A/N: It was a long, lousy day at work today, so I am posting this chapter to celebrate the end of Hump Day. Hope it brightens up your week.

Important chapter! Is this... plot development?!

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters belong to Konami and are the creative property of Kazuki Takahashi. This is a work of fanfiction.


Ghost

Chapter 10

The group arrived at the fairground with the celebration in full swing. Children weaved between their legs as they hurried with candy and prizes, and brightly lit stands sold food and refreshments. The delicious aromas from countless different sources filled the air, and the noise level was high. Serenity loved it.

She had spent most of the train ride chatting with Tristan, catching up on his exploits. He had taken a job with a construction company to help him pay for college, and he was nearly finished with a management degree in the very same field. She was very proud of him.

Serenity waited in line with Téa for a shaved ice, loving the atmosphere of celebration. She occasionally attended summer festivals with her friends back home, but was thrilled to experience it with her brother and his group. Besides, no one did Obon like Domino City.

Snacks in hand, the two girls rejoined the boys, cheering them on as they enthusiastically took on various carnival games. As usual, Yugi dominated everything he touched, and Tristan aced a sharpshooter game. Joey failed to catch a goldfish seven separate times and claimed loudly to anyone who would listen that the game was rigged. The evening pressed on as darkness fell, and the warm temporary lighting glowed on the crowds.

Festival revelers pressed in closely on all sides, and Kaiba felt claustrophobic. Serenity was now hurrying through the throngs, clutching her shaved ice as she weaved skillfully past children and couples alike. Her cotton yukata, borrowed from Téa, prevented her from taking very large steps, but her excitement propelled her through the multitude of people nevertheless.

"Serenity!" Joey exclaimed over the heads in the crowd. "Where're you goin'?" Serenity spun around and delivered a dazzling smile before pushing on and out of sight. The older brother just shook his head in bemusement before turning back to his conversation in the food line. He would send her a text later to find her.

The girl in question had found a gap in the crowd and was slowing her pace. She bit into a spoonful of her sweet snack, meandering over toward the river's edge. The thinning masses of families and friends made way for cuddling romantics and bashful young couples. Serenity largely ignored them all and strained her eyes across the glimmering waters, eagerly waiting for the show to start. She was excited to spot the small skiff from which the lanterns would be launched.

She counted herself fortunate that she was here at all. Her mother disapproved of long visits with her father, but Serenity assured her that most of the time would be spent away from home and with Joey and his rather wholesome friends. The years had improved her mother's opinion of the group, and she was eventually swayed into giving her tentative blessing. The lantern festival rounded out the happily-timed holiday, and Serenity was thrilled to experience it. She had always loved this particular summer festival, especially after nearly losing her vision years back. The possibility of never seeing this magical sight again increased its value a hundredfold, and she always enjoyed being in town for it.

Kaiba followed her along the water's edge, allowing himself some more proximity from the girl now that he no longer risked losing her in the crowd. As they put distance between themselves and the bright lights of the noisy festival, the vivid blues of her borrowed kimono faded to greyscale. She seemed as much a phantom as he in the dim nighttime, he mused. His attention was piqued when he heard her gasp.

Following her gaze out over the water, he noticed the first few lanterns being placed in the river by the silhouettes on the small barge. Warm yellow light glowed through thin paper and painted a dynamic constellation as they floated over the water's placid surface. It was pretty, Kaiba admitted to himself, as he turned to look back at Serenity.

He held back a smile of amusement at her sheer delight, her large eyes sparkling with the reflection of the lanterns. They were now a distance from where the spectators were beginning to line the bridge and shore, but Serenity seemed to want to increase the range even more. She started trotting downstream again with the bemused ghost on her heels.

"Don't go too far," he pointlessly advised. She stumbled slightly but resumed pace. The lanterns had by now multiplied in number, snaking down the waterway and staying a step ahead of the young woman like a coiling golden dragon. Serenity loved it.

