Fallen Angels-Chapter Seven: Interlude: And to All A Good Night
By Lady Armandina
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele and Celesta. No one else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (go read 'Rising to Destiny' and 'Family History'!!!).
Also: "Silent Night", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and "Santa Baby" do not belong to me. I don't know the original writers. I could look them up, but I'm super lazy and it's Christmas Eve-I don't feel like it!
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!
Warning: MUSHY CHAPTER!!! Much Christmas-y cheer and all that jazz. What can I say? Was feeling in the Christmas spirit. My apologies if you are not Christian, this is not meant to offend or impose. I tried to steer away from too much religious Christmas-ness in order to avoid such a thing. And I know that Yami and Raya are Egyptian and so would not celebrate Christmas, but what can I do, really? They didn't want to ruin the Christmas spirit and so went along with it. (Yeah, okay, now I'm losing it). Merry Christmas to all of you!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
#Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.#
The radio played lightly in the background as a limo full of impatient friends soared down the highway in Worcester, England.
#Round yon Virgin, mother and child.#
Yami snuggled closer to Raya as she hummed melodically to the traditional Christmas tune. She had such a beautiful voice, Yami thought. So soothing, so natural.
Joey and Mai sat curiously close to one another as well, his hand lightly touching hers as her hands lay in her lap. Mai's expression was one of true contentment and Joey's happiness was visible as well. It was good that they finally seemed to have found each other.
Serenity smiled cheerfully at her big brother, happy that he found someone to be with. She only ever wanted her big brother to have the happiness he deserved, the happiness that she was beginning to find with the kind- hearted boy that sat next to her.
Tristan stretched his legs out and sighed, glancing over at his best friend's sister. She looked so beautiful today, and it was so wonderful to see how her eyes looked without the bandages. They sparkled like diamonds every time she looked at him. He hoped that someday Joey would understand what Serenity meant to him.
#Holy infant, so tender and mild.#
Bakura gazed out the tinted window at the houses along the side of the snow- covered road. This was his hometown, where he grew up. Everything looked so different now, so unfamiliar. But the houses in the Victorian-style section of town looked so beautiful all done up in Christmas lights. He couldn't wait to get to his own old neighborhood, anxious to see how much his former house had changed.
Tea tapped her foot anxiously as Yugi dozed off to dreamland on her shoulder. She hoped that he didn't drool on her, but couldn't help but smile as one of his spikey blond strands of hair came flopping down over his forehead. He looked absolutely adorable and for a moment, Tea didn't mind that her arm had totally fallen asleep.
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#
Sugoroku smiled at all the happiness surrounding him. He was so happy to be spending this Christmas with his family. Yami, Yugi, and Raya meant so much to him, and he was eternally grateful for the wonderful friends that Yugi had made. He was so proud of his grandson.
Adele sat quietly awaiting their arrival at her home. She was nervous about seeing her father-it had been almost a year since they had seen each other. She wanted this Christmas to be a lot of fun for her friends and hoped that she could make it very special for them.
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#
~*~*~*~
"Mokuba."
Seto knelt by his brother's bedside, silently praying for his health and future awakening. He couldn't stand seeing his little brother like this. So many machines surrounded Mokuba, and what good was it doing for him? For once in his life, Seto found himself cursing the wonders of technology.
"Little brother, it's almost Christmas, you know. This was always a very special time of the year for us."
Seto watched in anticipation, hoping to see his brother stir in some way, for any possibility of consciousness in his body. There was none.
"It's December 23. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The doctors say I can't stay here overnite, but you know I won't let that happen. I won't let you be alone on Christmas Eve. I refuse to. I will be back tomorrow, brother. I will always be back, always be here for you. I promised that to you so many years ago, Mokuba. I intend to never break that promise."
Seto did his best not to let his emotion get the best of him. No one had ever seen a Kaiba cry, and it wasn't about to start now. He reached up and wiped a long piece of black hair from Mokuba's forehead, pushing it to the side. He hated it so badly, leaving Mokuba each night. It wasn't the same at home without him there to brighten Seto's day, to give him a reason to smile.
Seto stood up, but not before placing a small kiss on his younger brother's limp hand. He turned around and stood there for a moment, pausing.
"Mokuba," he said, not turning around. "I will find who did this to you. I will make them pay."
