"Halloween ball?" Both the twins asked when presented with the news. The two were sitting in the outdoor cafe of the Obelisk dorm alongside Kai, Fujin, Alexis, Jasmine, Mindy, and Torimaki. It had been almost a week since Yumei's duel with her twin. And aside from this particular moment of confusion, the smile she had upon receiving her blue jacket had not left her face.
Fujin gave a small nod, before she began to explain. "It's a thing Duel Academy does every year. It's not a formal event, what with it being Halloween."
"So … it's a costume party?" Yuki's tone was almost hopeful.
Kai ruffled Yuki's hair, earning a reproachful look from Fujin, as once again the female Obelisk had just gotten Yuki's pillow hair under control. "Yeah, a lot of people like dressing up in costume. Mostly as their favorite Duel Monster-"
"But Kai always goes as Seto Kaiba." Fujin laughed softly, cutting across Kai.
"Hey, nothing wrong with that." Yuki chuckled.
"Yuki." Alexis took Yuki's arm to hold him back, as the group of Obelisks broke for the day. "I was wondering…" Her cheeks had lightly tinted, as she posed her question. "I was wondering if you'd like to … attend the Halloween ball with me?"
Yuki's cheeks went as red as they had when Alexis had kissed him. "R-really? Me?"
"Y-yeah…" Alexis blushed. "I really do owe you a lot after you saved me at the abandoned dorm. So-"
Even though Yuki was blushing, he had to stop Alexis from going further. "Alexis, while I'm going to accept. Please let me make something clear. You do not owe me for anything."
"Okay…" Alexis began. "Then will you go with me because I like you?"
Yuki's cheeks darkened. "Y-yeah. I'll go to the Halloween ball with you for that reason … mainly because I-"
"Yuki!" Both Alexis and Yuki jumped in surprise, and Yuki visibly scowled when he saw Lance Osbourne approach.
"What do you want Lance?" Yuki asked curtly. "If this is about what happened during the promotion duel, I hope your not going back on the agreement?"
A visible tick was going in Lance's forehead, as it seemed their agreement did still bother him. "While it does, that's not why I'm here."
"Then why are you here Lance?" Alexis matched Yuki's curt tone.
"It's … about the Halloween ball." Lance began, and both Obelisks took note of the uncharacteristic look of worry in Lance's voice. "You see, I'm helping to plan the event. And over the last few days, some odd things have been going on?"
Yuki and Alexis shared a look, before turning their attention back to Lance. "What sort of odd things?"
"It'll be easier to show you." Lance said, reaching for his belt to produce his PDA. He brought up the security feed of where the ball was going to take place. The feed in question was of several days prior, when the area in question was still being set up. Both Yuki and Alexis noticed a rather dark shape move across the screen, knocking over ladders and tables as it went. Although, it looked more like the furniture was attempting to get out of the way.
"Okay… that's weird." Yuki began. "And it's creepy. But I have a few questions. Why are you telling this to us? And why didn't you tell Chancellor Shepard?"
"I did." Lance replied. "He told me to come to you. Said that you and your sister were some sort of experts."
"Maybe in the area of shadow games." Yuki responded, continuing to examine the video feed. "But we're not the ghostbusters. I don't know what I can…"
"Yuki?" Alexis sounded rather concerned that Yuki had just let his words fall the way they had.
"You saw it too?" Lance asked, Yuki's expression confirmation enough. He'd seen the shape the spirit had taken.
"An evil duel spirit?" Yumei asked, helping her twin with the white cape of his costume.
"I'm telling you, that's what I saw." Yuki answered, as his sister finished. She herself was dressed in similar fashion to her duel spirit, the same way Yuki was.
"So what's the plan?" Yumei asked, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Let it appear, then send it back to hell." Yuki answered in a matter-of-fact tone lifting his duel disk.
"Sounds like a plan." There was an approving look on her face, while Yuki grabbed his duel disk, and deck belt. "Just don't cross the streams."
