Battle of the Masters: Ancient Shadows

Chapter Four – All Hallows Eve

by Shadou-sama

A month later, Shadra had forgotten about her strange dream and vision. Every night she went out patrolling, and way too often for her liking she took out multiple vampires. She had yet to come face to face with a full demon, or even a half demon. Just the lowest of the half-breeds. She couldn't tell if this was good or bad. And oh yeah, she has forgotten so far to read that letter.

Bakura kept his little night's adventure quiet. Ryou hadn't the faintest clue of his run-in with the gang. His birthday had passed with a surprising amount of people giving him gifts. Funny, 'cause Ryou hadn't told anybody about his birthday.

The two had a few more computer lessons, but it seemed that both of them were too busy for more. Shadra managed to remember where the power button was and successfully booted it up. Bakura had ceased to call her a loony, at least out loud.

And now it was Halloween, their favourite holiday.

Shadra left the cafeteria line, her tray now full. Glancing around the room, she found an empty table. Too content with her night off, for once she didn't care that she had no friends.

As a rule, things that go bump in the night didn't go out on Halloween. Some educated people have made guesses as to why. Shadra's personal theory was that they weren't scary. If everybody's dressing up as monsters and vampires, everybody will think that the real demons and vampires are fake. Thus, no scare. In her experience, vampires liked to scare more than anything.

"ALOHA! MI AMIGOS!"

A particularly loud and very tan purple-streaked girl burst into the cafeteria. Instead of leaving her uniform plain and normal, she had added knee-high bright yellow socks and a thick black belt with too many silver lined holes. She wore her black and purple hair in peppy pigtails, with a forehead full of bangs. Shadra had never seen her around.

"Hey, Kiana!" one guy yelled.

"You broke your own record in lateness," a girl said.

"They should give you a medal," another boy commented.

"Principal Hutai is going to give you detention."

"Totally worth it! An extra month in Hawaii or a month in school... it was such a hard choice," Kiana said.

Shadra turned back to her breakfast. Some new (or late, apparently), over-energetic girl was less interesting than mystery porridge and toast.

She had always wondered why people said that cafeteria food stank. She couldn't find better in any five star restaurant. Though she was starting to think that it was only Everto, a school that taught the sons and daughters of the richest people on Earth. Tyson and Max had won the argument.

"Hey, new girl!" Kiana's face was mere inches from Shadra's previously glazed over eyes.

"Eep!" Shadra jumped back, nearly falling out of her chair.

"Sorry," she said, smiling apologetically. But that didn't stop her from stealing a triangle of toast of Shadra's plate. "So what's your name, noob?"

"Shadra."

"Hey, you're on that beyblading team! The one that won the world championships! The Bladebreakers."

"Yeah, I am," Shadra replied, amazed that a girl willingly admitted to her membership. The amount of crap Shadra got from fan girls... not pretty. That doesn't even include how many readily gossiped about her supposed sexual orientation.

"I'm a beyblade too. Number one spot on the school's beyblade team this fall. Unless they changed it without warning me..." She glared at someone entering the room.

"A beyblade team?"

"Yep, the Tokujin Fuzzy Kittens."

Shadra raised her eyebrows at the name. That was a downright civil name. Even friendly.

"The Guidance Counselor's idea," Kiana explained. "Friendly competition and all. Besides, I think it's cute."

Shadra just nodded.

"You know what? You should join. We're red hot. Almost won the supermarket's tournament last semester!"

Not bloody likely. She didn't want to beyblade against a bunch of novices. Either she'd beat them very badly and they'd quit in shame, or she'd lower herself to their level and not be fair to her own ability. It just wasn't worth it.

"Our individual division beyblader nearly won the Regionals."

That got her attention. "And who's that?"

Kiana looked up, looking like she was thinking hard. "He wasn't very social. Didn't even say 'hello' to me. And kept making fun of my skills. Um... Kai... something..."

"Kai Hiwatari?" Duh, they were in Japan speaking Japanese. "Hiwatari Kai?"

"Yeah, that's it. Hey, he captained your team, eh?"

Shadra nodded. So, Kai attended this school. Then why wasn't he here? Odd... She hadn't heard anything from him since they split up in Regina, Saskatchewan. She kind of... missed him.

"Hey, new guy!" Kiana's attention had already changed. "Over here!"

Shadra looked over to see Ryou Bakura, severely startled, coming up to the table. Plus a few guys from Ryou's floor, Jake, Kido and Menoda.

"Yo," Kiana said. "Sit, boys!"

The three boys rolled their eyes as they took their seats around her. Ryou, still looking startled, took a seat next to Shadra.

"And what's your name, cutie?" Kiana asked.

Ryou blushed. "Uh-uh..."

"He's Bakura Ryou," Shadra explained, smiling because she got the right order on the first try. Ryou gave a grateful glance.