And with those words, he walked away, the door falling shut behind him. In the deepest corner of his mind, Mokuba smiled.
'Big brother.I love you too.'
~*~*~*~
"Oh, I can't wait!" Tea exclaimed after opening the envelope that Adele had just handed her as part of her Christmas present. "Everyone, it looks like we're going to see The Nutcracker tonight!"
"The Nutcracker?" Joey lamented. "You mean we have to watch a bunch of ballerinas dance around all night? Come on, Tea, it's Christmas Eve!"
"Don't be such a scrooge, Joey." Said Tea. "Or else you might be visited by a certain three ghosts of Christmas tonight!"
"Yeah," Adele agreed. "You don't have to come tonight, but I would warn you about old Rochester."
"Old Rochester?"
"Yeah, he's the family ghost. He only comes out twice a year, once usually around Christmas time. He's never hurt anybody, really. Well, not technically, anyway."
"Hey," said Joey, stammering. "I never said I wasn't going tonight. Besides, the last thing I want to be doing is spending the night in a Victorian mansion with a not-so-friendly ghost."
"Great," said Adele, winking at Tea. "Because after that, we are going to pick out a Christmas tree so we can decorate it tonight!"
"That sounds like fun!" exclaimed Yugi. "I'm so glad to be spending Christmas with all of you!"
"So are we, buddy." Joey said, exchanging a glance with Mai. "So are we."
Hours later (after many pirouettes and a whole lot of evergreen) the 11 friends were seated around the fireplace in Adele's family den. It was a very spacious room with tall cathedral ceilings so they had to get the biggest tree on the lot-ten feet tall! Two hours were spent decorating every inch of the tree until it twinkled and glistened with red and gold ornaments. All that was left to decorate was the top.
Joey, the only one perhaps silly enough to do it, was dressed in a ridiculous Santa suit, minus the beard, and was having way too much fun with it. He sat down in a comfy leather armchair and claimed his throne as Santa Claus, strategically located directly under some mistletoe that hung from the ceiling light above.
"Hey, Mai, you want to sit on my lap?" he flirted, not expecting Mai to call his bluff. Before he could say 'ho-ho-ho', Mai Valentine plopped down on Joey's lap, much to the surprise and amusement of everyone else.
"My, Santa, it seems you've lost a lot of weight!" Mai teased. Joey just stared at her in amazement, speechless. "Well? Aren't you going to ask me what I want for Christmas?"
"Um.uh.yeah. Sure, Mai, what do you want for Christmas?" he managed to stammer.
Mai decided to take this opportunity to embarrass Joey Wheeler the best she possibly could. Grabbing a candy cane from the end table that sat beside the chair, she cleared her throat and began to sing into it as if it were a microphone--
"Santa Baby! Slip a sable under the tree, for me, I've been an awful good girl-Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"
"Oh my." Said Bakura. "It looks like we've got Betty Boop here to entertain us!"
"Santa Baby, fill my stocking with a duplex, and checks, sign your X on the line, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"
Everyone laughed as Joey appeared utterly astonished. He truly had no idea what to say.
"Come and trim my Christmas tree, with some decorations bought at Tiffany's! Next year I could be oh so good! If you check off my Christmas list, Ba-doop-be-doop! Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing-a ring! I don't mean a phone, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney.tonight!!!"
Tristan began clapping, followed by the applause of the others as Mai finished her song, stealing the Santa hat from Joey's head and placing it on her own. Mai was saying something to Joey, softly, not loud enough for the others to hear, but for Joey's ears only.
"So what do you say, Joey? If I ask you for something, do you promise you'll grant me my Christmas wish?" she asked him, looking into his eyes. She no longer appeared to be joking.
"What do you mean, Mai? What is it you want?"
She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I want to be with you, Joey Wheeler. I want to be your girlfriend."
Joey's eyes grew suddenly wide and everyone wondered what it is that Mai could have said to him that would cause such shock. He was still speechless and only stared at Mai as if he had never seen her before in his entire life. A moment passed, and then he smiled. Still looking directly into Mai's eyes, he answered her.
"On one condition."
"What's that?"
"You give me back my Santa hat." Mai grinned at his response and suddenly threw her arms around his neck in a gigantic hug. Tristan had to try his hardest to stifle his laughter. He found the whole thing entirely too funny. Serenity, on the other hand, clutched her hands together in anticipation. She knew how her brother felt about Mai, and wished only for his happiness.
