Chapter Ten: Christmas Day

A/N: Hey all. I'm sorry to say that this is my last chapter for this fic, but don't worry, I have started to write a sequel for this fic, titling it School Dragons. That will be out as soon as I finish the first chapter. Anyways, this is the last chapter of this fic and I'm before my deadline. Oh well, as a parting gift and an early Christmas gift for you all, chibi dragons for everyone. Enjoy the last chapter and look out for School Dragons.

Joey raced home, beating the snow by only a little. The gentle hush came over Domino City again as he walking into his house. Niobe shivered as cold air blew against her and her human. She was beginning to hate this white thing on the ground. It was cold and not only was it cold but it mocked her. Niobe hissed at the ground before Joey closed the door inside his house. Switching his shoes for his bedroom sleepers, he ran quickly to his room and threw his bookbag on his bed. Niobe looked at the thrown bookbag and then at her human. Did that evil thing eat something important to him?

Joey sighed and reached over his head to put his hoodie off. Niobe shrunk down and waited to open her ruby eyes until after Joey was done removing the article of clothing. He tossed it in a pile along with his other clothes before stretching. "What's today?" he mumbled and looked at his alarm clock. He was thankful that it gave the date as well as the time. "Jeez, it's Christmas Eve. We had better get some sleep for tomorrow. Lots of gift opening and other fun things," he said and took of Niobe's bow.

She chirped again and flew off of his shoulder to his nightstand and moved something on it. It was the card she came out of. He took a hold of it and looked at where her picture was. His brown eyes went wide in shock. There was another Red Eyes Black Dragon who took her place. Joey looked at her and set the card back in his deck. "So you're permanent?" he asked and smiled at the use of a big word. Niobe seemed to have understood this and she made a purring and chirping noise mix again.

With a sigh, Joey sat next to his to his bookbag and opened it up. One by one he took out the gifts his friends had given him and set them on the desk. Niobe cowered as one of them was wrapped in a shiny gold paper. She didn't like wrapping paper one bit, especially the metallic kind. She climbed down the bedside table and watched as her human took a set of clothes and headed to the bathroom.

She moaned in sadness and curled up on his pillow, knowing that he'll be back. She looked at his schoolbooks and started to wonder why he had so many. She had never seen him open them up or do anything with them but stack them there after she came into his life. Well, that was a new adventure for her for another time maybe.

Joey walked back to his room dressed for bed and tossed the bookbag on the floor. He crawled into bed and turned off his lamp. Feeling his dragon's warm breath on his neck was soothing him so sleep as he heard a small noise come from her. "Oh, that's right. I'll be right back," he said and got out of his bed again. He came back a second later with a small bowl of milk for Niobe. She watched as he set it on the floor and sat down next to it. She flew over and drank the whole thing before giving her human a nibble on his finger.

With a laugh, boy and dragon had gone to bed. Joey pet his dragon as she slept peacefully. He couldn't wait until tomorrow but right now, he was happy as he was.

…

Niobe turned her head at the bright sun and hissed at it. Joey was still asleep and he had turned over in the night so the sun wasn't blaring in his eyes as it was to Niobe. She stretched a clawed arm and yawned, letting a smoke ring escape her mouth. Joey rolled over and immediately groaned. "The sun, it burns," he said as he grabbed another pillow and tossed it on his head. Niobe shrieked as she was pummeled with the pillow. This was not her morning. He crawled her way towards Joey's ear and made a chirping noise. "Five more minutes…" her human said. Niobe grew upset and chirped louder in his ear. Joey groaned and sat up, taking the pillow with him. Niobe stood up and shook like a dog as Joey looked around the room.

He yawned and Niobe watched as he stood up. He scratched his belly and sat in front on his TV. "What's today?" he mumbled and turned it on. Christmas music rang out throughout the room, scaring boy and dragon. Niobe screeched and Joey jumped from the music and Niobe's screech. He turned off his TV and looked at the panting Red Eyes. "Sorry Niobe, I forgot that it was blaring. Anyways, it's CHRISTMAS!" he yelled and grabbed his presents off of his desk.

Ripping them open one by one, he received a pack of strong cards from Yugi, a dark green sweater from Tea; Tristan gave him a new deck holder for his belt. He opened up a gift that didn't have a tag on who it was from and found a box of dog biscuits. "Kaiba…" he said menacingly and opened Mokuba's gift. Mokuba gave him Burn Out 3 for the PS2. Next came Rebecca's gift. "A book?" he questioned and opened it up. It was a dragon book based on fiction but it was dragons none-the-less. He smiled and flipped through the pages before opening up the other gifts. Duke gave him a new Dungeon Dice set and some new dice. Mai's gift was last and when he opened it up, he grinned. It was a picture of them from Battle City. "Thanks guys," he said and set the presents down.

Niobe watched as he ripped up the paper and joined in by ripping them up further. Oh she was having fun. She was destroying evil paper and she loved it. Joey opened up a package that was left out side of his bedroom door. He and his father quit talking and only saw each other when coming home, if the other wasn't asleep or out. Joey opened up the package and found his gifts from his sister and mother. He tossed the Styrofoam around inside the box and pulled out a smaller bow. Niobe dived inside the peanut filled bow and wrestled and jumped around in it enjoying herself. Joey laughed and pulled out a digital camera Serenity gave to him for his birthday and took five pictures. Niobe didn't care, she was having fun.

He opened up the smaller box and pulled out a bubble wrapped object. He unwrapped the bubble wrap and popped one, startling Niobe but as soon as she saw it, she went to attacking the noise creature, jumping on it to make the bubbles pop. Joey looked at the gift in his hand and saw that it was a porcelain picture frame and inside was the picture from when he gave his sister and mother their gifts. Niobe jumped back in the box and stopped when she found something.

It was another box but this one small and for Niobe. Joey opened it up for her and pulled out a very small collar. And on the collar was a small dragon tag with her name on it. Joey smiled and picked up Niobe. "Here girl, mom and Ren wanted you to have this necklace he said and put it on the happy dragon. Niobe looked at it as Joey put it on her and flew around the room in joy. Boy she was happy and she didn't even know why. She promptly went back into the box where their gifts came in and jumped around inside.

Joey smiled again and stood up sticking the pictures on his shelf. He set his new cards next to his deck, making a mental note to update his deck. He changed into a pair of blue jeans quickly and put on Tea's sweater. It fit him and Niobe chirped in surprise. Green was a good color for him. He picked up Niobe and set her on his shoulder as they went outside to see the snow.

Niobe watched as the snow fell lazily and purred. Joey grinned and pet his dragon's wing. "Merry Christmas Niobe." His dragon chirped her answer and nuzzled his cheek. This was one day she'll never forget.

A/N: There you have it. The last chapter. It's not over yet. I'm writing School Dragons so that will be up soon, so look out for it. Anyways, please review and Happy Holidays everyone!