Shandy: Sorry we weren't able to respond last time.
Candy: We have a lot to respond to now!
whitlaw123: Thank you!
GGMJ: Thanks so much!
Guest: That's ok. XD I'm not the best speller in the world. Thanks for telling me about my spelling mistake.
Amanda27A.g: I shall give it to you!
dr-fanmai-lover (Guest): Yes, I know that. :)
foxchixk1: Prepare for the thought to thicken. *laughs evilly and rubs hands together*
Jaystarfighter: Way thank you! I'm so happy that you enjoy this!
KawaiiFanfictionLover: That's ok. And Bakura isn't promising anything. ;)
Darkhorse Douglas: Afraid you'll have to suffer through the next two chapters or so for that to happen, but we are getting close! I promise!
Shandy: Now that that's done with-
Candy: Onto the story!
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"Wow! A bakery!" Ryou said in awe. Adrien was free that day and they decided that it would be nice to hang out with Marinette and Yugi after school. Yugi giggled.
"Yup!" She said skipping to the front door while popping her p.
"Bet that Yami's had a hard time dealing with your sugar highs." Yugi blushed and pointedly opened the door, not responding to Ryou.
"Maman, Papa, I brought some friends over!" Marinette said as the bell above the door jingled.
"Oh, hello Adrien!" Sabine said sweetly. "Go on up dearies. Take whatever you need- I suppose you'll be up in Marinette's room?" She smiled innocently and Marinette was suddenly reminded of one major important detail. Posters, pictures, and her backdrop…
"Actually, we'll be in my room." Yugi saved Marinette from her embarrassment. "We might move to Mari's later, though."
"Alright, I'll see you soon!" They all waved as they walked up the stairs to the next few floors, eventually making their way to Yugi's room. Marinette thanked Yugi in her mind as the door closed behind them. As Yugi and Ryou were sitting next to each other on the bed, Yami and Bakura both projected themselves, very hostile to each other as they sat on complete opposite sides of the room, not once breaking eye contact.
"… They really hate each other, don't they?" Adrien asked, sitting down on the floor with Marinette.
"Hate isn't even a good word." Yugi said.
"Loath I think is better." Ryou amended, but Yugi shook her head.
"Nah, worse than loath."
"Hmm…"
"I guess the only way to describe it besides Kaiba's hatred of loosing to Yami and I, is to say that they hate each other more than how long their spirits have walked the earth." Ryou nodded seriously.
"Still, you have to admit that it's hot." She admitted, and Yugi giggled in agreement. Adrien's eyebrows shot up when neither Bakura or Yami looked away from the other or responded to their lovers. If Ladybug had said that about him, he would've at least winked at her and said 'Only for you, my lady'. Then again, they were already in a relationship, whereas he still had yet to win her heart.
Meanwhile, Marinette's mind was still wrapping around Adrien sitting next to her, and with Yugi and Ryou's added comments, a situation where Adrien would be doing the same for her flooded her mind and her face instantly jumped from two shades of red to a million.
"Wow, Mari, are you okay?" Yugi asked, noticing the sudden change.
"Fine am I- no, I mean- I fine am- NO! I mean-" she cleared her throat, resolving to stare at her lap in shame. "'M fine…."
"Oh, alright then!" Then Yugi blinked. "Wait, something's off… oh! Here let me get some chairs for you two." She outstretched her hand and focused, Ryou watching in awe as some strange light began to float around Yugi's fingers. This was what actually caused Yami to look away from Bakura, the other spirit observing from the corner of his eye. Sweat was beginning to form on her forehead when two lawn chairs appeared out of thin air. Whatever she was doing, she stopped and collapsed on the bed, Yami instantly floating to her side.
"Aibou, you should take a nice long rest- I told you you weren't ready for materializing yet." He lightly scolded.
"What was that?!" Adrien exclaimed, stars in his eyes as he watched on. "That was sooooo amazing!" He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be calm and collected Adrien Agreste, so Marinette was staring at him in shock before she giggled at how cute he was being- and Ryou mentally applauded Yugi. She had managed to get everyone to loosen up and not watch themselves, which was imperative to their plan: Marichat! Or… Adrinette? Ladrien? Ladynoir? They still hadn't come up with a good name for it yet… They'd find out later.
"But Mou Hitori No Boku~" she almost whined. "It doesn't feel right for people taller than me to look up at me!" Ryou, Yami, and Bakura's eyes widened (though Bakura vehemently denied it) at the fact that Yugi was actually talking about her height this way- any time a short joke was made she would be sour, but now? She giggled at their faces and Marinette and Adrien laughed along at the joke, sitting down carefully in the chairs.