Mai took the Santa hat off her own head and placed it back on Joey's. "It looks better on you, anyway."
"I highly doubt that." He responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.
"Wow! Did you see that?! They kissed!" Tea exclaimed.
"It wouldn't be the first time!" Joey blurted out, receiving a punch in the arm from Mai.
"Hey, Joey, you never told me that!" Tristan said.
"I was sworn to silence!" Joey protested. "That is, until now. Now all bets are off, Mai! Now, come here! I assume you did notice that we're sitting underneath the mistletoe?"
"We've only been officially together for less than a minute, and I already want to kill you!" she responded with laughter.
"Ahhh, the joys of a relationship." Yami said, immediately receiving an evil glance from Raya.
"What was that, my dear?" she asked.
"Um, oh, nothing, Raya. My darling."
Everyone was so happy. Bakura looked around him at all his friends and silently thanked God for this wonderful moment. He couldn't help miss his own family, but sometimes, he thought, your closest friends could become your family as well. He couldn't remember a time since before his mother died that he had felt so peaceful, so content.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas." Raya began to hum to herself. Adele immediately caught on and seated herself at the elegant grand piano that sat near the fireplace. She began to play the tune that Raya was already singing, encouraging her to sing along.
"Let your heart be light." Raya's words poured out, her voice as sweet as honey. The others gathered around the piano, listening to the beauty of her voice. "From now on our troubles will be out of sight."
Yami moved closer to Raya, circling his arms about her waist as he sang the next verse of the song. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay, from now on our troubles will be miles away."
Raya took over again, taking Yami's hand in hers as she sang louder this time. "Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore...faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more."
Yugi and Sugoroku smiled at each other and Tea moved closer to Yugi, giving him a warm hug. Serenity rested her head on her big brother's shoulder as he put one of his arms around her, his other hand busy being held by Mai's. Tristan smiled, blushing a little as he noticed Serenity staring at him, grinning cheerfully. She motioned for him to move closer, and he did, happy to be standing next to the one girl he ever had a crush on.
Suddenly, everyone joined in the song, their joint voices creating a chorus of sound that echoed beautifully against the tall ceiling.
"Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.hang a shining star upon the highest bow."
Bakura had never before felt such a sense of wonder before on Christmas. He found himself increasingly grateful to have made such wonderful and kind- hearted friends, and to be spending such a special day in their presence.
"And have yourself a merry little Christmas now."
Everyone sang the last words together, feeling warmer than ever, though the feeling was not from the fireplace nearby, but from each one of their hearts. Raya continued the last words of the song, repeating them once more on her own.
"And have yourself, a merry little Christmas, now."
Adele played the last few notes to the song and everyone stood in silence for just a moment longer, treasuring this fine moment and wanting it to last forever. Finally, Tristan decided to speak.
"Hey, everyone, we forgot to put the angel on the tree."
Joey walked over to the box of ornaments and pulled out a beautiful angel tree topper, dressed elegantly in a long white gown trimmed with gold. Her hair was the color of cornsilk and she held a shining little candle in her dainty hands. Bakura stared at the angel. It seemed to remind him of somebody he once knew.
Joey took a few steps up the tall ladder that sat next to the tree, climbing to the top to place the angel. Everyone watched, admiring the beauty of the tree.
"And now she will sit there, guarding us and protecting us this holiday season. No harm can come to us as long as we have our guardian angels. Let her be ours this beautiful night!" announced Adele.
~*~*~*~
It was Christmas Eve, and the whole world seemed full of peace and joy. That is, the whole world except for in the chambers of Seto Kaiba's heart. There was only turmoil there.
Seto stared down at his younger brother, silently begging him to wake up again. He would do anything, anything in the world to help him in any way. But it was not in his power, and that utterly destroyed him inside. There was only one thing in the world that could help Mokuba now, and that was a miracle.
"Little Brother, I love you. I know you will be back again very soon. Until that day, I will be right here. Merry Christmas, Mokuba."
He leaned over and shut off the light, crawling into the bed with his younger brother and laying his head on the pillow next to him. Before shutting his eyes for the night, Seto Kaiba uttered a short, desperate prayer for Mokuba. Then, with tear-filled eyes and a solemn heart, Seto drifted into sleep.
