Five Frightening Halloween Scenarios: In the Universes of Tree People, Grim Reapers, Sprites, Werewolves and Dragons

All AU ideas found from the tumblr bertlholders

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a little tree person followed you home, ate a bunch of your candy, and threw up on your couch AU

Kakashi staggered for a moment before righting himself, not missing the grimaces on the mothers' faces he passed. Clearly he was not being very covert about his drunken condition (damn Guy and his competitions). It would explain why he had that tick at the back of his head, like someone was watching him.

It was only when he was back at his apartment (after managing to find his keys just before kicking open the obstacle all together) when he turned and saw a small girl behind him. She held the bowl of sweets he had out in her tiny hands.

She had an intricate costume on. Pink blossoms coated her head and fell down to her shoulders in imitation of hair. She was dressed in what looked like bark, and her eyes reflected the few bright green leaves that sprung up haphazardly around her face, which she was stuffing without abandon with candy.

"Great, now I have to call the police," Kakashi mumbled before steeling himself and grabbing the phone. The tree-girl continued to eat the sweets, grin widening and eyes never moving from him.

Kakashi described her to the policeman and waited to see if there were any reports of missing children matching it. When there were none, and Kakashi became animated ("Really, she's like a small cherry tree! Someone must be missing her if they spent this long on her costume!"), the officer hung up. But not before saying he needed to sober up before trying to make him believe such a bogus claim again.

Kakashi did not have much time to feel angry, as the girl suddenly turned on the couch they were sitting, leaned over it, and promptly puked up what looked like two gallons of murky candy.

"I should be doing that, I'm the drunk one," he muttered dejectedly before looking at the girl who looked utterly miserable.

"At least you only got the back part a bit, the rest just… splattered all over the ground."

He shooed her off to the shower as he cleaned up the mess (nearly loosing his stomach a few times in the process). By the time he was done she was out, costume oddly reassembled. Regardless, she looked refreshed. She gave him a small smile as he picked her up to lie down on the couch; the smell barely lingered thanks to Kakashi's liberal use of cleaning materials.

"When we wake up, we'll figure this all bout. At least you'll feel better, unless sugar-hangovers are real."

The girl did not respond (oddly she still had not talked; Kakashi would think a kid would be loosing it right now), and Kakashi reached out to touch the flowers that consisted of her hair. It really was the most realistic costume he had ever encountered, or he was really drunk. It was probably both.

Kakashi woke up on the first of November. He groaned both because of his headache, but mostly at the remembrance on how he had acquired a small child. He swung his legs over and walked out, expecting to see wilted petals and a drooling girl, only to find a young woman and the pink flowers as vibrant as he remembered them being last night.

Kakashi must still be drunk. It was the only reasonable explanation.

"Good morning," the young woman chirped as she approached him, petals swaying as she moved.

Kakashi still could just stare.

"I'm sorry for making such a mess of myself last night," she said, and was she blushing? "I get a little carried away during Halloween. It's just so easy to become a little girl, and no one questions the way I look, and I get to have all that candy I can't otherwise have. I've tried growing it, trust me. Plus all my tree friends are going asleep, leaving me alone, and I get lonely. I hope you can understand."

Kakashi reached up and felt the petals underneath his fingers. They moved to face him as if he was the sun.

"My name is Sakura, by the way. Spirit of the forest, where I heal and help things grow. It's a pleasure to meet you…?"

"Kakashi."

"Hello, Kakashi" Sakura said, green eyes glimmering.

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grumpy reaper follows you around because you have really really bad luck and you eventually become good friends AU

Sakura watched eagerly as Kakashi crossed the street, nose deep into one of those little novels. Her eyes flicked to the oncoming truck, with the driver on his cellphone no doubt yelling at a loved one or roommate. The squeal of tires was unheard of by the man, his pace resolutely the same despite the oncoming danger.

But it was not meant to be, as the truck missed him by only inches, swerving off to nearly take out a fire extinguisher instead. The breeze of a death barely avoided moved silver hair momentarily like a warm summer breeze.

"You just continue to ruin my immortal life!" Sakura whined as he floated back to Kakashi's side.

