Rebirth

Author's Note:This chapter is dedicated toUsagiLovesDuoChan!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Extra note: this is just a nice, relaxing and tad fluffy chapter that does hint at future chapters. The action will be occurring soon! Next chapter is the precursor to the real plot!

Chapter 2: Christmas Spirit

Yuugi sighed heavily as he rested his head on his arms. The school week had dragged on slowly until finally it was the weekend and the beginning of Christmas break. They had two weeks off of school and all ready more snow was falling. He hadn't heard back from Yami yet, nor gotten any sign he'd be seeing him soon. His heart ached to see him, but he forced himself to think positively. After all, he had two weeks of Christmas vacation in which he might receive a reply.

"Yuugi?"

He lifted his head slowly and turned to see his grandpa coming into the room looking slightly exhausted.

"I'm going to be gone again tonight."

"But what about the Christmas tree? I thought we were going to go out and buy one," Yuugi said, sitting up.

Sugoroku sighed and scratched the back of his neck, "I know, I know. Don't worry, we'll get one before Christmas, but right now I need to go into work. Arthur and I are looking deeply into this one artifact that might help him. I promise I'll be home as soon as possible, all right?"

Yuugi nodded glumly but didn't respond. Sugoroku sighed and gave Yuugi a one-armed hug, which he reluctantly returned.

"Cheer up, Yuugi. You'll need to get into the Christmas spirit by the time it comes around," Surogoku said. "There are some leftovers in the fridge for dinner but I'll leave some money on the counter in case you want to go out with your friends."

Yuugi smiled slightly, "Thanks grandpa. I'll be fine."

Sugoroku nodded before walking out the door. Yuugi slumped back down on the counter thankful that the game shop wouldn't be open that weekend. He was too tired and miserable to help his grandpa sell cards. Slowly, his eyes began to close as he felt exhaustion take over.

XXXXX

Several blocks away, another house all ready had a Christmas tree set up, with the lights glowing brightly. Ornaments were placed decoratively on the branches of the pine tree, along with tinsel and even pictures hung serenely. Some calm, soothing music was playing as Ryou searched for the star to be placed on top. He hummed along with the tune, only paying half attention as he finished up with the rest of the decorations, and began searching in boxes for the star. He found it sitting casually underneath the tinsel box and while smiling he stood on a chair as he placed it on top.

He got down and stared up at it, pleased with his work. Just as he turned around to begin cleaning up the mess, an intense feeling sliced through him, causing him to stumble. He clutched at his chest, panting from exertion as he tried to calm his body again. The same thing had happened to him before when he collapsed, but he couldn't allow it to happen again, not while he was alone. He breathed deeply, half sitting on the floor in order to calm his body down. The feeling began to pass finally and he was able to stand up, shaking a bit from the force of it.

Ryou wiped his forehead and sighed, "How strange…I've been taking my vitamins and relaxing, so why do these strange feelings still come?"

He rubbed his chest once more before taking a deep breath and began to clean up. Christmas was one of his favorite holidays besides Thanksgiving. And they came relatively close to one another so that the wait wouldn't be too long. Christmas he loved because of the pure-white snow and the joy that was spread around. Everything seemed to calm and peaceful around that time. Even hostile people were nicer. Usually he had excitement and joy running through him at all times around the time, but this time he was a bit exhausted, perhaps weak and didn't feel as excited. It wasn't because of the weather or the holiday at all, but rather something else.

Maybe it's these strange dreams that are making me feel this way.

Ryou stopped cleaning and stood in thought. He had been having strange streams for a while, but he had only recently told Yuugi about them. He had the recurring dream about the desert except that each time it became longer and more realistic. Some things in it would either change or be altered while he was dreaming it.

The previous night he had dreamt that he was traveling in the desert again only it was night time. He had felt weary and exhausted, hungry and thirsty and was aching for the miles of sand to just stop; for an oasis to appear. And then his foot had slipped and fallen into a hole. But it wasn't just any hole, it was a hole filled with water. He had begun to dig and dig and dig until he saw the water with his own eyes, and caressed it with his fingertips. The water was a crystal blue that had no temperature to it. He couldn't tell if it was warm or cool, but all that mattered was that it was there. He had drunk it greedily and suddenly he had looked up and he wasn't in the desert any longer. He was up on a strange bridge made of what appeared to be marble and in front of him were large bronze doors with intricate designs and symbols carved into it. He had reached out to touch it and that's when he woke up.

