Author's note: Here's chapter 8, the next couple of chapters (according to my calculations) are going to be shorter and more, (Is fluffy the word I should use here?) anyway I'll try to throw in some humor here and there. Things will pick up in up coming chapters so bear with me.
There will be a reference to Yugi's mom in this chapter, according to the manga Yugi's mom is still alive and lives in the game shop with both Yugi and his grandpa. For story purposes she will be dead. I would have written her in I just feel I don't know enough about her to make an accurate portrayal of her.
Reviewers:
gohan 11: What kind of author would I be if I couldn't throw in at least on cliffy? Thanks for both reviews.
As of now I'm working on chapter 11, just thought I'd let you people know.
Warnings: Slight language.
Disclaimer: I swear on my mortal soul that I do not own Yu-gi-oh.
All I Want for Christmas Chapter 8: Deals and DecorationsHe refused to go inside, not until he got some answers. Tea and Joey had long since gone home and had given Yami as helpful an explanation as Tristan did.
If Yami hated one thing, it was being ignored by his hikari. 'Well two can play at this game.' He thought, 'I'll just ignore him as well.' Completely ignorant of how childish he sounded for someone of his years, Yami began to rub his arms vigorously for warmth and cursed in every language he knew. 'Dame you Bakura.' He thought. His legs were still freezing from his earlier encounter with the thief.
Yami didn't like it, the weather, this holiday, and the way it was making everyone behave. People in general seemed to be in such a rush to get to no where in particular, it seemed to the spirit, like he was watching a bunch of chickens running around with their heads chopped off. 'And everyone seems so hard up for cash, what kind of holiday are these people celebrating?'
Even though Yami didn't now exactly what was bothering Yugi he could feel a wave of anxiety through the mind-link, even now, though it had subsided quite a bit the boy still felt tense about something.
The spirit probably would have been enjoying him self more if he understood what was going on. Tristan, Joey and Tea were no help, and Bakura knew even less about it then him self.
When Yami had tried to question Mr. Mutou on the topic of Christmas the elderly man was in the middle of a phone call with Professor Hawkins, and had shooed Yami out of the room.
Apparently the Professor and his granddaughter Rebecca would be staying with them for the holiday.
So Yami knew nothing more about this mortal celebration then that it made people act strange or depressed.
Inside"He still won't come in grandpa?" Yugi asked.
"No." The old man replied. "He is a stubborn man, I wonder what's troubling him though."
"He's going to get sick if he keeps this up." Yugi fumed.
Mr. Mutou puzzled over this. "Can a spirit catch a cold?"
"Well at any rate he'll turn into a Popsicle." The teen replied
Outside/Yami/ Yugi asked softly, he didn't get a reply. /Yami./ he tried again, with a little more force. Still, he did not receive an answer. /Yami/ Yugi shouted through the mind-link loud enough that his dark side winced.
"Oh Yugi, I didn't see you there." The spirit said without emotion in his voice.
Yugi sighed, despite the fact that Yami was technically three thousand years old; he could still act like a kid if he tried hard enough. Yugi wasn't exactly thrilled the spirit choose this particular time to get in touch with his inner child.
"Please come inside, it's freezing out here." The hikari said.
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Yami answered.
"Look I know your upset with me, but don't take it out on your self." Yugi reasoned.
Yami merely turned his back to the boy and began to count the lights on the game shop. "Unless you want to tell me what's going on, I'm not leaving this spot."
'Why must he turn everything into a game?' Yugi thought. "I can't do that Yami, you're just going to have to trust me."
"Well then there is nothing left to discuss." Yami said and for emphasis sat down in the snow. Outside he kept an expression of stone. Inside he sounded something like this, 'Oh my friggen Re! This is cold!'
'Oh brother.' Yugi began to tug at his yami's arm, willing him to move, but the Pharaoh refused to budge.
'Fine if this is your game you lost!' Yugi thought sitting down next to his darker half wearing a similar expression to the spirit.
Yami glanced down looking at his light, he then notices the boy was not wearing a jacket. "Get inside now!" he growled. "You'll catch your death of cold!" No answer, although Yugi was clearly starting to shiver.
Yami sighed and in one graceful movement he scooped up Yugi, slung him over his left shoulder and brought him inside. /You win./
Alleyway"Just two of the people I was looking for!" Tristan said bounding up to the two other boys.
"Hi Tristan." Said Malik, his voice going up on octave higher then normal.
"Hey Mark, do I know him too?" Duke asked
"Yes, and my name is Malik!"
Tristan gave them both a weird look. "It's me Tristan, why wouldn't you know me?"
"Long story," Malik started, before Duke interrupted him.
"You have weird hair." The raven-haired teen commented to Tristan.
"And you wear a dice for an earring and mascara down one eye." snapped the brunet. Duke continued as though he had not heard anything.
"And you wear a lot of jewelry." He pointed to Malik then gasped. "Are you a cross-dresser? Boy I've got weird friends."
Now, if anyone knows anything about Malik Ishtar, former leader of the Rare Hunters and keeper of the Millennium Rod, you do not under any circumstances call him a cross-dresser. For two simple reasons, first of all because he is not, and secondly he'll kick the snot out of you.
"I'm going to kick the snot out of you!" the Egyptian exclaimed. (See, told you.) Duke couldn't really be blamed entirely for his lack of common sense at the moment, however Malik wasn't about to let this insult go unscathed.
Wanting to find out what had happened before either Egyptian, or dice-fanatic got into a scuffle in a dirty alley, Tristan grabbed Malik by his jacket just as the boy lunged at Duke.
