mokuba declared, he started to laugh and that caused Winter some worry, "I only hid a special prize inside one of these dishes. You go first Jounouchi-kun."
Jounouchi nodded and rotated the table with ease. It spun around for a few seconds before stopping on the child's meal. He made a face at that.
"Remember you have to eat all of it or else you lose, who knows you might even get the prize," Mokuba chirped.
Jounouchi took a bite of the food and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. He swallowed and went in for another bite when something felt as though it got stuck in his throat. He let out a pained gasp. Yugi and Winter immediately went to his side.
"Katsuya?!" Winter asked, her voice was almost hysterical.
"Jounouchi?" Yugi called.
"It seems as though Jounouchi-Kun found the prize!" Mokuba chirped.
Wide eyes turned to him and Winter held the blonde closer. She couldn't lose another brother. She couldn't lose more family. Jounouchi continued to gasp for air and leaned into Winter for support.
"What is going on?!" Yugi questioned.
"This is the game!" Mokuba claimed, "A deadly Russian food roulette! That poison will take effect in thirty minutes!"
"You're horrible," Winter growled.
Yugi looked towards her and noticed how she was clinging to Jounouchi. Tears were going down her face and he felt an anger well up in him that was unlike any he had felt before. The spirit was furious upon fully seeing the situation that the group had found themselves in. He gladly relinquished control to the spirit and was surprised when he was able to see what was going on.
"Mokuba! I'll never forgive you for this!" Yami growled.
"There's five meals left and one of them is poisoned, I guess it's your turn Winter-Chan," Mokuba stated.
She glared at him before placing a hand on the table and forcing it to rotate. Mokuba watched with narrowed blue eyes as he bumped the bottle in front of him. It stopped at one of the desserts and she narrowed her eyes in slight distrust before picking it up. She stared at the strawberry parfait before digging a spoon into it and taking a bite.
"I guess you were lucky enough to not get poison," Mokuba stated.
He then blinked in surprise as an empty dessert dish was placed on the table. Winter had eaten that so quickly that both players were surprised. Yami took his turn and eyed the spaghetti in front of him with slight worry. He took a bite and sighed in relief as he didn't get poison. Mokuba took his turn and Yami caught the motion of him nudging the bottle. He could hear his host mumbling about it.
"Whats that bottle for?" Yami questioned.
"Oh it's a syrup bottle for the hot cake," Mokuba answered.
"It looks empty," Yami pointed out.
Winter looked towards him before giving Jounouchi a small pat on the back as he attempted to even out his breathing. She couldn't help but agree with him. Something was off about how the game was being played. Yugi has gone quiet but was eyeing the bottle in deep thought. A sudden idea came to him, it had to be a switch for the table. He focused on one thought and hoped that the spirit could hear it.
'Break the bottle' was all he was able to get out.
"It's Winter-Chan's turn again," Mokuba quickly stated.
She went to turn the table when Yami places a hand on her knees. She looked towards him and he motioned towards the bottle with his eyes. She gave him a look of understanding before giving Mokuba a hard stare. The child blinked in surprise as her eyes seemed to glow.
"This turn ends it all, Mokuba," She informed him before spinning the table with all of her strength.
The table lifted up from the force of her spin and Yami jumped in surprise as Yugi looked in awe as the top spun. Yami couldn't help but agree with his hosts awe of her strength, but he found his eyes trained on her look of determination. There was a loud shattering and Mokuba looked at his switch in disbelief. It had broken from how hard the table was rocking. All of them waited with bated breath, except for Jounouchi who was still breathing evenly.
A hamburger stopped in front of Mokuba and a pizza stopped in front of Yami. The spirit took a deep breath and picked up a slice before bitting into it. He finished the first slice before offering one to Winter. She accepted with a small smile and quietly ate it.
"I've cleaned my plate, why haven't you?" Yami asked Mokuba.
"Fine! I'm eating!" Mokuba shouted.
He bit into the hamburger and started to choke before calling out for help. A few servants cane forward and Yami quickly snatched up the antidote that rested on the table. He automatically gave it to Jounouchi and he watched Winter relax as the blonde began to breathe with ease. She gave him a thankful look as she held onto Jounouchi.
"Ah, Yugi wants to be able to communicate with you, stop blocking him," She told him.
"As you wish, Hime," He smirked.
She gave him a look at that before hugging Jounouchi closer. The blonde allowed this before gently prying her off. He gave her a grin and she gently slapped him on the back of his head. They were all lead to rooms and she gave them all a strained smile before the doors to her room were closed by maids. Seto had actually asked that she be given a pair of pajamas and clothes. None of his maids knew why, but they couldn't help but love the taller teen and her pale skin.