~*~*~*~
"Everyone," Yugi announced. "Please, come here. Look, it's almost midnight."
"What is your point, Yugi?" asked Sugoroku.
"It will soon be Christmas Day! Let's all join hands and say a prayer together to pay homage to this blessed day."
Everyone, thinking it was a lovely idea, formed a circle in front of the fireplace and joined hands with one another. They all closed their eyes as Yugi started the prayer.
"Oh God, we thank you for this special moment, this very special time that we have here together this night. Each year, we all grow closer to one another as friends and we are always grateful for the blessing of new friends to join our inner circle. We thank you for the wonderful gifts you have granted us with every year."
Mai continued. "We want to also pray for those less fortunate than us this Christmas. Those who are homeless, friendless, or without a loving family to spend today with. We pray that they have someone, somewhere, that can make this day special for them, and we hope for their protection and happiness."
Joey followed, saying: "And we want to say a special prayer for the Kaiba brothers. We hope for the safety and health of Mokuba and for Seto to feel a sense of peace this Christmas, even without his brother to cheer him up. We pray that, in the coming year, Mokuba finds his way back to us and Seto can return to his happier life."
Mai squeezed Joey's hand, so proud of him for finding forgiveness in his heart for Seto Kaiba.
Tea finished, saying: "We hope this Christmas is filled with the gift of your love and pray that your mercy lives in our hearts forever more! Thank you, Lord, for all you have given us!"
"Amen." They all said together, continuing to hold hands. Only a moment later, the clock struck midnight and everyone looked around at each other, each thinking it was time to go to bed.
"Good night, Bakura." Adele whispered to him, embracing him with a warm hug.
"Good night, Adele. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas. See you in the morning." Everyone headed to their respective guest rooms, exhausted from the day's events and happy to fall into blissful sleep. Joey, however, had just one more thing to say, yelling it down the hallway just before everyone closed their bedroom doors.
"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"
Outside, the snow fell softly to the ground, making the entire city a veritable winter wonderland. High above, in the sky, shone brightly one Northern Star, shining its light upon the whole world, and, especially, on people's hearts.
~*~*~*~*~
Merry Christmas, everyone! I promise next chappie will continue the actual story! God bless you all!
By Lady Armandina
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele and Celesta. No one else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (go read 'Rising to Destiny' and 'Family History'!!!).
Also: "Silent Night", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and "Santa Baby" do not belong to me. I don't know the original writers. I could look them up, but I'm super lazy and it's Christmas Eve-I don't feel like it!
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!
Warning: MUSHY CHAPTER!!! Much Christmas-y cheer and all that jazz. What can I say? Was feeling in the Christmas spirit. My apologies if you are not Christian, this is not meant to offend or impose. I tried to steer away from too much religious Christmas-ness in order to avoid such a thing. And I know that Yami and Raya are Egyptian and so would not celebrate Christmas, but what can I do, really? They didn't want to ruin the Christmas spirit and so went along with it. (Yeah, okay, now I'm losing it). Merry Christmas to all of you!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
#Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.#
The radio played lightly in the background as a limo full of impatient friends soared down the highway in Worcester, England.
#Round yon Virgin, mother and child.#
Yami snuggled closer to Raya as she hummed melodically to the traditional Christmas tune. She had such a beautiful voice, Yami thought. So soothing, so natural.
Joey and Mai sat curiously close to one another as well, his hand lightly touching hers as her hands lay in her lap. Mai's expression was one of true contentment and Joey's happiness was visible as well. It was good that they finally seemed to have found each other.
Serenity smiled cheerfully at her big brother, happy that he found someone to be with. She only ever wanted her big brother to have the happiness he deserved, the happiness that she was beginning to find with the kind- hearted boy that sat next to her.
Tristan stretched his legs out and sighed, glancing over at his best friend's sister. She looked so beautiful today, and it was so wonderful to see how her eyes looked without the bandages. They sparkled like diamonds every time she looked at him. He hoped that someday Joey would understand what Serenity meant to him.
#Holy infant, so tender and mild.#
Bakura gazed out the tinted window at the houses along the side of the snow- covered road. This was his hometown, where he grew up. Everything looked so different now, so unfamiliar. But the houses in the Victorian-style section of town looked so beautiful all done up in Christmas lights. He couldn't wait to get to his own old neighborhood, anxious to see how much his former house had changed.
