Author's notes:
It's the last chapter! Whew!
The previous chapters had some measure of humor in them. I planned on writing one serious chapter, and this is it. The style of writing will also be a bit different. Instead of narrating from one point of view, the story will be made up of all three Doom Warriors narrations. They will be separated by three slashes ().
I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!, any of the characters/monsters, any city lights, any Christmas trees, and Christmas displays, any horses, any carriages, any results of a horse-drawn carriage, the song "O Holy Night" (this arrangement belongs to a local artist, one who I will identify AFTER this chapter), or anything else that isn't me.
Onward!!
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The lights in front of the city hall were gorgeous. Varon sorely wished that he had a camera. After the incident on the Pali Highway, they had gone back to their rooms to rest before coming to see the Christmas display, which the hotel staff had urged them to go to. The lit display announced the "Honolulu City Lights". The hotel staff had been right; this was a GOOD place to be.
Carriages clopped merrily along. The horses were well-behaved, considering the traffic that flowed around them. He hated to think of what the horses left behind.
A large Santa sat in the fountain, with Mrs. Clause by his side. Santa and his wife cooled their feet in the fountain. It was either a sign of extreme disrespect or a sign that the government could make fun of itself. He hoped it was the latter.
The wreaths that hung in the hall ranged from sloppy to near-professional. Raphael took the time to read the inscriptions. Some were done by individual people. Others were done by groups of students at schools ranging from preschool to high school. Some of the prettiest wreaths came from individuals.
He stopped to stare at a flowery wreath, the went on to a wreath decorated with children's photographs. The wreaths seemed to be hung based on color and/or theme. They ranged from hearty and brown to impossible shades of blue, purple, and red. A few poked fun at "Christmas reefs".
He silently hoped that Amelda would take a few pictures of this hall.
Amelda glared at the bubbles. Some genius had put a spontaneous bubble-maker near one of the trees, and children clustered around it. In the process, their small bodies got in his way. WHY did his deck have to be burned to a crisp?
All of the trees were designed by various government departments. Some were as traditional as traditional could be. Others. . .well. . .
One tree had a fire hose in place of a garland. Another had blue-and-green decorations, instead of the usual red, gold, and silver ornaments. One wasn't even a tree; it was a house, with the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas, or some horrible butchering of it.
Several of the trees had poems written near them. He didn't have time to read them all, because the people around him wouldn't hold still long enough for him to make out the small words.
He did manage to fill one camera with trees. He prepared another camera and went outside.
The three Doom Warriors met at the base of a large Christmas tree. Decorations were piled high, and horrible music blared through unseen speakers.
Amelda made the mistake of looking to his right. Another high school punk glared at him. The girl looked at someone to Amelda's right. Then they did their best to nauseate Amelda.
Amelda looked to his right, and stared. The girl had her back to him. She wore a cute red top that did nothing to hide a very feminine figure. Her jeans accented the shape of her--
She looked directly at him. He nearly choked. It was the same girl with the creepy mother. She arched an eyebrow at him.
"I can be as pretty or as ugly as I want. What's it to you?" She wore an expression of rage. She must have been the target of that other girl's glare. He got yet another bad idea.
"Can you stand right there?" he asked, and motioned to a spot somewhat near the couple that had provoked his ire. It was the best he could do for revenge. She gave him an odd look, but complied.
He positioned her so that she was in line with the tree. He took out his camera. She smiled. He let loose with the flash. The couple broke apart and glared at him.
"I finally found a pretty girl to photograph," Amelda said a bit too loudly. He walked up to the girl he had just taken a picture of.
"Thank you for your cooperation, and your cute face." The girl gave him a puzzled look. The couple glared and left. Perfect.
Once they were gone, she turned to him. "Liar," she said softly, before turning to go. Amelda put a hand on her shoulder.
"So I lied a little about your face. You do look better when you're in red," he added. She slapped him soundly and stormed off.
"Still can't get a girl, eh," Varon said from behind him. Amelda glared. Raphael ignored them.
The music suddenly stopped. From behind them, another song started. It was "O Holy Night". The singer's voice was unfamiliar. After a few strains, he switched to another language, Hawaiian no doubt. Amelda listened, transfixed. He'd never heard singing like that before.
Raphael's eyes were closed. The song was the most beautiful arrangement of the Christmas carol he'd ever heard.
Varon's expression held nothing but awe. He slowly smiled. He had one more purchase to make. As the last notes of the song died away, he talked to the person that had the radio. Varon's final stop would be a music store.
Amelda looked up at the giant Christmas tree. If only his younger brother were here. . .
Raphael's expression was unreadable.
It was time to go back.
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Author's notes:
I've got a few minutes left!
The annual Christmas display is a must-see for anyone that comes in the month of December. The displays stretch throughout Downtown Honolulu, but I just had the Doom Warriors stay near the city hall, for simplicity's sake.
The singer of that arrangement of "O Holy Night" is Willie K, an artist who probably isn't well known outside of Hawaii. His arrangement puts all other arrangements of the song to shame. It's THAT good.
The title of this fic, "Summer Vacation (CU Mix)" is sarcasm. The Doom Warriors obviously came in the middle of winter. Hawaii is supposed to be known for its wonderful weather year-round. Few people realize that the weather in Hawaii can be horrid. It's my way of thumbing my nose at the travel companies.
This was originally a gift for JC Maxwell-Yuy. In the process, I wound up writing this story for a second person. Merry Christmas mom! You're the coolest!!
I stink at serious chapters. Sorry!
Story complete: 11:59 P.M. I made it!
Merry Christmas, and to all a good night!