"Have a nice night, Winter-Sama," They chimed.
"Please, you don't have to call me Sama," Winter softly stated, "Just Chan would be fine."
They both gave an inward squeal at how adorable it had been. They exited the room and Winter sat down on the large bed. She began to pick at the sleeves of the Chinese styled pajamas she found herself in. The doors opened and she blinked in surprise when Yami walked in.
"What can I do for you?" She questioned.
He looked towards her and his mouth went dry at the pajamas short shorts. He was more than a little distracted at her legs. Yugi couldn't help but share those sentiments, but quickly called for attention. Yami shook his head and gathered his thoughts.
"I have an idea that might help create a link of communication between Yugi and Me," Yami stated.
"You want me to use the key?" She asked.
She pulled the millennium item from her pajama shirt and the gold glinted in the low light. He gave her a nod and she sighed before placing the key against his forehead. She was welcomed to the sight of a hallway with two doors. One had the door wide open while the other was closed. A very familiar face stood by the closed door.
"Winter," Yugi greeted with a smile.
"Hello Yugi, let's see what I can do to help," She chuckled.
She went up to the closed door and opened it with ease. She questioned why it had been so easy for her to open. Yugi questioned it as well since he had been struggling to open it for the past ten minutes. He looked around the mind room and his eyes landed on the spirit that resides in the puzzle. He was the same height as him but somehow stood taller.
"Hime," Yami greeted, "Yugi, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Hime?" Yugi asked.
"I gave him the nickname Yami and he game me that nickname," She muttered, "Not a word."
"It fits you," Yami commented, "Hime."
She let out a groan of exasperation before stomping over to one of the stair cases and plopping down on the steps. Yugi blinked as Yami chuckled at her reaction, the spirit enjoyed getting a rise out of her. Yugi turned to the spirit and took a deep breath.
"You've been keeping memories from me," He stated, "I would like to know why."
He slowly started to lose his confidence as crimson eyes turned to him. They then softened and he was able to see a small glimmer of light in them.
"I've done some terrible things," Yami admitted, "When you solved the puzzle I had been free from three thousand years of darkness and solitude, I was not myself."
"Are you more yourself than you have been?" Yugi asked.
"I don't know," Yami admitted, "I have no recollection of who I was. I suppose this room represents that very well."
Yugi looked around once more and noticed all the stairs that went to nowhere. He felt sad for the spirit who was obviously trapped in a darkness that was almost inescapable. His eyes caught sight of Winter who had fallen asleep while leaning against a wall. Yami had started to stare at her and a gentle expression fell on the spirits face. It then made sense to Yugi why the spirit acted the way he did when something bad happened to her. He smiled softly as sudden emotions and thoughts became clear to him.
"I want to help you figure it out, but you have to promise me that you won't hurt anyone," Yugi stated.
"I can't completely promise that, those criminals are given penalty games, but I will promise not to kill anyone," Yami bargained.
Yugi sighed and knew that was the best he was going to get at the moment. He held out a hand and the two sealed the deal. He felt a little lighter now that he was going to be able to get to know the spirit in his puzzle. Yami moved and crouched next to Winter and gently placed a hand on the left side of her face.
"What happened?" He asked, "I know that she and Jounouchi had a disagreement, but most of these bruises were not done during that time."
"Someone got mad when he continuously got beaten in a game, she went over to reason with him to stop spending so much money and he got violent," Yugi admitted, "I'm not surprised that you didn't know, he stole the puzzle from me and Jounouchi brought it back."
Violet eyes lit up at the thoughts of his friends always having his back. Yami blinked at that and gave a sigh. Those three always got into the worst situations when he wasn't paying attention. He gently shook Winter awake and she sat up straighter and rubbed at her eyes as a way to wake up.
"Did I miss anything?" She asked.
"Not really," He told her.
"Let's head back," Yugi suggested.
She gave a tired nod and focused on exiting his mind. It took a few seconds but she broke the keys spell and was sent tumbling off the bed. Yugi gave a quiet gasp as she chuckled from the floor. He joined her before helping her back up.
"Good night, Winter," Yugi told her.
"Sweet dreams Yugi," She replied as he left her room.
He smiled softly at that and headed back into his room for the night. All the lights went out and the mansion fell into a rather comfortable sleep, well almost everyone. Mokuba was still awake as he stared at his ceiling with sad eyes. He knew what tomorrow was going to bring and he couldn't help but dread it, he hated hurting people but would do as his brother wished. He just wished that Winter hadn't been brought into it, he couldn't help but get an older sister vibe from her.
"I hope she'll be okay," He muttered before falling asleep.
No one knew what the next day would bring. All they knew was that being well rested was going to be important.