"How did you do that?" Marinette asked.
"Well, Yami explained that because I'm his light and he has magic, that I should have magic too." Yugi explained as she sat up, leaning on Yami who remained at her side, his arm draped around her. "We started practicing a week or two before I came here, so I haven't gotten much progress done." She shook her head. "Anyway, we're here to ask questions and have fun!" 'And to get you two together.' Adrien and Marinette smiled and nodded in agreement- Yugi doing her best to hide a very Yami-like smile.
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Nothing.
One full afternoon of hanging out and learning about each other, and yet nothing. No Marinette saying 'Wait, you like Ladybug?!' Or Adrien saying 'Wait… Ladybug?!' NOTHING!
Though, none of that hard work was taken for granted- no, they were actually closer as friends now. Friends. Only friends…
And it remained that way. For months. For them, Christmas had just passed and it was another day or two until the new year. Ryou and Adrien's fathers had agreed that they could spend the holidays with Marinette, Yugi, and the rest of their family. Bakura hated everything except the mistletoe and having Ryou with him underneath it, and Yami watched everything curiously. Adrien and Marinette were even able to watch one of their infamous shadow duels- Bakura had sprung one up on a girl who was making fun of Ryou's hair, and Yami had grudgingly allowed them access to watch how they worked.
Today, though, had started out as a normal day- that is, until they saw IT.
Yugi had been wearing her comfy black and red hand-made sweater from Marinette when she read the news, spitting her hot chocolate miraculously back into the cup and not at Ryou's face or the paper.
"Yugi?" Ryou asked. "What is it?" Yugi cleared her throat, beginning to read what the news said.
"We are pleased to announce of a new exhibit that will be shown here, in Paris, France. It is strictly Egyptian and about some old myths that surround the Nameless Pharaoh and Millenium Items. Ishizu Ishtar, the woman responsible for these tablets, claims to have held them in Japan long enough and that now was the time to continue showing the tablets to the world." Ryou also spat her hot chocolate out, not-so-miraculously onto the floor.
"WHAT?!" She exclaimed.
"And we haven't even found anything that could help our case!" Yugi added, tossing the newspaper carelessly onto the table between them. "Ishizu must've scared them all off- she's going to be insistent that we do it now. No one can understand!" She almost cried, tears coming to her eyes. Yugi stubbornly wiping them away, as though to ignore them.
"Ishizu is so set on what she thinks is right and telling the rest of our friends anything but the truth will be selfish, and after that they'll all be disgusted and claim that we had been lying to them all along! Ryou- wh-what do we do?!" Honestly, they were the only ones that could do anything. If Yami or Bakura were to try to convince Ishizu otherwise she would insist on it harder that it was the correct path. Ryou stood up and walked over to her friend, tears of her own escaping her eyes.
"I-I don't know, Yugi…" She muttered. "I don't know."
Tikki watched from her perch on one of the shelves, Plagg munching on some festive Camembert beside her.
"Plagg…"
"Wut?" Plagg looked at his best, and closest, friend with a mouth full of food, and he subconsciously swallowed it and cleared his throat. "Tell me what's on your mind, Tikki darling."
"Their also like Yin and Yang… like us, Plagg." She muttered. "If Ryou and Yugi are light and Bakura and Yami are dark, then whoever this Ishizu person is or the Ceremonial Duel business is not influenced by the fates- she must have an ulterior motive."
"So?" Plagg asked, edging her on, though he perfectly agreed with her.
"If she won't help them get a win-win situation, then… is there a possible way for us to help them achieve it?" Plagg choked on his Camembert, staring at his love in shock.
"Though you're the last person I'd ever expect to think about it, I believe so." He answered honestly. "We'd have to talk to Master Fu, though. He'd help us decide which method is better."
"You have a point… for once."
"Hey, hey! Just because I love this Camembert doesn't mean I can't have good ideas!" He exclaimed. Tikki giggled and then shivered as a door opened and closed, signifying Ryou leaving Yugi's room to go and get some more hot cocoa and cookies. Plagg's gaze softened, and he sat closer to her, wrapping his paws around her. "Here."
"Thanks, kitty." Tikki muttered, a faint hue of red on her cheeks. If Plagg noticed, he didn't comment, proceeding to purr as they stayed there for a while longer.
"Your welcome, darling."
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