She had been on this case for over a month; the man died nearly twice a day from various accounts daily. Yet still he had not perished so Sakura could finish her duty and go find another who reeked of death. She was not allowed to interfere with death, only to help the soul once its material body had vanished.

"Please, don't let my life get in your deathly way," Kakashi said as he resolutely ignored her, keeping his nose in his book.

"It'll happen eventually," Sakura said gloomily.

"Yes, lovely pink-haired guardian. I still think you're an angel, how else would I narrowly escape so many escapades?"

It was true. Despite death being her livelihood, Sakura marveled in the ways Kakashi seemed to absently avoid death. Be it from food poisoning, a spider bite, or just now with the truck.

Time passed, and soon Sakura belatedly realized it had been over four mortal months, and she was close friends with the man. It was not very hard, considering he lived a life of near seclusion. Despite being a professor and being surrounded by colleagues and youths alike, he preferred to remain alone.

Slowly Sakura realized that maybe he was not too bad, and maybe she had mistaken the type of death she had picked up from him.

Yes, he had terrible luck, and that showed in ways past his own almost-demises. His mother died when he was very young, his father not long after from deep depression and PTSD. His best friend and also first and only girlfriend had passed on as well. His luck seemed deadly to all except for him.

After learning all this through needling him, Sakura felt bad about haunting him.

"I should really go, leave you to it," she said one day sadly.

"Why?" Kakashi asked with a furrowed brow, finally looking up from his infernal books.

Sakura shrugged, twisting her fingers together nervously. Kakashi looked away from her and sighed.

"I'm not afraid to die," he started with. "In a way, I look forward to it. It's not because I'm depressed, I like life enough. But I look forward to seeing my parents, and my friends."

When Kakashi stood and reached for her, Sakura resisted the urge to shrink back. It did not matter what she did, as shown when his hand moved straight through her arm. His fist clenched where her heart had once been before it went back to his side.

"I also get to be where you are," Kakashi said with a smile that was hidden beneath his scarf.

Sakura smiled widely and moved closer to him, to better see his honest expression. She studied Kakashi in silence and resisted the urge to reach forward to try and touch him herself.

"I'll put in an application to work with me. You'll have a great jump in the game, as usually people have to wait until they're dead to enlist."

"Good thing I know such an amazing reaper on the inside," Kakashi said with a wink that had Sakura blushing; she did not even know she could still do that. She also did not think she could still feel this intense affection for the living.

"Well, I guess there's no rush," Sakura said with a shrug. "I can be patient."

"Want to go watch a movie?" Kakashi asked with a grin renewed.

"Why not? You don't have to pay for my ticket, and I don't need anything at the concession stand. I'm the cheapest date around."

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little nature sprite that wonders around your house and likes to take rides in your pockets AU

As much as Kakashi loved his dark forrest home, he adored Sakura's bright cottage. Here there was fresh baked goods and a pretty girl that did not run away from him in fear. He still did not know what scared so many people away: was it the spiky silver hair, the mismatched eyes, or his covered face? Personally, he thought himself quite a fetching sprite. Much better than his good spring sprite friend Guy who was positively obsessed with green.

"Good morning, Kakashi," Sakura said drowsily as she appeared in the kitchen and started making them some cups of tea. Because of his current size, Kakashi's cup was a thimble. But soon that would be changing.

"It's officially the first day of fall," he voiced in return from the counter, legs swinging under him absently.

"Ah, now I see why you're so chipper," Sakura said as she went up to him, offering him her hand. He eagerly hopped onto it and held fast to her thumb as she brought him to her breast pocket. He jumped in eagerly, silver hair poking back up a moment later.

"It's going to be great," he said before taking the tea she offered, holding fast to the fabric with his other.

"Oh yes, I can't wait for you to get bigger so you can menacingly loom over me," Sakura said with a laugh that shook Kakashi's entire frame. "At least I can wear shirts without pockets for a while. And yes, you do make the most wonderful snowflakes, but then the house becomes an icebox. Sometimes I like you more in summer when you're small and weak."

"But then I can't make ice sculptures of you," Kakashi whined from the pocket.

"There is that," Sakura said thoughtfully.