"Nice to meet you, Ryou-chan!" Kiana said enthusiastically. "I'm Kiana, from the sunshine state. Wait..." she furrowed her brow. "That's Florida. Hmm... I'm from the Aloha! State. Also voted most perky person in the entire world fourth year running."

"Hi," Ryou said softly.

The others got into teasing Kiana about her lateness, and Ryou continued to be quiet.

Shadra wondered what was with him. Why so nervous now? Come to think of it, she'd only seen him talking with guys. Around girls, he was quiet. Except for her. He must be shy around girls! Definitely not complimenting Shadra's femininity.

Though she guessed that could be expected. What effeminate girl kicked vampires' butts at night?

"I got an idea!" Kiana exclaimed.

"For once..." someone said under his breath. Shadra doubted anyone else had heard it.

"A Halloween Clubbing Night, to celebrate everyone's favourite holiday!"

"It's not my favourite holiday," Menoda said. Shadra suspected him for the earlier comment.

"What's Halloween?" Jake whispered to Kido.

"It's when you go house to house asking for candy," Kido whispered back.

"Oh..."

"Not just for candy. You get to dress up as scary monsters and pull pranks on teachers!" Kiana argued.

"I guess Halloween isn't very popular here," Shadra observed. "Too bad. I love it."

"Me too," Ryou agreed.

"Then it's settled. Tonight we go to Fox Den."

/Finally, you're doing something fun, / Bakura said as he watched his Hikari in spirit form.

They were in the privacy of their dorm room. Classes were over and Ryou had a whole weekend to finish his homework. Conditions couldn't be better for partying.

/It's Halloween, Yami,/ Ryou commented as he looked through his closet. /Why would I want to be cooped up?/

/Why do you choose to be cooped up everyday? / Bakura asked. /Think we'll see those vampires Shadra's so convinced exists? /

Ryou looked over at his Yami. /Would you protect me?/

/And get to meet a real bloodsucker? Sure. /

People always thought his Yami was the one into all the occult stuff. But in reality, Ryou was the one who believed in it. Bakura just liked those kinds of cards 'cause they scared the bejeebees out of everyone. Of course, if they were real Bakura would be first in line to meet and greet them. The context of greet wasn't very positive.

Ryou located the items that he wanted and pulled them out. A pale blue pair of jeans and his favourite blue and white striped shirt. Bakura snorted at the selection.

/The one day of the year you can be anything you want and you choose to be yourself. /

/Well, then what do you suggest?/ Ryou asked. /I don't have a costume./

/Sure you do, / Bakura replied. He slipped off the bed and came up beside his Hikari. /Here, / he said, pointing to the far left of corner of the closet. The part beyond the reach of the door, and its contents hidden by Bakura's long black coat.

Ryou pushed aside the clothes and his eyes widened comically. /You want me to wear.../

Black, black and more black. And did he mention the leather?

/No leather./

/Fine. The black jeans and the sleeveless shirt. /

Ryou pulled out the mentioned items and started dressing. /Where'd you get this stuff anyway?/ He hadn't know his Yami had his own clothes. Usually he wore what Ryou had, except for the trench coat. He figured his darker half had been trying to emulate Seto Kaiba with that.

/Stolen, / Bakura answered.

Ryou sighed. There wasn't any use trying to lecture him, or trying to get him to stop. Bakura did as he pleased. And stealing seemed to please him in ways Ryou could not understand.

Shadra stood in front of her mirror, holding up a pair of leather pants to see how they looked. "Hi, I'm a gigantic slut," she said. "Ooh, I like this pair. Saucy."

And what exactly are you going as? Balla asked from her perch on the desk.

"Slayer. Or maybe a vamp. I don't know."

And you're going to go party with your school chums dressed like a Mistress of Pain?

"Yep!"

Have I ever told you how strange you are?

"That's something that could never be put into words."

The gang, if you could call it that since they didn't really hang out in a group, gathered in front of the school. The boys arrived first, after having physically pulled the shy Ryou from his room.

Wow, Shadra thought as she took sight of Ryou. This was definitely not like him. He was probably being a Bakura right then.

His style was all black, setting off his normally pale skin to look sheet white. Well, if he hadn't been blushing so much. His normally tied back white hair (because of the school dress code) was a loose flowing mane. His arms were uncovered because his tight shirt was sleeveless. A large gold pendant, looking Egyptian, hung around his neck. And tight black jeans.

Jake wore light blue jeans, as tight as Ryou's, with a white shirt. Thrown overtop was an open thigh-length red jacket. He reminded her strongly of Tyson.

Kido, the blonde, had thrown on a baggy pair of pants (Hiwatari-style, ooh la la) and a navy sleeve-less shirt. And reminiscent of American teenage boys, a silver chain hanging off his pants.

Menoda, well, how to describe him? Very much like Ryou, except more dangerous looking. And he had a nice mix of dark blue to the black. On the list of guys to dance with, he was number one, no higher than one. Stupid teenage hormones.