"It's not the Stay Puft marshmallow man sis." Yuki chuckled, while fighting the urge to laugh. "But I will be careful."
The night of the Halloween ball, being on Halloween itself, the only people that knew about the spirit were the faculty, Lance, Yuki, Alexis … and their core group of friends. Which was admittedly more people than the faculty wanted who had knowledge of what was going on. However, those who knew about the spirit had agreed to not speak about it.
Students were crowding into the main building as the sun set. Some in costume, others without, however nearly everyone had a date. Fujin and Kai were going to the ball together. The latter was dressed once again as Seto Kaiba, while Fujin was dressed as Guardian Eatos. Much to Torimaki's surprise, Yumei had asked the specticalled Obelisk boy to accompany her. Torimaki had decided to be the Lord of D. However the pairing that turned heads, was Yuki and Alexis. Both of who were in costume. Yuki dressed as his duel spirit Neo, while Alexis had caught everyone including Yuki off guard with her Black Magician Girl costume.
"Nervous?" Alexis asked, she had an arm wrapped around one of Yuki's while she referred to the plan to deal with that evil spirit. However, to anyone who wasn't in on the plan, it sounded like Alexis was referring to herself being Yuki's date.
"A little." Yuki answered honestly, which Alexis responded to by giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Relax Yuki." Alexis gave him an affectionate smile. "You'll be fine."
"Hey." Yumei nudged her twin's arm as she and Torimaki joined the que of people heading into the main building. "Don't focus on what you have to do. Try focusing on the fact you've got one of, if not the prettiest girl at the academy with you."
"She's got a point you know." Sora's smooth voice said from behind both Yuki and Alexis. She'd chosen to dress as Mai Valentine, which surprised absolutely nobody. "Relax and enjoy yourself, focus on what you need to do when the time comes."
"Girls, cut him a break." Alexis interjected, though there was a smile on her face. Despite everything going on, she was enjoying the two telling Yuki to focus on her.
"I've never… done this, you know? The whole dating thing before." Yuki's face was bright red, and it only got brighter when Sora spoke up next.
"Oh? You two are actually dating?"
"Maybe." Alexis replied in a teasing tone, which made Yuki try and hide his face in his free hand.
"You really did set yourself up for that." Torimaki said while trying his best to not laugh, as the group walked up the steps into the main building.
The room the academy was using to host its Halloween party looked like a large ballroom. Lance and the other planners had outdone themselves. Every inch of the room had been decorated. The lighting had been dimmed to a rather inviting shade of orange, the kind of lighting one expected at a Halloween party that also made it feel incredibly inviting. There were tables lined with food, and adorned with Jack-O-Lanturns every few feet, which Lance said that he himself had carved.
"Woah…" Yuki was amazed at what he saw when they entered the ballroom.
"This is amazing." Alexis said, in close to the same tone Yuki had.
"Well, let's not stand around." Yumei said, pulling Torimaki towards the dance floor.
"Would you care to join them?" Yuki asked, which made Alexis smile.
"I didn't know you could dance." Alexis continued to smile while she danced with Yuki. It was rather shocking, but it was a nice surprise.
"One of the few things I can do well outside of dueling." Yuki replied, and once again his face went red when Alexis rested against his chest. The two were completely unaware that they were drawing jealous looks from those standing on the sidelines.
One of those jealous onlookers being Lance himself. However, he was a man of his word. And had agreed not to bother Alexis, and besides he'd come to Yuki for help with this whole situation. No, best he could do right now, would be to keep his eyes open for that spirit.
'Come on, show yourself!' Lance thought, as he slowly made his way around the edges of the ballroom. The better to keep his eyes on everything, and look for any abnormalities. While keeping out of the way of the attending students.
"Color me impressed." Fujin had a smile on her face, while Yuki and Alexis left the dance floor to applause from nearly the entire ballroom. "I had no idea you were that good of a dancer."
"I said it earlier." Yuki replied with a smile on his face. "It's one of the few things I can do well that isn't dueling related."