Tea tapped her foot anxiously as Yugi dozed off to dreamland on her shoulder. She hoped that he didn't drool on her, but couldn't help but smile as one of his spikey blond strands of hair came flopping down over his forehead. He looked absolutely adorable and for a moment, Tea didn't mind that her arm had totally fallen asleep.
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#
Sugoroku smiled at all the happiness surrounding him. He was so happy to be spending this Christmas with his family. Yami, Yugi, and Raya meant so much to him, and he was eternally grateful for the wonderful friends that Yugi had made. He was so proud of his grandson.
Adele sat quietly awaiting their arrival at her home. She was nervous about seeing her father-it had been almost a year since they had seen each other. She wanted this Christmas to be a lot of fun for her friends and hoped that she could make it very special for them.
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#
~*~*~*~
"Mokuba."
Seto knelt by his brother's bedside, silently praying for his health and future awakening. He couldn't stand seeing his little brother like this. So many machines surrounded Mokuba, and what good was it doing for him? For once in his life, Seto found himself cursing the wonders of technology.
"Little brother, it's almost Christmas, you know. This was always a very special time of the year for us."
Seto watched in anticipation, hoping to see his brother stir in some way, for any possibility of consciousness in his body. There was none.
"It's December 23. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The doctors say I can't stay here overnite, but you know I won't let that happen. I won't let you be alone on Christmas Eve. I refuse to. I will be back tomorrow, brother. I will always be back, always be here for you. I promised that to you so many years ago, Mokuba. I intend to never break that promise."
Seto did his best not to let his emotion get the best of him. No one had ever seen a Kaiba cry, and it wasn't about to start now. He reached up and wiped a long piece of black hair from Mokuba's forehead, pushing it to the side. He hated it so badly, leaving Mokuba each night. It wasn't the same at home without him there to brighten Seto's day, to give him a reason to smile.
Seto stood up, but not before placing a small kiss on his younger brother's limp hand. He turned around and stood there for a moment, pausing.
"Mokuba," he said, not turning around. "I will find who did this to you. I will make them pay."
And with those words, he walked away, the door falling shut behind him. In the deepest corner of his mind, Mokuba smiled.
'Big brother.I love you too.'
~*~*~*~
"Oh, I can't wait!" Tea exclaimed after opening the envelope that Adele had just handed her as part of her Christmas present. "Everyone, it looks like we're going to see The Nutcracker tonight!"
"The Nutcracker?" Joey lamented. "You mean we have to watch a bunch of ballerinas dance around all night? Come on, Tea, it's Christmas Eve!"
"Don't be such a scrooge, Joey." Said Tea. "Or else you might be visited by a certain three ghosts of Christmas tonight!"
"Yeah," Adele agreed. "You don't have to come tonight, but I would warn you about old Rochester."
"Old Rochester?"
"Yeah, he's the family ghost. He only comes out twice a year, once usually around Christmas time. He's never hurt anybody, really. Well, not technically, anyway."
"Hey," said Joey, stammering. "I never said I wasn't going tonight. Besides, the last thing I want to be doing is spending the night in a Victorian mansion with a not-so-friendly ghost."
"Great," said Adele, winking at Tea. "Because after that, we are going to pick out a Christmas tree so we can decorate it tonight!"
"That sounds like fun!" exclaimed Yugi. "I'm so glad to be spending Christmas with all of you!"
"So are we, buddy." Joey said, exchanging a glance with Mai. "So are we."
Hours later (after many pirouettes and a whole lot of evergreen) the 11 friends were seated around the fireplace in Adele's family den. It was a very spacious room with tall cathedral ceilings so they had to get the biggest tree on the lot-ten feet tall! Two hours were spent decorating every inch of the tree until it twinkled and glistened with red and gold ornaments. All that was left to decorate was the top.
Joey, the only one perhaps silly enough to do it, was dressed in a ridiculous Santa suit, minus the beard, and was having way too much fun with it. He sat down in a comfy leather armchair and claimed his throne as Santa Claus, strategically located directly under some mistletoe that hung from the ceiling light above.
"Hey, Mai, you want to sit on my lap?" he flirted, not expecting Mai to call his bluff. Before he could say 'ho-ho-ho', Mai Valentine plopped down on Joey's lap, much to the surprise and amusement of everyone else.