Shadra had on her leather pants and peasant shirt, but had added white elbow length finger-less gloves. She didn't want to look too evil. And of course she had on her silver key. She'd just told Balla about the holy water to stop her from worrying.

"Where's Kiana?" Shadra asked.

"Right here!" the perky girl announced as she pulled something out the front door. That something turned out to be Yarou, prefect for the boys' floor. He looked none too happy at this turn of events.

Kiana wore a tight purple shirt and black miniskirt. She had lost her yellow socks in favour for tall black boots. Instead of pigtails, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with large locks of hair left out to hide the base of her purple kitty ears.

And if Menoda was number one on Shadra's list, Yarou was definitely number two quarters. And he looked just swell with his leather pants.

"So, ready for Halloween?" Kiana asked, almost bouncing in her boots.

The music, the lights, the people... All entwining to give Shadra a buzz. As the DJ wound the last pounding song down, and switched to a slower song, Shadra retreated to the deserted second floor. She felt the subtle throb of an impending head ache.

In her gaze, overflowing with sadness,

The flow of time is reflected

She watched Kiana grab Bakura to dance with. A flock of girls surrounded Yarou, but he brushed them off and retreated with Menoda to the bar for a hopefully non-alcoholic beverage. That left Jake and Kido with their choice of depressed young women.

Her intensely burning emotions grow distant

If she pursues white memories

She climbed up the stairs, occasionally looking back to the blue lighted dancers. People... dancing with people... Having lives, having love, and having underage drinkers.

She spotted a few of the girls who had scorned her on her first day. Having the time of their lives in the arms of their boyfriends. They were.

A shining premonition runs

To the very ends of a dream that shines uncertainly

Shunning eternal life

She leaned on the railing that ran all around the second floor. She gazed down. Her head was feeling clearer, her eyesight much sharper. Not so much stimulus up here, she guessed.

Her muscles ached. Not even in a long and brutal battle did that occur. And while she was silently suffering, Kiana still bopped around below.

No one knows, no one can see

The thread of destiny

She quietly embraces her tears in her heart, alone...

A voice whispered in her ear, "For all your talk of light and righteousness... for all your talk of what's right and noble... You always come back to the dark."

"Tala," she murmured, her muscles tensing and she stood up straighter. He was close, so close that she could feel his breath on her ear and the cool copper key hanging off his throat.

Her eyes, that have closed up to her heart,

Gaze down a frozen fingertip

"So where are those 'friends' you sacrificed life for?" Tala asked. "The ones you signed our names on the death wish for? They're not here, are they..."

"What..." She ignored the hand on her waist. "What do you want?"

"For you to understand."

Chasing after an ephemeral life that soon disappears,

She wanders the world of time

She gasped as he spun her around, her back on the railing and her eyes gazing into his blue-eyed depths.

"You're not like them. Oh no." He shook his head slightly. "You're not even like Alleon and Holly. They are light, their reasons were pure. Their wants wouldn't hurt anybody."

Her true face, unknown to any, is mysterious

She lives both the past and future

Shunning eternal life

"Us, on the other hand... We're willing to kill, to destroy for what we desire. We're the dark to the world's light. We're the scourge, the plague, the lupine. You just don't accept it. But I do. I know I'll always been in the darkness."

"But I won't." With a grim expression, she pushed the Master of Space away from her, and headed back downstairs. Tala did not follow.

The day will surely come someday when you will see

The thread of destiny

Now she quietly hides it in her heart, alone...

Instead of heading back to the dance floor, she headed for the closest exit, to get away. Which happened to be the back exit.

The outside chill assaulted her as the door closed before her. She grumbled about her stupidity of leaving her jacket at home. It was the day before November, after all. Hugging herself for warmth, she listened to the dim music.

In her gaze, overflowing with sadness,

The flow of time is reflected

Shunning eternal life

She walked briskly forward, wanting to head home.

"Hey prehtay laydee," a slurred voice said, approaching her from the side.

She jumped away, out of reach and ready to attack. But it was only a drunken (and probably high) man. He looked to be middle aged, but it was difficult to tell with drunks and addicts. They aged too quickly. He wasn't a street bum, his clothes were too clean and trim. But he had a bottle of something (alcohol, she guessed) concealed in a paper bag like a wino.

"Whatcha doin out heere all 'lone?" The man swaggered forward, a look of lechery and drunken glee on his face. Disgusted, she hurried back.

"Wouldcha like teh come teh my pulace?" His expression turned to fear. "Ya... ya... ya're not real! Ya're dead!"

This stunned her. She tried to pass it off as some drunk's fantasy, but it struck too close to home.

"Ya're not 'sposed to be!"

Her aimless journey soon ends,

That imminent time...

He screamed. "Get 'way from me demon!"

Now beyond stunned. She didn't—couldn't move.

"Get 'way!" He pulled out a gun, pointing at her and his shaky finger on the trigger. He twitched, and the gun fired.

Her eyes widened.