I woke up to a sudden chill this morning. Ever since our first day at school, it’s been one adventure after the other! Oh, let me introduce myself! My name is Itsuki Kiriyama, but everyone calls me Jessie. Today’s adventure was something me and others weren’t expecting AT ALL! I shivered again, when I finally sat up in my bed….
I yawned loudly as I stretched my arms. I immediately clapped them around myself as I felt a slight chill in my room. “Geez, it’s cold in here! What’s the temperature in here?”, I asked myself, sliding on a pair of bedroom slippers as I walked over to the temperature gauge, seeing it say as clear as day that it was lower than 45 degrees. “What?!”, I exclaimed, walking over towards my room balcony. I tore the curtains apart as I looked outside, my eyes widening to see a wonderland of white. I gasped and said, “It’s snowing!” I heard a beeping noise over towards my right, noticing my PDA had just received a message. I looked at it and read: “To all students, due to the snowfall last night, all classes shall be cancelled for the next couple of days. Stay warm, stay safe, and have fun! Signed, Chancellor Yugi Muto.” My eyes lighted up when I read that. I immediately darted out of my room and practically attempted to beat down Crystal and Onyx’s door across the hallway.
“Crystal, Onyx, Mikey, open the door! I got news to tell you! Come on, open up!”, I exclaimed. I heard the door click as Mikey opened the door wide open. He yawned softly and said, “Jessie, its only 6 o’clock. Classes don’t start until 7…OOPH!” I had immediately pounced him to the floor and showed him the message. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Snowfall? What does that mean?” I hopped off of him and ran over to the balcony doors, pulling the curtains back to reveal the campus grounds covered in snow. His eyes widened when he saw all the snow. “Whoa! I knew it was going to be cold last night, but I wasn’t expecting snow! Crystal, Onyx, wake up!”, he exclaimed.
Crystal grumbled as she sat up in her bed. She looked over at the clock and said, “Mikey….it’s 6 in the morning. Classes don’t even start for another hour.” I grinned as I picked up some snow off the balcony and chucked it at Crystal, hitting her in the face. “Wake up, sleepyhead! It snowed last night! NO SCHOOL TODAY!”, I said. Crystal shook her head furiously to remove the snow off her, and then saw the sight in front of her. “Whoaaa….Onyx! Wake up! Snow day!”, she said, ripping his blanket away. Onyx sat up in his bed and looked over at Crystal. “Did you say snow day?”, he asked.
“I did.”, Crystal replied. With a quick hop out of bed, he bolted out of the bedroom door with a t-shirt & a pair of boxers on with a happy face. Crystal slapped her forehead and groaned, realizing the mistake she just made. “Darn it, not again…”, she stated. “Where on Earth did he go?”, Mikey said with a confused look on his face. “Look outside, you might see him.”, she replied, pulling her blankets away and sliding on a pair of bedroom slippers. “Outside!? Without ANY clothes at all?!”, I exclaimed, looking out the window to see Onyx running around happily in the snow. “Onyx’s fur is thicker than mine, so this weather means nothing to him. He is really bad for doing that back home.”, Crystal replied, going to her wardrobe to take out a pair of white jeans, a pink turtleneck sweater, and a winter Slifer Red jacket. “Pardon me, guys. I’m going to take a quick shower.”, she said, stepping into the bathroom.
“Ok, Crystal!”, I replied, smiling happily. I then turned to Mikey and said, “After we get all dressed, wanna have a snowball fight with me, Mikey?” Mikey smiled and said, “Sure that sounds like fun! I’ll meet you downstairs after Crystal is done.” I smiled and nodded as I skipped back to my room. I skipped over to my wardrobe and pulled out a pair of black thigh-high socks, a pink skirt, the winter Slifer Red jacket, and a long sleeve t-shirt that was the color blue. I laid them out neatly on my bed then bounded into the bathroom to take a quick shower.