The silver sprite smiled as Sakura lifted her index finger to her lips, kissed it, and then pressed it against his cheek. Even though he was probably too small for her to notice it, Kakashi was glad his mask covered his blush.

In truth, Kakashi was especially happy to grow taller and bigger this year as his season approached. At the end of fall he had decided he was going to tell Sakura just how much he loved and appreciated her. He had met Sakura three summers ago, when she had been exploring the forest. She had found him, hibernating in the pathetic size of a pebble, and had taken him home. Kakashi had awoken surrounded in ice water and had never been more thankful in his life. Despite his endless years of existence, it did not make each summer easier to deal with.

And so Kakashi had decided to stick around, and Sakura decided to allow him.

Kakashi still had to return to his forrest, especially to begin the onset of winter, but he always made a point to see daily Sakura. Some of the fellow sprites made fun of him for getting engrossed in a young human whose life was but a blink for them, but Kakashi could not stay away. He did not care that she had odd pink hair or was a young mortal. He grew to love her all the same.

So Kakashi waited out the brisk days of fall, riding around in Sakura's pockets contently. He made sure to never get seen when she took him to the hospital she worked at or the market. Soon he was too big to fit, and so moved to sit on her shoulder or head. Then he became tall enough to stand up to her waist, and Sakura cooed over his childish appearance.

Soon enough it was almost the end of fall and Kakashi had only a few more inches to grow until he was at his full size and ability. Usually this was the time he stopped getting physically close to Sakura, but he continued on with the behavior long after he would usually stop.

"What's this about, Kakashi?" Sakura asked one morning as she made tea for them. Kakashi stood behind her, chin proper on her shoulder and arms snuggly crossed around her waist.

"I just love you is all," Kakashi said cheerily before he pressed his masked mouth to her cheek.

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your werewolf bf has fleas AU

Sakura adored Kakashi. How could she not?

She enjoyed the way he stood over her, tall enough to comfortably rest his chin on her head and wrap his arms around her when she attempted to cook them some dinner (he was always way better at it). She enjoyed his thick silver hair that she could effortlessly run her fingers through. She enjoyed the way he snuggled close to her at night, nose pressed against her neck and snuffling softly as he slept.

She did not, however, appreciate how he had fleas.

Sakura had been aware of his unique 'condition' ever since the beginning, when she had nearly been attacked by a wild animal only to be saved by another furry beast. He had been fully transformed at the time, huge silver body two times her size and no doubt three times as heavy. But he had not hurt her after saving her from the bear. Instead the wolf crept closer, ears perked in clear interest.

That afternoon Sakura had reached forward to touch him, and they had been inseparable since.

"Kakashi, we need to talk."

The (currently) man turned to her, eyebrows up and expectant. Sakura had always thought it quirky how he favored silence and body language to convey a point rather than just talking.

"You know I love you," she began with as she sat next to him on the couch.

Instinctively, he reached over and grabbed her hand in his. He gave a sole, solemn nod for her to continue. His eyebrows were now furrowed in concern.

"And living with you has been, simply put, great. All that meat you bring back from your hunts has really cut down on my grocery expenses. And you really are the best type of heat source during this past winter."

Kakashi's chest puffed out in pride, a slight smirk on his rugged face.

"So what I'm going to say might be a little hard to take, but you need to hear it," Sakura said, breaking off to take a deep breath.

She knew it should not be this hard to tell her boyfriend to get some flea-medication for their nonexistent dog at some veterinary. But Sakura always had the problem of over thinking things: what if Kakashi was offended that she was not accepting him, fleas and all?

"Sakura, just tell me what's wrong," Kakashi said roughly as he reached up with his free hand, resting it against the side of her face.

In response, she smiled softly and leaned into his large palm. Sakura opened her mouth to say what needed to be said, but then she saw it.

A flea.

Thinking fast, she brushed aside his hand on her face and reached forward to whack him. She had seen the flea crawling near his temple, and she was not going to let it get away.

Kakashi let out a high-pitched yip, its tone a mixture of shock and pain. Sakura ignored him for the moment to grab the flea, using her nails to pinch off its blood-sucking little head. Its body twitched gruesomely before it went still.