Ryou sighed and rubbed his head, wondering if perhaps he was getting a cold or something. If he was getting sick it would make more sense as to why he was feeling so down. He had wanted to talk to Yuugi more about the Millennium items, but the last time he had seen him he appeared so sad, probably upset that he hadn't heard from Yami. So Ryou decided that their talk could wait a while longer.

Sighing, he picked up the empty ornament boxes and turned around to head into the kitchen. Ryou let out a startled gasp of surprise and dropped all of the boxes, stumbling back a few steps. Standing in the doorway was a figure dressed in intricate robes, like those he had seen in Egypt with Yuugi. At first he thought perhaps he was imagining that they were Egyptian robes, until his eyes caught sight of the golden ring hanging down in the center of the figure's chest. Ryou's eyes trailed up the body to the face and he slowly took a step forward.

"B-bakura?"

Bakura, who was concealed by the hood covering his head, finally took a step into the room and pulled the hood down. He looked the same as Ryou remembered him from a while back, with the long white hair and the dark slanted brown eyes. His expression was unreadable but Ryou was in too much shock to notice any details.

"What are you doing here?" Ryou finally asked; his heart beat slowing down from the initial surprise.

"That's not important right now," he answered tersely. "I sense that you have been feeling the energy of the Millennium Ring."

Ryou blinked, "Um…I-I guess so."

Bakura walked farther into the room, glancing at the Christmas tree before returning his gaze to Ryou.

"The Millennium Ring has finally become my own item," he said calmly. "I've finally earned it and its powers are in my control. However," he hesitated, "they also seem to be affected by you. I was concentrating on acquiring its full power the other day and it appeared to have caused your body great strain."

Ryou's eyes widened, "You mean, it's because of that item that I've been feeling weak."

"Perhaps," Bakura answered. "It could also be something else. A couple of the Millennium items have gone missing and Shadi is concerned about it."

"Someone stole them?" Ryou asked surprised.

Bakura tilted his head toward him, looking over him before responding, "That is what Shadi fears. And if someone stole the Millennium Eye and the Millennium Scale then it's only a matter of time before they come after the other ones."

Ryou's eyebrows furrowed in concern, "But…why would someone want them if the items only yield to certain people?"

Bakura folded his arms, "That's the question I was asking. It takes great power to control even one item, so there is no way one person or even a small group could control the power. Not to mention, the items have all ready chosen their owners. There must be another reason."

Ryou was silent for several minutes before sitting down on the couch and glancing back up at Bakura.

"Did you ask anyone else there? What about Isis?"

"She isn't saying very much, except that she believes it's connected to the prophecy."

"But hasn't the prophecy all ready been fulfilled?" Ryou asked. "Yuugi helped Yami get back on the throne."

Bakura snorted, "Yes, so it seems. However, Isis is rarely wrong, but her Millennium Necklace hasn't given her any visions so she doesn't know much else. I am trying to strengthen my control over my millennium item to know all of its secrets and powers in order to be prepared to fight if someone is trying to steal these items," he said, pausing and turning his head to lock eyes with Ryou. "You might want to warn your friend Yuugi."

"But…how come? We don't have millennium items?"

"No, but if the pharaoh is preparing for yet another battle, if that's even the case, then Yuugi might also be affected by the power of the Millennium Puzzle when it's been used."

Ryou nodded hesitantly, "I will then. Thank you for coming."

Bakura stared at him silently before glancing back up at the Christmas tree, "What is that for?"

"Oh, it's for Christmas!" Ryou said cheerfully. "It's a religious holiday that's all about being with family and friends and being thankful."

Bakura stared at the tree for some time before he unfolded his arms, "If you want to prevent collapsing again you'll need to allow your body to harness some of the power. Don't fight it next time and instead concentrate on building it," he said as he began walking away.