A few minutes had passed. When I stepped into my bedroom, I quickly slipped on the clothes and heard a knock at my door. I slipped into my jacket immediately and stepped out the door, seeing Crystal and Mikey waiting for me…
“Thanks for waiting for me, guys. What’s with the clothes, Crystal?”, I had asked, noticing a bundle of clothes under her arm. She sighed softly and said, “They’re for Onyx. If I don’t catch him soon, he’ll NEVER put on any clothes. He has to remember that this is not home, and he can get in serious trouble doing that.” I nodded and said, “Guess you’re right about that. Let’s get going!” I skipped down the hallway to the elevator, Crystal and Mikey walking behind me as I stepped in. I pressed the button and the elevator doors slid to a close, lowering us down to the bottom floor. With a small ding, the doors opened wide, and I hopped out of the elevator once more. I ran over to the front doors and opened them wide to be welcomed by a cold wind.
“Wow, we certainly got a good amount of snow last night! And it’s still snowing….I figure we have at least 5 inches worth of snow, if not more.”, Mikey stated, readjusting the glove he always wore on his right hand. Crystal immediately stepped out of the building and looked around, obviously looking for her brother. I looked around and smiled when I saw my older brother and Leslie in the distance. “Oi, Ben! Leslie! Over here!”, I exclaimed, watching the two walk over to us.
“Morning, everyone. Are you all keeping warm?”, Ben asked. “Well, most of us. You two didn’t happen to see my brother out here, did you?”, Crystal asked. Leslie chimed in and said, “Yes, we did. He was actually making a snowman out by the Duel Runner Arena….HALF-NAKED. Prof. Fudo saw him and he ran off in this direction. I figured he would be nearby here.” Ben nodded in agreement, and Crystal immediately began to look in the nearby vicinity. She felt a large drop of snow plop on her head, and she looked immediately up in a nearby tree to see Onyx climbing up it to try and reach their room. She growled and handed me the bundle of clothes she had for him, then scooped up a handful of snow, patting it down into a snowball.
“You never learn….DO YOU, ONYX?!”, she yelled, throwing the snowball at her brother, getting a yelp from him as he slipped and fell back down on top of her. “Oww….that hurt….”, he said. Onyx clicked his teeth and looked up at the dorm and said, “And I was so close too…” Crystal frowned and looked up at her brother. “Do you mind getting off my back?!”, she exclaimed. Onyx looked down and jumped slightly. “Oh crud, the fuzz! Run away!”, he replied, running immediately in a different direction. Crystal growled as she took the clothes back from me and said, “Onyx Sairenji, get back here!” With a kick of snow, she disappeared from where she stood, chasing off after her brother.
Leslie tilted his head from seeing Onyx laugh as Crystal continued to chase him, then turned to Mikey and said, “They are an odd bunch, aren’t they?” Mikey shrugged and replied, “They live a carefree life, as far as I can tell.” I giggled and said, “I like them. They’re funny.”
Meanwhile, back with Crystal and Onyx….
“Onyx, stop! This isn’t funny! You’re gonna catch your death of cold!”, Crystal said, panting heavily as she continued chasing her brother. Onyx laughed as he looked back at her and said, “Relax, sis! My fur is thicker than yours! This snowfall is nothing to me!” Crystal shook her head and said, “Simple excuses! You need to put on your clothes!” Onyx laughed, then his attention immediately turned to someone who was walking in their direction. He squinted his eyes, then smiled when he saw their new friend Robin heading for them. “Hey, Robin! Good morning!”, he said, waving at her. Robin waved back, but then saw the scene in front of her. “What on Earth is going on here?”, she asked. “Robin, grab him! NOW!”, Crystal exclaimed. Robin reacted quickly, dropping a package she was carrying and immediately tackled Onyx to the ground.
“Hey, let me go!”, Onyx stated, his path of vision getting blocked by Crystal’s shadow. She held up his Slifer Red jacket, an orange sleeveless sweater, a pair of pants and shoes. She immediately pounced on him and placed each piece of clothing on. “Now, don’t struggle! This is for your own good!”, she stated, sliding Onyx’s head through the sweater. With a few passing seconds, Robin and Crystal stood to their feet, Onyx still lying on the ground fully clothed. He sighed as he stood to his feet as well and said, “Well, fun’s over. So, Robin. What brings you over to our side of the island?”