"Isn't having fun better than stressing over the whole situation?" Alexis asked.
"Well thanks for the reminder." Yuki jabbed playfully. "But you're right."
"Yuki." Yuki nearly jumped out of his skin, upon hearing Lance's voice from somewhere behind him.
"Lance, for god sake!" Yuki hissed, turning to face the Obelisk boy. "I get it's Halloween, but don't sneak up on a guy like that."
"It's Halloween." Lance countered. "It's the time to be scared. Keeps one on their toes. More importantly, it's here."
Yuki felt a chill go down his spine. "Where…?"
"Turn around, and look up. But just use your eyes." Lance replied.
Yuki followed Lance's instructions, looking towards the ceiling just with his eyes. Sure enough, there was the black wisps that was the evil duel spirit. Floating just above the large chandelier in the center of the room.
'What do we do parter?' Neo asked, appearing beside Yuki.
There wasn't long to wait. A strong wind blew through the ballroom, extinguishing the candles inside the Jack-O-Lanturns, and making several of the students attending gasp in surprise. The black wisps that was the evil spirit flew from its perch on the chandelier, landing in the center of the dance floor. Torrents of what looked like black smoke billowed out from the spirit, making several students scream as the smoke washed over them.
Neo, and Silent Swordsman appeared in front of their partners. Deflecting the smoke away from their partners and their dates with their blades.
After several seconds, the smoke retracted. And there was a hooded figure standing in the middle of the dance floor. "...No...I need more…" The spirit's voice was low and raspy.
'Partner!' Neo's spirit gestured, and Yuki's eyes widened. Several of the attending students, that had been touched by the smoke had passed out. Their skin pale, like one would be if they had seen a ghost. One of those students happening to be Lance himself … and Kai, who had jumped in front of the smoke to protect Fujin.
"Cold…" Fujin said, as she checked Kai's pulse. She turned her attention to the spirit, her voice ice cold. "What did you do?"
"...His life force feeds me now..." The spirit said, the bottom of her cloak billowing in an attempt to send out more of the black smoke. "...But I need more…"
"That is not gonna happen." Yuki growled, as the Millenium Ring began to glow. He was so mad right now. This spirit had hurt one of his friends, and ohhhh was he going to make it pay.
"...You're strong…" The spirit sounded excited. "...You could be the last one I need to be complete…"
"Bring it on." Yuki's voice was just as cold as Fujin's, while he grabbed his duel disk. Nobody hurt his friends. Nobody.
'Hatchling… use us.' A voice said in Yuki's head.
"...Interesting…" The spirit said, raising an arm which then morphed into the shape of a wicked looking duel disk.
"I win, you give back everyone you took." Yuki growled, visibly shaking with anger.
"...Agreed…" The spirit acknowledged.
"DUEL!"
Yuki-LP 4000
Spirit-LP 4000
"...I will draw first…" The spirit declared, drawing her six cards. "...I will set a monster in defense position…"
A card appeared horizontally on the spirit's field.
"...I then set this card down, and my turn will end…" The spirit set its chosen card into her wicked duel disk.
"Alright, my draw." Yuki's tone was still ice cold, as he drew his sixth card.
'Use us hatchling.' That same voice said in Yuki's head again.
"No." Yuki said in response to the voice. "I summon Luster Dragon in attack mode!"
Yuki's blue scaled dragon roared as it appeared on his field. Atk-1900
"Now attack that face down monster!" Yuki ordered, and Luster Dragon subsequently blasted the spirit's face down monster away with its flames.
"...My monster's effect now activates…" The spirit said, as she revealed her monster to be Slate Warrior.
"Oh no!" Yuki's eyes went wide, once he realized his mistake.
"...Yes. Now Luster Dragon loses 500 attack points…"
Luster Dragon Atk-1400
"Okay… then I'll set two cards face down, and call and end to my shift." Two cards appeared behind Yuki's weakened Luster Dragon, as his turn came to an end.