"Sakura," Kakashi whined out, holding the side of his face she had ruthlessly slapped. "Is this some weird new human-way to break up?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura lifted her hand that held the parasite's carcass and pointed at it meaningfully. Kakashi leaned forward before grinning sheepishly at her, shoulders hunched up to his ears at being caught red-handed. Although, Sakura was truly the one red-handed, what with the squished blood and everything.

"They keep biting me."

Kakashi frowned and sighed, the hand pressed against his face dropping away.

"I hate that place," he said with a growl. "All those overpowering smells and animals in cages."

"Kakashi- I've explained this. They're there to get better. Humans can help animals. I've helped you integrate better into society, haven't I? You would never have gotten the hang of can openers without me. Now you don't seem like a wild man."

Kakashi huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine, I'll go and get that smelly medicine."

"That's my perfect werewolf boyfriend," Sakura cooed as she kissed his cheek, a smirk on her face.

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someone left a baby dragon on your porch AU

Sakura inelegantly groaned when she saw the little life on her door step. It slept ignorantly on in a wicker basket paced with a blush red blanket, smoke curling up from its muzzle as it snored.

It was actually becoming quite a problem, these dragons left on doorsteps. It was a new fad in the neighboring country to hunt dragons without mercy, and they had come into the neighboring great village of Konoha to seek refuge. Yet most of these dragons only wanted a safe place for their child before returning back to their nation, in hopes that they could fight against the hunters and restore their homeland.

Because if anything, dragons were stubborn and sulky and did not take no for an answer when they wanted something. Especially when they loved it.

Crouching down by the basket, Sakura noted there was a note. She realized this dragon's father must have been quite a powerful one, if he could transform into a human form (the letter and its neat handwriting proved it). This one would also probably be able to shift once he grew up. Sakura opened the note and read:

'His name is Kakashi. His mother was killed by hunters and I go now to avenge her, and then join her. Please take care of my son.'

"And they're noble to a fault," Sakura muttered to herself before glancing back at the slumbering creature.

This dragon had picked out a good place in hopes of a better life for his son. Sakura lived on the outskirts of the city, where she could grow all the herbs she needed for her healing potions. While she had been quite the adventurer in past years, she had decided that a life of medical knowledge and study was more to her tastes. So she took all the gold from plundering, bought this large property, and set up shop.

Friends and patients often visited her, but she was usually content in her solitude. The two close friends who had campaigned across the countryside with her, Naruto and Sasuke, were off still doing that.

Sighing, and knowing that she really never had any choice (especially with how his silver scales glistened beautifully), she reached forward and took the basket inside with her. She set it down in her living room and picked up a book. She was sure that despite its young age, the dragon would be quite scared when he woke up in a foreign place. So she hunkered down and waited, a few buckets of water strategically placed around the room if he got more than a little defensive.

After hearing a slight gurgle, and then a chirp like a young sparrow, Sakura looked over and saw the little beast was awake. It stared at her with tired dark eyes, its long tongue darting out briefly to smell around him.

"Hello there, little Kakashi," Sakura voiced, and it perked the dragon's interest. Slowly, he moved out of the basket, winged arms tucked close to his lanky body as his long tail behind him swayed back and forth.

"My name is Sakura and I'm going to take good care of you," she continued to say kindly as she marked her place in her book and set it aside.

He blinked at her slowly again before moving closer. Sakura almost jumped in shock as he leaped up onto the couch aside of her. It sniffed at her once, tongue flicking out to tickle her cheek, before lumbering into her lap.

Sakura stared in shock as he curled into himself, long tail wrapping around Kakashi's small body before tucking comfortably behind one of her knees. Hesitatntly, she reached out and began stroking his wild mane of silver hair, careful not to snag his nubby little horns or small, perked ears.

"Well then," Sakura said in astonishment as the dragon then seemed to vibrate, a deep rumbling coming from his chest and smoke curling out of his muzzle again. Kakashi nuzzled his face closer into her hand, body closer to her stomach to obviously seek more warmth and affection.

"I think I'm going to love you quite a lot, Kakashi," Sakura said.

The dragon chirped in agreement.


Word Count: 700 word each; 3,500 total
Posted: 10.12.2014