“Oh, that’s right! Where is it? Where is it? …There!”, she said, walking over to the package she had dropped. She opened it to show a few cookies, warm soup, and fresh bread. “I thought you and the others might like this. It’s fresh from the Exodia Purple cafeteria. I know that the school is still a tad biased with things like food.”, she replied. Onyx took one of the cookies from the package and nibbled on it slightly. His face light up like a Christmas tree and he looked at Robin and said, “This is delicious! And you were just gonna give it to us?”
“Sure. With the snow, all the classes are closed and the Duel Runner Arena is off-limits, so I thought I’d come and hang out with you guys.”, Robin said, turning towards the Slifer Red dorm, Onyx & Crystal following her. “It sure was nice of you to think of us like that, Robin.”, Crystal said. Robin chuckled and said, “It’s no problem at all.” While Robin and the others were traveling back towards the Red Dorm, trouble was brewing nearby…
Mikey flinched when another snowball flew over his snow fort and hit him directly in his chest. I laughed and said, “Got’cha, Mikey! Ready to surrender now?” My answer came back with a snowball plopping right in my face. “Not at all, Jessie! I’m just getting warmed up!”, Mikey replied, already rolling up another snowball. I immediately hurried to make another snowball, looking out of the corner of my eye to see Leslie & Ben watch me and Mikey play. I threw the snowball, surprised that I missed Mikey altogether, yet out of nowhere, a loud yell was heard from behind Mikey.
“What on Earth was that?”, Mikey stated. I walked over to Mikey and squinted my eyes, seeing the silhouette of a person in the snow. I thought it was Onyx from the first glance, but once the person came closer to us, I could make out who it was. “It’s Dash!”, I said, backing up slightly. Ben & Leslie heard me say his name, and they immediately ran over to me and Mikey. Dash walked up, his face red in anger from the snowball. He scooped up the remains on his head and said, “Which one of you rejects hit me with this?”
“I did. Sorry about that!”, I said with a smile. Dash growled when I said that. He immediately walked in my direction, only to get blocked by Mikey. “Leave her alone, Dash! It was just an accident!”, Mikey said. “Of course it was an accident. Now there will be another accident….ONE THAT’LL PUT HER IN THE INFIRMARY!”, he snapped. Ben immediately started to move, but Leslie stopped him. He shook his head and said, “Let Mikey handle it.” Mikey frowned and said, “You are very pitiful, Dash. Taking out pointless anger on a child? You should be ashamed of yourself!” Dash smirked at Mikey, and then laughed loudly. “You’re right, I should! But I’m not. What will you do about it, runt?”, he retorted.
“Mikey! Jessie! What’s going on over there!?”, a voice rang out. I looked over in the direction it came from to see Robin, Onyx, and Crystal running over to us. Dash snarled when he saw Onyx & Crystal show up. “Well, if it isn’t the Slifer slacker twins! Came to save your friend?”, Dash stated. Onyx shook his head and said, “I should’ve known. Dash, what trouble did you come to start this time?” Dash frowned and said, “I haven’t started anything, Sairenji. It’s that little klutz over there that has started the trouble.” He pointed over to me, and I immediately hid behind Mikey.
“You should be ashamed, Dash! She’s just a kid! Whatever happened was an accident!”, Robin stated. Dash lifted an eyebrow at Robin and said, “If it isn’t Robin Okazuya. How on Earth did you get tied up with these losers?!” Robin frowned at that and said, “They happen to be my friends. And I do not appreciate you calling them losers, Dash.” Dash smirked at Robin, returning his attention to Mikey who was still standing in his way. “Step aside, kid. You don’t wanna get hurt, do you?”