"...My turn begins. And I will start with my face down. Skill Drain. By paying 1000 life points, all effect monsters summoned after this card's activation are negated…"
"I have a bad feeling about this." Torimaki said in a worried tone.
Spirit-LP 3000
"...I now summon a monster. Goblin Attack Force…"
Several armored goblins appeared on the field in front of the spirit. Atk-2200
"...My monster will now attack Luster Dragon…" The spirit ordered their monster.
"Oh no they won't." Yuki growled, flipping one of his face down cards up. "How about it eats a Mirror Force instead!"
"...That is upsetting…" The spirit said, as her monster was destroyed.
"Oh you think that's upsetting?" Yuki asked, as he drew his next card. "Wait until you see what's next! I sacrifice Luster Dragon, and Summon Horus Level Six in attack mode!"
Yuki's metallic looking phoenix roared as he was summoned, landing behind the Obelisk. Atk-2300
"Now I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon, and destroy your Skill Drain!" Yuki said, placing the spell card into his duel disk, which made the spirit's cloak billow as its trap card was destroyed.
"...It matters not…" The spirit sounded completely nonplussed by the loss of its trap card.
"Then maybe this will. Horus, attack those goblins!" Yuki ordered, and Horus obeyed with a stream of black fire. The goblins shattered in a cloud of pixels the second they were engulfed by the flames."
Spirit-LP 2900
"...Your monster caused me damage, now I may summon this. Gorz, Emissary of Darkness…"
A humanoid creature with spiky red hair, black armor, a face mask, and curved blades on his wrists appeared on the spirit's field. Atk-2700
"Good thing I'm not worried about that." Yuki countered. "Since it won't be strong enough to challenge Horus in a second. See since he destroyed a monster by battle this turn, I can bring out a stronger monster! Rise, Horus Level Eight!"
The strongest version of Yuki's dragon flew about the ballroom, landing behind him, where Level 6 had been moments ago. Atk-3000
"...Then I shall switch Gorz into defense mode…" The spirit said, having already drawn its next card, and not setting anything else on her field.
Gorz Def-2500
"Alright then, Horus! Blast that monster!" Horus roared, and unleashed a torrent of black fire from its beak, which incinerated Gorz.
"Then I'll set a card down, and call it a turn." Yuki said, placing a card into his duel disk.
"...It is now my turn…" The spirit drew its next card. "...I now remove the three monsters in my graveyard. And I shall summon… myself…"
The dark cloak fell away, and everyone who was still conscious went wide eyed. The spirit was none other than the monster Dark Necrofear. "I should thank you human. You've given me everything I needed to ensure my resurrection."
"How…?" Yuki asked, and thin things clicked for him. Dark Necrofear could only be special summoned by removing three fiend monsters from the graveyard from play.
Dark Necrofear Atk-2200
"Okay…" Yuki began, taking a card. "I get rid of this monster, and I can end this. Horus, attack!"
Horus roared, incinerating Necrofear with its black flame.
"Alright!" There was a relieved look on Torimaki's face. "Yuki just sent her back to hell!"
"I hope you're right about that Torimaki…" Yumei said worriedly.
There was the sound of spine chilling laughter, and Necrofear soon appeared on Horus' back. What terrified Yuki however, was when his monster flew to Necrofear's side of the field. "Oh, I should have mentioned something. When you destroy me via battle, I can take control of one of your monsters. Now, lets see how you like it! Horus attack!"
Yuki was blasted off his feet, when he was attacked by his own monster. And it took him a few seconds to get back up. That last attack had hurt.
Yuki-LP 1000
'Hatchling!' The voice in Yuki's head had turned into a roar. 'If you refuse to use us now, you will die! Use our power!'
"Come on Yuki." Alexis sounded incredibly worried, while she helped Yuki back upright. "If you want me to step in…"
"No way…" Yuki groaned, while shaking his head. "I don't gamble with my friends on the line, plus there's no way I could forgive myself if something happened to you."
"Yuki…" Alexis sniffled slightly.
