Chapter 36, everybody! In which Yugi and Wilson still dislike each other….

Yuko13, thanks for the review! Heheheheheheheh….I'm saying nothing (besides, that might be answered for certain sometime in the future). That would be awesome, but since I don't go to the movies by myself, it would require convincing my parents of the benefits of seeing it. Hey, you're one step closer! Start wandering around on YouTube or LinkedIn to find some composers—Walid Feghali comes to mind (actually his song "London, 1856 – A Steampunk Orchestra" did, but it's a good example of independent composers). And do some research into the legal aspects too—that's always a good thing to know.

Blanket disclaimers are in Chapter 1 (I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, I do not own Avatar, I do not own Don't Starve, I do own Chaos Creatures, etc., et al…).

Yugi spent the next week very studiously avoiding Valon's gaze when he was awake and Wilson altogether when he was asleep. Or was it the other way around? It was getting way too confusing.

Worse, it was aggravating him that he was a tiny bit jealous of the former human. Waking up in the Avatar to find that Kelsey had spent the night snug between Wilson and Elsie….

You're distancing yourself, remember? He chided himself. It'll make it easier for when you leave.

And you really believe that?

"Shut it," Yugi hissed under his breath, curling up tighter on the root he was sitting on. Those errant thoughts were getting more and more frequent—at this rate, he didn't think he'd be able to last until everyone flew away.

Wilson looked up from where he was taking notes, to the protests of the Chaoslings around him.

Yugi felt himself bristle at the attention and didn't do anything to smooth it down. Let him know he didn't like him. That…that traitor—

Oh, you mean like you?

He felt himself wilf and slid off of the root, away from the Chaos.

He needed to be alone.

Wilson blinked as Yugi slid away. That was good, he supposed—the boy put him on edge—

No…no….There was something else. Those sensitive horns of his told him as much. It had taken a lot of effort over the years to learn to trust his instincts…but right now those instincts of his were telling him that there was something where nothing was at all!

And worse, that something felt familiar.

Wilson sighed and turned, heading back into the tree, to the protests of the Chaoslings.

They could wait.

"I need my head examined," he declared, upon reaching the main floor.

"I could have told you that years ago," Elsie said smoothly, not looking up from her preening.

"No, I need you to check these," he said, pointing to his horns. "There's something wrong with them."

Elsie gave them a cursory glance. "I don't see anything. Maybe you fell on your head."

Wilson growled under his breath—she wasn't taking this seriously.

"What's wrong?" Elsie asked, with that tone that said she found the experience similar to having teeth pulled. It was a tone he was used to.

"Oh, how to articulate?" he sighed, crossing a pair of his arms and putting a finger to his mouth. "There's something about that boy, Yugi—the one you've been calling Yami—there's something…off."

Elsie's soft churring aggravated the feeling.

"It's not funny," he chided.

"Yes it is," she said. "You're jealous."

"Why I never!"

You are! You've been the center of attention for so long, and now another Chaos has come along and stolen your thunder. It's a natural thing," she said, waving it off.

"I am not jealous. I don't get jealous."

"Right."

"There's just something about him—"

"Oh, fight him like a regular Chaos and get it over with. Unless you're worried about hurting your pride."

That did make him rankle, although that was from what he had discovered was a Chaos' natural hubris. Any implication that a Chaos was afraid or weak was generally a declaration of war. Fortunately, he was not like other Chaos, so he was able to swallow the impulse down. "You're not listening to me," he hissed, straightening his ascot to give himself something to do. "There's…it's like there's something following the boy…." He stopped, something occurring to him. "What Kelsey looked at last night….Where is she?"

"Don't worry, she still likes you best," Elsie said.

"Humor me, please."

Elsie sighed and raised her head, closing her eyes.

Wilson took a moment to marvel at the fact that Guard Dragon Chaos could innately track whatever they guarded—the minute tips and tilts of her head told him she was sorting through all the Chaoslings, searching for one in particular….

"She's with Yami," Elsie said simply. "I think she might be pelting him with fruit, actually."

"What?"