"Wait!" Ryou called out. Ryou got up from the couch and approached him quickly as he stopped. "Will you…will you come back later and let me know if you've found anything out?"

Bakura turned around slowly to glance at him, their eyes locking together once more before he nodded tersely. Ryou smiled in response and watched as he vanished into thin air. After a few seconds, he began to clean up the rest of the mess feeling in better spirits than he had moments before.

XXXXXX

It seemed like he was sleeping for only a little while when he finally opened his eyes. Yuugi yawned and lifted his head, glancing at the clock.

"I slept for five hours! That can't be…I mean, I just closed my eyes for a second…," Yuugi trailed off, his eyes completely wide as he stared open-mouthed at the clock.

He rubbed his eyes, hoping that he was only imagining the time. Still, it didn't change, making him wonder how he could take such a long nap. It was even more curious that he didn't have any strange dreams, which he usually did have. His dream was about nothing and everything at the same time. It was happy and peaceful and carefree, warming him inside and somewhat healing his misery.

He stood up, wondering if he should walk to Ryou's and see if he was doing any better. He suddenly turned as a flash of something caught his eye. He thought he had seen something coming from the stairs. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yuugi cautiously approached the bottom of the stairs, staring up into the darkness. He didn't always like being home alone, especially when his imagination got the better of him.

"Come on Yuugi, there is nothing upstairs now stop scaring yourself over nothing," he said aloud, trying to make himself feel better. "I'll just go…check to prove to myself nothing is wrong."

Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember how he braved fighting against Kontar (though monsters of his imagination seemed to be a bit worse) as he began making his way up the stairs. He clung to the railing as he made it to the top, turning on the hallway light. Unfortunately, the light didn't appear to be turning on. Yuugi gulped again and grasped out for the wall, hoping that he could overcome his fear of the dark. He made his way blindly down the hall until he reached his room. He opened his door and peered inside, blinking from the darkness. He reached his hand up toward the switch and flicked it, but nothing happened.

Great, another power failure. And it just so happens to be when I'm alone.

He kept by the doorway, seeing that nothing was amiss. He could see a little bit out of his window and figured that perhaps it was the flash of headlights from a passing car. He sighed with relief and turned around to head back down the stairs. A sudden flash caused him to wheel around, groping for the wall as he stumbled backward. He blinked several times and stared at the door across from his room, which happened to be the guest room. It had been a storage room before until there had finally been a need for a guest room. His grandpa had decided to keep it that way in case he wanted to have friends stay over.

Yuugi's breathing was becoming shallow as he shakily approached the door. He could clearly see something like a light shining through the crack at the bottom of the door. His fingers grasped the doorknob and Yuugi licked his lips before turning it slowly. His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest he was afraid that it could be heard aloud. Finally he bit his lip and pushed the door open.

Flashes of different colors met his eyes and he had to squint at first before he could take anything in. His heart nearly stopped in his chest, but not from fear. Laid out before him, in the center of the room, was a gorgeous (and not too tall) Christmas tree with tons of lights wrapped around it. Some of the lights were hanging loosely around the tree and others tight. There were ornaments hanging from it, some of which Yuugi had never seen before. There was one that caught his eye that appeared to be a glass flower. He squinted and took a step closer examining the shape of the flower. It was the same as the flowers that were in the shop and in his locker.

Yuugi reached out his fingers to touch it, marveling at its beauty. He was so entranced by it he barely registered when it suddenly became dark as something warm was placed over his eyes. His breath caught in his throat even as something warm tickled the side of his neck.

"Do you like it?" a warm voice whispered in his ear.

Yuugi gasped and spun around, even as the hands came off of his eyes. He looked up into shining crimson eyes. He didn't even have to examine any further as he threw himself into Yami's arms, holding onto him tight as if he was afraid he'd vanish. Even as he buried his face into Yami's robe, tears of relief were creeping out of the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks. Finally, when he was certain he wasn't going to disappear, Yuugi pulled away only slightly to look up at him.

"Yami…! I can't believe you're here," Yuugi said in awe.

Yami chuckled deeply, his rich tone soothing the remains of Yuugi's sadness. His bright crimson eyes stared deeply into his, never wavering as his fingers brushed across the corners of his eyes to wipe the stray tears away.