"I'll be fine. But Lex, if I was you, I would back up." Yuki held up a spell card, which made Alexis' jaw go slack. "You're in the splash zone."
Yuki slowly approached Necrofear, and the spirit began to smirk.
"Oh, you're approaching me?"
"I can't send you back to hell if I don't get closer." Yuki growled, clutching the spell card.
"Then by all means." Necrofear spread her arms wide from atop Horus. "Come as close as you'd like."
"You might not be saying that in a second. I activate the spell card Dragon Revival Ritual!"
Everyone who was still conscious was shocked when Yuki revealed his next card.
"It works like this: I have to send five dragon monsters to the out of play zone…" The whole room began to shake at Yuki's words. Something big was coming. "And then after I do that, I can summon the most powerful ritual monster in this game. Rise, Mythic Dragon!"
The ground shook all the more, large dragon wings sprouted from the round followed by four different dragon heads. One dark scaled, one white, one blue, another made of pure fire, and the final head was white, and looked to be wearing a crown of spikes. As the fifth head revealed itself, it raised Yuki up so he was standing atop the middle head.
Mythic Dragon roared, which made Necrofear's eyes widen. She was clearly afraid of this monster.
Mythic Dragon Atk-5000
"Oh my god…" Yumei had not expected this. "He brought it out…"
"And there's more." Yuki called out from the middle head of Mythic Dragon. "When she's summoned, she nukes my opponent's field!"
"No!" Necrofear screamed, as both she and Horus were blasted away. The spirit glared daggers at Yuki upon reappearing as a semi-transparent spirit.
"It's time to end this!" Yuki declared. "You crossed a line Necrofear! Nobody messes with my friends! NOBODY! Mythic Dragon, burn it down! Mythic Flare!"
Mythic Dragon roared, five different elements combining into one powerful attack. That blast hit a screaming Necrofear, which wiped out the rest of her life points.
Dark Necrofear-LP 0000
The Millenium Ring began to glow, and a bright golden eye appeared on Yuki's forehead. Necrofear screamed again, as the ball room was filled with a bright golden light. Once the light had faded, both Mythic Dragon and Necrofear were gone, and Yuki was back on the floor once again.
"Well … that was fun." Yuki said, picking up the card that he had sealed Necrofear in. "But let's please never do that a-"
Yuki never finished his sentence, when he felt a pair of arms around him. Alexis had nearly tackled him with the hug she gave him.
"I thought I told you, no more crazy stunts like that?" Fujin asked, helping Kai back to his feet. The other students that had been afflicted by Necrofear were starting to regain consciousness. The lights in the Jack-O-Lanturns had re-ignighted, and the warm inviting atmosphere had returned.
"What, and let one of you duel that psychotic monster?" Yuki asked with a slight scoff. "Having my own monster used against me, is worth keeping you guys out of shadow games."
A short while later, the party was back in full swing. The students Necrofear had affected showed no negative signs, so the party had been allowed to continue. It was a short while after that, that Alexis had pulled Yuki out of the ball room. Wanting to talk to him in private.
"Yuki, you know you didn't have to risk yourself the way you did." She began. "I mean, you put your life on the line again. And this time, it wasn't just for me."
"I… well, myself and my sister know what shadow games are like." Yuki explained. "And, I've seen what happens when people who are inexperienced with shadow games participate in one. It's not pretty, and I don't want you, or really anyone to have to go through that. Not while I can handle it."
Alexis shook her head, but she was smiling. "I do appreciate your bravery, but you can't keep taking the brunt of these shadow games. You're going to have to share the burden one day."
"Then I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that day never comes." Yuki replied, and the two shared a laugh. "We should get back to the party. People are gonna start asking questions if we don't come back soon."
Yuki made to turn back, and make towards the ball room. However, Alexis grabbed his arm and spun him back around. Her lips were against his seconds later, and while it was only for a few moments, their kiss seemed to last forever.
"Now we can get back." Alexis smiled, despite how red her face was.