Kaiba did not know what it was about this particular evening, but the night that was supposed to be somber and reflective instead felt exciting and energized. He took pleasure in the simple happiness that Serenity was radiating. The atmosphere was charged, his senses were tingling, and he wanted nothing more than to walk out on the water and be amidst the lights. The burden of his responsibility to the girl kept him firmly rooted to her side, though.

Neither he nor Serenity was expecting the first firework to explode when it did.

Serenity jumped so high from the fright of it that she lost her footing. With a horrified squeak, she began her descent face first toward the water's surface. Eyes tightly shut, she awaited a wet impact.

Instead, an electric jolt shot up her arm as a large and nimble hand closed around her wrist and spun her again toward the dry shore. She landed sorely on her backside with an "Oof!" before opening her eyes again. Dazed and embarrassed but infinitely grateful, Serenity looked up to thank her rescuer...

...only to find that she was still alone.

Her head darted to the left and right in a slight panic, wondering if her wits had completely abandoned her.

Kaiba, meanwhile, stood still in total shock. He stared at his hand as if he expected fireballs to come shooting out of it. He had not entirely meant to do that, knowing that his hand should have passed right through her. Fireworks continued to thunder over their heads.

"H-hello?" Serenity called out uneasily. Someonehad grabbed her wrist. Where could he have disappeared to so quickly, she wondered.

Something suddenly caught her eye, illuminated by the sparks from a particularly bright pyrotechnic. Squinting at the discovery, she could feel her insides freeze as gooseflesh broke out across her arms and her hair stood on end. Serenity covered her gasp with both hands.

He was like fog given form. Taller than her by a head, the young man shimmered with an otherworldly translucence. The lights from the lanterns on the river behind him shone through his body like starlight through smoke. Dark hair of an indeterminable shade fell across his brow as he studied his right hand with intense scrutiny.

Serenity uneasily made her way back onto her feet. She pushed up with her hands on her knees, avoiding any sudden movements as her wide eyes stared unblinkingly at the apparition. Her wooden sandal clacked loudly against the stone step as she stood, and she jolted when the spirit's head lifted to investigate the noise. He met her eyes, reflecting the shock in them when he realized she was staring right back.

Trembling, Serenity stood her ground, fingertips still on her mouth. The ghost subtly shifted colors as he drew closer, ever so cautiously. He acted as if she were a wild animal and might bolt at any moment. To be honest with herself, she was still considering that option even once he was only a few feet away. He filled her field of vision as he looked down at her. She watched as he seemed to deliberate for a moment, then tentatively raised his left hand, palm facing out.

Serenity looked at the proffered hand dumbly, then back up at his face. She watched as various emotions flitted across his surprisingly open features, shock, fear, and what looked suspiciously like hope all vying for dominance on a face she recognized well. He turned to gaze at his outstretched hand in an unspoken question. Understanding dawned on Serenity as she looked back at it again.

Carefully, her own right hand left her lips and slowly reached out. Inching its way across the open space between them, she felt ice pour down her spine when her fingertips delicately met his palm in midair. It was cold. Her glance darted back up to his face.

Kaiba seemed to let out a shuddering breath that she could not feel. His expression melted into relief, as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He laughed once, weakly, as he met her eyes again. Serenity's lips quirked momentarily in reply, put ill-at-ease by the hollow quality of his voice. They both turned to their hands again at the same time and watched as Kaiba's fingers slowly closed around her own. Her hand was cold now, but she could not help the butterflies that fluttered wildly in her throat and stomach. Dazed, she looked back up at him, met his gaze, and opened her mouth to speak first.

"Serenity!"

Kaiba's expression stormed over as his head snapped up at the interruption. Serenity, mouth still open and hand still raised, turned to see her brother and his friends approaching her on the riverbank. Her senses opened back up to the rest of the world around her. She once again took notice of the fireworks exploding overhead in a spectacular grand finale before returning to look again at her ghost.

But he was gone, and Serenity was alone again.


A/N: I don't believe most Obon festivals incorporate fireworks, so think of this as a fictional conglomeration of Obon and a regular summer fireworks festival, also prevalent and popular (and so awesome) in Japan. Because, plot devices. Derp.

Thanks for reading.