"Whoa, Thanks Christan." Duke said.
"It's Tristan, and what the heck happened to you?"
"He got hit in the head with a fruitcake and now he has become one!" Malik said savagely, still trying to get at Duke.
"Is that what happened Duke?"
"Who's Duke?"
"Oh boy." The brunet sighed. "You messed him up good Ishtar."
"Don't worry about that Tristan I think I have a plan."
"Hey guys, Who's Duke?"
"You are!" Malik and Tristan yelled in unison.
"Man, you people like to yell a lot." Duke stated.
Another argument reached the trio's ears; it came from Ryou's apartment. "They like to yell too." Duke said, succeeding in stating the obvious again.
"Oh no! Mr. Greenbridge must have gotten in." Malik said scrambling up the fire escape.
Tristan began to follow, "Come on Duke."
Duke looked over his shoulder and stared at Tristan with a blank expression on his face. "Who? You taking to me?"
"Come on!" Tristan yelled pulling Duke along with him.
"Help! I'm being abducted!" Duke yelped.
"Shudup!"
"Hey wait! I know you, your Timmy!"
"Tristan!"
When the three reached the apartment they found Ryou trying to hold Bakura back from getting to a bulky looking man who appeared to be in his forties.
"You good for nothing Leeches! Thought you could get away without paying rent! Well I'll show you what I do to lazy bums who take advantage of honest hard working people. I want you out of here this instant!"
"But where will we go?" Ryou asked timidly.
Malik could tell this was bad; the Millennium Ring began to glow. If someone didn't calm Bakura down now they might all be spending Christmas and possibly New Year in the Shadow Realm.
"Ryou, you know you're always welcome at my place." The Egyptian said.
'I had no idea Ryou was in so much trouble.' Tristan thought. 'Yeah, I heard Bakura say something about the rent but… I was so caught up in getting my mom her gift that I ignored it. Man I suck.'
"You know I can't Malik." Ryou said.
"He could stay with me." Tristan said. 'What possessed me to say that!'
Malik, Ryou, and Bakura stared.
"Tristan I can't…"
"Save it, it will just be for tonight if it makes you feel better. My sister and her husband are stuck at an airport because of the snow, and my dad's giving a lecture out of town and won't be back till tomorrow. My mom's the only one who is home and she won't mind." 'Why can't I keep my mouth shut!'
"But what about…" Ryou trailed off, glancing at Bakura.
'It's for Ryou. You can't let a buddy hang. He'd do the same for you.' A voice in the brunet's head told him.
'Yeah and Bakura would sooner gut you like a fish.' Declared another
"I don't gulp mind." He lied.
'Your dead, Bakura's gonna kill you, in either a Shadow Game or out of sheer boredom.' Said the second voice.
'Your right.' The first voice agreed.
"I'll give you ten minuets to get what you need, then get out or I'll call the police." Mr. Greenbridge said, slamming the door in his wake.
"You really mean it Tristan?" Ryou asked.
"I said what I said."
Duke took this time to speck up. "Whoa! You know twins, that's so cool."
"What the bloody hell is wrong with him?" Bakura asked
"He has amnesia." Malik answered the tomb robber.
"How'd that happen?" This time Ryou asked.
"He got hit on the head with a fruitcake!" Malik yelled while glaring at Bakura.
"Oh dear, wonder how that could have happened. Come on Bakura, we have to pack."
/Wonderful hikari, I couldn't have done it better myself/ Bakura exclaimed.
/Don't say anything! I feel terrible about it./ Ryou replied.
/Face it hikari, you're getting to be as bad as me./
Game Shop (Evening)
The tree now covered in lights stood in the corner of the living room waiting to be decorated.
Both the Mutous, and the ancient spirit entered the room with a box of decorations. Yugi had coaxed the Pharaoh out of the puzzle, who had immediately vanished into said item once they were both inside the game shop, in order to decorate the tree. Yami had to admit, the room gave off a warm, comforting feeling, and the tree itself gave off a pleasant aroma, it was foreign and interesting to Yami's senses.
Soon the tree was covered with glittering tinsel, and shiny glass ornaments. It was all completed, save for the star that would be placed on the top.
"It's very old and belonged to my mom." Yugi explained showing it to Yami.
"It's very lovely." Yami commented, and indeed it was. The star was made of crystal and when the light hit it just right sent rainbow spectrums across the room.
"Do you want to put it on the tree?" Yugi asked.
"What? I don't think I should."
"Come on Yami, you're the tallest and I can't reach the top by myself."
Yami considered this for a moment. "Why don't we both do it together?" With that, Yami lifted the boy up high enough to reach the top of the tree. "Hurry up your heavy."
"Maybe your just weak." Yugi teased. "Done!"
"It looks wonderful, now all we have to do is plug in the lights." Said Mr. Mutou.
"Hey Grandpa, that outlet looks kind of full." Yugi warned.
"Nonsense!" The old man countered.
There was a crackling sound before all the lights went off. The faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
"I'll get the flashlight." Yami said.
/Careful Yami./ Yugi said through the mind link.
/Yugi please, I am one with the shadows, and am quite capable of finding my way in the dark./ the spirit said calmly before tripping over the couch with a thud.
Yugi stifled a laugh.
/Not a word Yugi./
Chapter 8 is officially done! OK people read and review. Now would be a good time to state that it's been scientifically proven that the more reviewers an author gets the faster they type.
Next Chapter: We get a look at what some of the characters are up to the eve of Christmas Eve. Serenity makes her first appearance, and Ryou gets in on Joey's plan.