“No way, Dash.”, Mikey replied, standing his ground. Dash growled, but a loud whistle was heard before he could move. He turned to see Mr. Wheeler and Prof. Jaden walking up behind him. “Alright, you kids! Break it up! No need for violence!”, Joey said, walking right behind Dash. “He’s right. There is no need for senseless violence….RIGHT, DASH?”, Jaden stated, looking directly at Dash. Dash frowned, and then ran off immediately to the Obelisk Dorm, giving Mikey one last ugly look before vanishing inside the building. I sighed softly then looked at Mikey and said, “Thank you, Mikey.”
“Hey, it’s no problem at all, Jessie. I can’t stand bullies who pick on kids.”, Mikey said, patting my head gently. I giggled softly, then hopped up and kissed his cheek gently. Mikey’s face turned beet red as he ran back into the dorm, embarrassed from that. Crystal nudged me in the arm and said, “I think he likes you, Jessie.” I giggled and said, “Really? He is kinda cute.”
“Well, looks like everything turned out just fine! For once, no trouble this time!”, Onyx said. Robin nodded in agreement as they all walked into the Slifer Red dorm. Jaden and Joey stood out by the steps as the students walked inside, closing the door behind them. “It’s a good thing we came when we did. Otherwise, Dash would’ve seriously hurt that girl. How did you know they were in trouble, Joey?”, Jaden asked, walking over to his dorm room. “Another one of the teachers came and told me. Apparently, she was watching the entire thing going down. She said that since it wasn’t her students in trouble, she couldn’t interfere.”, Joey replied.
“Oh? Who was she?”, Jaden asked. “The headmaster of Exodia Purple. It was her that told me.”, Joey said. Jaden flinched when Joey said that. He turned to him immediately and said, “This conversation never happened, Joey. The Exodia Purple Headmaster’s identity is known only to Chancellor Yugi and her Co-Headmaster Yami Nomura. It is a rule that her identity stays a secret.” Joey raised an eyebrow when Jaden said that. “I know that! And of course I won’t say a single word! Yugi would hate me forever if he knew I let that secret slip.”, Joey replied.
“Good. You may go now.”, Jaden said. Joey nodded, then closed Jaden’s room door behind him. Jaden looked up towards the ceiling and thought of how things may end up going for his students at this rate.
The day passed quickly, and the snow finally came to a stop. I had fun hanging out with my friends today, all of us talking about our dreams and our passions for dueling. Most of the time, however, we spent the time laughing at Onyx who was still scarfing down more and more food, on his 16th plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Out of the corner of my eye, however, I saw Mikey with a blank expression on his face, as if he was deep in thought. I thought about asking him what was wrong, but I figured it was best to leave him alone. Robin, Leslie, and Ben finally left for their dorm rooms, and I retired to my own, not knowing what was occurring in Crystal, Mikey, and Onyx’s room…
“W-What did you say, Mikey?”, Onyx said in surprise. Mikey sighed deeply as he picked up his PDA and said, “Dash sent me a message during supper. He challenged me to a duel tomorrow at the lake. He’s still sore about what happened today….why is he so cruel? What could’ve happened to him that made him like this?” Onyx frowned and crossed his arms, going into deep thought on everything Mikey had said. “Well then, you know what this means, right? You gotta duel him to try and open him up!”, Onyx stated with a confident grin. Mikey facefaulted when Onyx said that. “T-This isn’t an anime, Onyx! Life doesn’t work that way! Dash must’ve gone through a lot to become the person he is now!”, Mikey exclaimed.
“So what? A duel brings out a person’s true feelings! So, if you want to learn more about Dash, that’s the best way to figure out how!”, Onyx said. Crystal walked out of the bathroom in a pair of nightclothes, drying her hair with a towel. “I heard everything from the shower. Onyx’s right: it’s the only way to settle things.”, she stated. Mikey sighed and said, “You might be right, guys.” Onyx nodded in agreement. “I also want to know more about Dash. It seems like this personality of his might originate from something deeper…”, he said.
The trio continued to talk about Mikey’s duel tomorrow late into the night. I hadn’t the slightest idea what was going on, but even I could tell while I slept that things were about to heat up once more….