"I thought…I thought you forgot about me," Yuugi whispered, his bottom lip trembling.

Yami's eyes softened considerably as he gently stroked Yuugi's cheek, "How could I forget someone as special as you, Yuugi? I told you we'd see each other again, didn't I?"

Yuugi smiled, his lip still trembling slightly, "I know, but I just didn't know how long it'd be. And I sent you a letter but you never answered."

Yami pulled back, smiling, "This is my answer. I received your letter three days ago when I still finishing my recovery. I wanted to reply to you right away, but I decided there was no point in replying if I was to take a vacation and return to you anyway. Besides, Yuugi, it isn't the letter we wish to receive, but the person."

Yuugi's eyes brightened, "You're right. I'm so glad you're here, Yami. But…how long are you staying? Are you allowed to take long vacations?"

Yami chuckled again, "There's no need to worry. I can stay here as long as I like, unless I am called back on an urgent note."

"So, will you be able to stay with me for Christmas and maybe longer?" Yuugi asked hopefully.

"Yes," Yami smiled down at him. "You can teach me all about this holiday and why people worship a tree."

Yuugi's face broke out into a large grin until he began giggling uncontrollably. Yami glanced at him in confusion but Yuugi just shook his head, not wanting to spoil the touching mood by teasing Yami quite yet. After all, they had plenty of time for that.

"Well, I suppose we have the rest of the evening to catch up, right? So, you want to know about Christmas?" Yuugi smiled, sitting down on the guest bed.

Yami followed suite and nodded, smiling at him. Yuugi took a deep breath and began telling him of the religious meaning behind it, how it was meant to celebrate the birth of Christ. He told him that nowadays people forget the true meaning of Christmas and focus more on the presents and eating food. Yami nodded, understanding the concepts.
"I understand that now," Yami said when Yuugi finished. "The ancestors of my people believed in many gods and worshipped them to help Egypt prosper. Faith is something that strengthens the human spirit, but I don't understand the tree."

Yuugi smiled in understand, "Well, it began about a thousand years ago in Germany with St. Boniface who converted all the Germans to Christianity. One day he came across a group of pagans who were worshipping as oak tree and he cut down out of anger because he felt they were worshipping the tree instead of God. But, as the story goes, a fur tree sprouted out the roots of the oak tree and St. Boniface thought that it was a sign from God. That's really how it began, but the first time a Christmas tree was brought inside was around the sixteenth century. I believe Martin Luther was the very first man to start decorating trees, and he brought the fur tree inside the house. So really it started in ancient times but it's become a tradition."

Yami tilted his head as he stared at the tree and nodded, "I understand now. That is a lot like my culture. The evergreen tree was highly valued by my people because it symbolized life for us. During the winter solstice, I remember my father brought in the green palm leaves in honor of life over death, or just being thankful for life. It marked a new beginning," Yami smiled in remembrance. "It's nice to have traditions."

Yuugi nodded with a smile, "It is. Actually…there are several traditions during Christmas besides the tree."

Yami blinked and turned to him. Yuugi smiled brightly in response, "There's the tradition of buying presents for people, wishing them a merry Christmas, having a Christmas dinner and singing carols."

"Then I have come at the right time," Yami smiled playfully.

Yuugi smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, and I'm sure grandpa will be thrilled to have company. Oh! And of course there's a Christmas party over at Ryou's house too, but that's not until Christmas Eve. Until then you can help me pick out presents and food, if you want."

"I would love to," Yami's expression softened again.

Yuugi smiled brightly, feeling his heart leap with joy. Yami's presence made everything so much better.

"Come on, it's just about dinner time. How about we eat dinner and then we'll go out to the store to buy some hot chocolate. That's something you need to try."

"Hot chocolate?" Yami blinked. "Is it a drink?"

Yuugi nodded, "It's a very good drink. Better than orange juice. Let's go eat first!" Yuugi exclaimed in excitement, grabbing Yami's hand and dragging him out of the room and down the stairs. He began talking about his plans for vacation and what he was thinking of buying for his friends. He was barely aware that he had finally found his spirit of Christmas.

TO BE CONTINUED…