"My, Santa, it seems you've lost a lot of weight!" Mai teased. Joey just stared at her in amazement, speechless. "Well? Aren't you going to ask me what I want for Christmas?"
"Um.uh.yeah. Sure, Mai, what do you want for Christmas?" he managed to stammer.
Mai decided to take this opportunity to embarrass Joey Wheeler the best she possibly could. Grabbing a candy cane from the end table that sat beside the chair, she cleared her throat and began to sing into it as if it were a microphone--
"Santa Baby! Slip a sable under the tree, for me, I've been an awful good girl-Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"
"Oh my." Said Bakura. "It looks like we've got Betty Boop here to entertain us!"
"Santa Baby, fill my stocking with a duplex, and checks, sign your X on the line, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"
Everyone laughed as Joey appeared utterly astonished. He truly had no idea what to say.
"Come and trim my Christmas tree, with some decorations bought at Tiffany's! Next year I could be oh so good! If you check off my Christmas list, Ba-doop-be-doop! Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing-a ring! I don't mean a phone, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney.tonight!!!"
Tristan began clapping, followed by the applause of the others as Mai finished her song, stealing the Santa hat from Joey's head and placing it on her own. Mai was saying something to Joey, softly, not loud enough for the others to hear, but for Joey's ears only.
"So what do you say, Joey? If I ask you for something, do you promise you'll grant me my Christmas wish?" she asked him, looking into his eyes. She no longer appeared to be joking.
"What do you mean, Mai? What is it you want?"
She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I want to be with you, Joey Wheeler. I want to be your girlfriend."
Joey's eyes grew suddenly wide and everyone wondered what it is that Mai could have said to him that would cause such shock. He was still speechless and only stared at Mai as if he had never seen her before in his entire life. A moment passed, and then he smiled. Still looking directly into Mai's eyes, he answered her.
"On one condition."
"What's that?"
"You give me back my Santa hat." Mai grinned at his response and suddenly threw her arms around his neck in a gigantic hug. Tristan had to try his hardest to stifle his laughter. He found the whole thing entirely too funny. Serenity, on the other hand, clutched her hands together in anticipation. She knew how her brother felt about Mai, and wished only for his happiness.
Mai took the Santa hat off her own head and placed it back on Joey's. "It looks better on you, anyway."
"I highly doubt that." He responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.
"Wow! Did you see that?! They kissed!" Tea exclaimed.
"It wouldn't be the first time!" Joey blurted out, receiving a punch in the arm from Mai.
"Hey, Joey, you never told me that!" Tristan said.
"I was sworn to silence!" Joey protested. "That is, until now. Now all bets are off, Mai! Now, come here! I assume you did notice that we're sitting underneath the mistletoe?"
"We've only been officially together for less than a minute, and I already want to kill you!" she responded with laughter.
"Ahhh, the joys of a relationship." Yami said, immediately receiving an evil glance from Raya.
"What was that, my dear?" she asked.
"Um, oh, nothing, Raya. My darling."
Everyone was so happy. Bakura looked around him at all his friends and silently thanked God for this wonderful moment. He couldn't help miss his own family, but sometimes, he thought, your closest friends could become your family as well. He couldn't remember a time since before his mother died that he had felt so peaceful, so content.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas." Raya began to hum to herself. Adele immediately caught on and seated herself at the elegant grand piano that sat near the fireplace. She began to play the tune that Raya was already singing, encouraging her to sing along.
"Let your heart be light." Raya's words poured out, her voice as sweet as honey. The others gathered around the piano, listening to the beauty of her voice. "From now on our troubles will be out of sight."
Yami moved closer to Raya, circling his arms about her waist as he sang the next verse of the song. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay, from now on our troubles will be miles away."
Raya took over again, taking Yami's hand in hers as she sang louder this time. "Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore...faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more."
Yugi and Sugoroku smiled at each other and Tea moved closer to Yugi, giving him a warm hug. Serenity rested her head on her big brother's shoulder as he put one of his arms around her, his other hand busy being held by Mai's. Tristan smiled, blushing a little as he noticed Serenity staring at him, grinning cheerfully. She motioned for him to move closer, and he did, happy to be standing next to the one girl he ever had a crush on.
Suddenly, everyone joined in the song, their joint voices creating a chorus of sound that echoed beautifully against the tall ceiling.
"Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.hang a shining star upon the highest bow."
Bakura had never before felt such a sense of wonder before on Christmas. He found himself increasingly grateful to have made such wonderful and kind- hearted friends, and to be spending such a special day in their presence.
"And have yourself a merry little Christmas now."
Everyone sang the last words together, feeling warmer than ever, though the feeling was not from the fireplace nearby, but from each one of their hearts. Raya continued the last words of the song, repeating them once more on her own.
"And have yourself, a merry little Christmas, now."
Adele played the last few notes to the song and everyone stood in silence for just a moment longer, treasuring this fine moment and wanting it to last forever. Finally, Tristan decided to speak.
"Hey, everyone, we forgot to put the angel on the tree."
Joey walked over to the box of ornaments and pulled out a beautiful angel tree topper, dressed elegantly in a long white gown trimmed with gold. Her hair was the color of cornsilk and she held a shining little candle in her dainty hands. Bakura stared at the angel. It seemed to remind him of somebody he once knew.
Joey took a few steps up the tall ladder that sat next to the tree, climbing to the top to place the angel. Everyone watched, admiring the beauty of the tree.
"And now she will sit there, guarding us and protecting us this holiday season. No harm can come to us as long as we have our guardian angels. Let her be ours this beautiful night!" announced Adele.
~*~*~*~
It was Christmas Eve, and the whole world seemed full of peace and joy. That is, the whole world except for in the chambers of Seto Kaiba's heart. There was only turmoil there.
Seto stared down at his younger brother, silently begging him to wake up again. He would do anything, anything in the world to help him in any way. But it was not in his power, and that utterly destroyed him inside. There was only one thing in the world that could help Mokuba now, and that was a miracle.
"Little Brother, I love you. I know you will be back again very soon. Until that day, I will be right here. Merry Christmas, Mokuba."
He leaned over and shut off the light, crawling into the bed with his younger brother and laying his head on the pillow next to him. Before shutting his eyes for the night, Seto Kaiba uttered a short, desperate prayer for Mokuba. Then, with tear-filled eyes and a solemn heart, Seto drifted into sleep.
~*~*~*~
"Everyone," Yugi announced. "Please, come here. Look, it's almost midnight."
"What is your point, Yugi?" asked Sugoroku.
"It will soon be Christmas Day! Let's all join hands and say a prayer together to pay homage to this blessed day."
Everyone, thinking it was a lovely idea, formed a circle in front of the fireplace and joined hands with one another. They all closed their eyes as Yugi started the prayer.
"Oh God, we thank you for this special moment, this very special time that we have here together this night. Each year, we all grow closer to one another as friends and we are always grateful for the blessing of new friends to join our inner circle. We thank you for the wonderful gifts you have granted us with every year."
Mai continued. "We want to also pray for those less fortunate than us this Christmas. Those who are homeless, friendless, or without a loving family to spend today with. We pray that they have someone, somewhere, that can make this day special for them, and we hope for their protection and happiness."
Joey followed, saying: "And we want to say a special prayer for the Kaiba brothers. We hope for the safety and health of Mokuba and for Seto to feel a sense of peace this Christmas, even without his brother to cheer him up. We pray that, in the coming year, Mokuba finds his way back to us and Seto can return to his happier life."
Mai squeezed Joey's hand, so proud of him for finding forgiveness in his heart for Seto Kaiba.
Tea finished, saying: "We hope this Christmas is filled with the gift of your love and pray that your mercy lives in our hearts forever more! Thank you, Lord, for all you have given us!"
"Amen." They all said together, continuing to hold hands. Only a moment later, the clock struck midnight and everyone looked around at each other, each thinking it was time to go to bed.
"Good night, Bakura." Adele whispered to him, embracing him with a warm hug.
"Good night, Adele. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas. See you in the morning." Everyone headed to their respective guest rooms, exhausted from the day's events and happy to fall into blissful sleep. Joey, however, had just one more thing to say, yelling it down the hallway just before everyone closed their bedroom doors.
"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"
Outside, the snow fell softly to the ground, making the entire city a veritable winter wonderland. High above, in the sky, shone brightly one Northern Star, shining its light upon the whole world, and, especially, on people's hearts.
~*~*~*~*~
Merry Christmas, everyone! I promise next chappie will continue the actual story! God bless you all!