Magic! Spirits! Darkness! An orphan on the streets, making his way through the world with some acquaintances off the streets! A foreign land that was built based off a place I know next to nothing about!... what a disaster. I feel like crying thinking about it. So cliche. Sad… oh, but don't forget the oh-so-popular vampires. Vampires, you ask?.. Read and find out!
Finally the sandwich began to cool, prompting Yugi to devour it quickly. He thought about saving part of it, but he gave in and finished it. Now that his hunger was sated, he was thirsty. The child headed to another part of town as the sun rose in the sky. Moving hurriedly, he lithely dodged passerby as he began to near his destination. Yugi stopped in front of Serenity's Theatre.
"Ah, hello," he said. The guard outside looked down at him. "It's free," he told the child brusquely, jerking his thumb back to point inside. "A new play's showing at the moment - might still make it, intermission just ended." Yugi smiled. "Thanks," he said earnestly, ducking into the dark theatre. He closed the doors quietly, walking down the aisle to pick an empty seat at random.
Serenity, Jounouchi's sister, often put on plays at her theatre. Though she had gone blind early in her youth, she was an excellent script-writer. Yugi sighed as he sat down. He was bored, and couldn't think of anywhere to find water at the moment, so he figured he would watch the woman's newest play. She often featured antiques from Jounouchi's antique store…
Suddenly Yugi desperately hoped the key wasn't important to her play, or the kind woman would definitely kill him. Even if she was blind. He watched attentively as the next scene began. The backdrop was pure white, the curtains drawn to expose the entire stage. Fake snow was piled high around the back and sides of the stage, while a single actor stood in the middle.
Yugi frowned. "Weird," he mumbled under his breath, "what's this play about? It's usually more interesting" The actor threw off her hood and cloak to reveal long wavy blond hair. She knelt, her hands clasped over her chest as if in prayer. Her eyes closed. "Let me tell you a story," she said. Though her voice wasn't raised, it carried well through the auditorium. "It is of the cold snow."
The woman stood, her eyes opening and her hands dropping to her sides. "Long ago, a little girl played in the snow." She began walking very slowly towards one particularly high pile of fake snow. Yugi watched with interest as she continued, "She stayed out for many nights… playing in the snow." Giving the audience a smile, she placed a hand gently on the pile.
"And I never stopped!" she cackled. A fan must have been turned on, for the snow flurried high, blocking her figure. A moment later it died down, the woman vanishing. Her voice could be heard as footprints embedded themselves in the now-snow carpeted stage. "Isn't it beautiful? This snow… this deadly, deadly snow…" The footprints walked to the edge of the stage.
When they could not be seen for lack of snow, someone said nervously, "What the heck? A terrible storyline! God!" Yugi heard someone mutter, "What's he complaining about? I see his girlfriend's with him - mine's still in the bathroom." The child smiled serenely, leaning back. He knew what this play was about, and barely kept from laughing loudly.
Suddenly he heard a whisper beside his ear. "Hello, Yugi." He tilted his head. "Mai," he greeted the air. A soft chuckle reached him as screams started in the audience. The woman materialized beside him, cross-legged on the chair-arm. She watched the bloody scene with amusement, her blond hair tossed carelessly over one shoulder. Yugi sighed morosely.
"I was looking forward to an actual play," he complained. Mai gave him a full-throated laughed, sharp canines flashing in her mouth. "Oh well," she said. Yugi tilted his head, thinking about it. "No wonder the play was free this time," he realized out loud. "I didn't have to tell him Serenity's code." The child stood, carefully avoiding the pools of blood as he walked out.
"Have fun," he threw back, not looking as grotesque sounds could be heard from closer to the stage. As he walked out and closed the door, the guard looked at him in disbelief. "Thanks for that," Yugi told him sarcastically. "Really, if only I didn't know Serenity personally. I really appreciate it." He walked away, not bothering to hear the guard's reply - if he said one at all.
Shaking his head, he turned down an empty alley. From there he shimmied up a drain pipe, climbing onto a shingled roof. He looked up at the sky, shielding his with his hands as he judged the position of the sun. "About… late afternoon?" he guessed out loud. The shadows were longer from earlier, and the sun was definitely lower than earlier that day.
Sighing, the child made his way back down to the street, setting off in a new direction. "I have to hurry, or night will pass without me breaking into Mr. Jounouchi's shop!" he said cheerfully.