{strawberry ghost}

To be honest, I feel quite unsure about posting this piece of writing as I've never written in the Yugioh archive before, much less puzzleshipping, hence the lateness – I actually had this done before Halloween. I don't usually write this long either, so in a nutshell, lots of aspects to this story is new for me.

I hope I don't bore you and that you'll make it all the way to the end of this ride. Well, enjoy, and please, do tell me your thoughts in that little box at the bottom. They will be greatly appreciated.

x storage-jar

Disclaimer- Don't own much (or anything, really); everything mostly belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

Summary- By some horrible twist of fate, eight-year-old Yugi is stuck with a strawberry costume for Halloween. His friends' non-stop teasing leads him to run off alone, only to be caught by the class bully. Yugi is saved by an unknown boy, and a chance meeting with a certain Other-Half-of-His-Soul occurs. YxYY

Word count- 9185

p.s. This was not beta'd, so if you see made-up words sandwiched in an incorrect (innovative), overly-long way – suspiciously like a run-on – that makes little to no sense, why not be kind and keep an open mind? I do. The same goes for sentence fragments.

.

I must be cruel only to be kind
-Hamlet

The thing is, Fate was like that too.

.

The deep, velvety night was still young –

"Grandpaaaa! Hurry up, the night's almost over!"

– well, if you weren't eight years old and it wasn't Halloween and you didn't have a ten o'clock curfew, which, Yugi Mutou was and did. So you could hardly blame him.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," came a reply from upstairs.

"The others will be here soon!"

The Mutou household was adorned with lovely Halloween decor – orange and black streamers along the walls, a ghostly figure (dubbed as Boo, by Yugi) at the coffee table, jack-o-lanterns by the fireplace, glowing black cat stickers on the windows, orange Christmas lights outside and a plastic skeleton in the foyer.

Sugoroku came down holding a bulging bag with something red inside.

"Here you are," he said to Yugi. "I've brought you your costume."

"Grandpa... why is my costume red? Pumpkins are orange," Yugi said, confused.

"Ah, Yugi, about that. I couldn't find any orange fabric at the textile store. Or any store, for that matter. Orange fabric must be in very high demand this time of the year." Sugoroku rubbed the back of his neck quite nervously.

"But Grandpa, how did you make my pumpkin with red fabric?" Yugi inquired, eyes wide, not understanding at all.

"See, that's the thing, Yugi: I didn't make you a pumpkin costume."

Silence.

"What!"

Yugi visibly deflated. He had been so excited this year because he was going to be a pumpkin! Granted, he had always wanted to be the Dark Magician – even more so than a pumpkin (the pumpkin fell in second place) – but his grandpa wasn't that great with the needle. His grandpa only thought he could sew anything and everything. In actuality, he could only handle the simpler things. When it came to the intricacy of the Dark Magician's robe, well...

Yugi didn't want to go there, end of discussion.

He would've bought a Dark Magician costume, but because Duel Monsters were still new and quite unheard of in Japan, none existed.

And even if he could purchase the costume, the problem was that most costumes from the store didn't fit him because of his slight stature.

The ones that did fit him, he either did not want to wear (usually meant for kids younger than him), or... they were for girls.

It was humiliating.

(Which was why he got his grandpa to make his costume in the first place. He refused to be a mummy again – long story.*)

Yugi sighed.

He could never be mad at his grandpa for long or anyone in general. It wasn't in his nature.

Besides, it wasn't really his grandpa's fault if the stores ran out of orange fabric.

"It's fine, Grandpa. I understand."

Little did he know that he was going to eat those words right back up.

"If that's so, then go change, my boy!" Sugoroku said cheerily, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow.

Yugi grabbed the costume and was about to turn to go to the washroom to change when he suddenly paused mid-step.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes?"

"If you didn't make me a pumpkin, then what did you make me?"

The boy began to take out the red costume from the bag when a hand stopped him.

"Take it out in the washroom. Your friends will be here soon."

Amethyst eyes lit up at the mention of his friends' arrival. "Okay Grandpa!"

And with that, the spiky-haired boy ran off, brimming with excitement.

"No, Grandpa! I'm never coming out in this- this thing!"

"Yugi, I'm sure it doesn't look that bad."

"It does!"

"Now you're insulting my sewing skills."

A pause.

"Sorry Grandpa. It does look like what it's supposed to look like. I just... can't be seen in it."

"You could always be a mummy again."

"Never again!"

"Yugi, open the door."

"No."

"Yugi..." His grandpa sighed.

"No."

"Come now, I bet you look cute in it."

"I don't look cute!"

Shortly after followed by:

"And I won't ever look cute!"

From his tone of voice, you could practically see Yugi through the closed door, sitting on top of the toilet lid, sulking.

"Alright, alright, not cute at all." Sugoroku had his hands up, not that Yugi could see.

"A handsome strawberry, then," his grandpa amended.

The reaction was immediate. "Don't say it again!"

"Say what?"

"Don't say it!"

"You mean handsome?"

"No, the other word..."

"Ah, you mean strawb-"

"Eeek! Don'tsayitdon'tsayit!"

"I don't see why you don't like strawberries."

"Ah! You said it! I told you not to say it and you said it!" Yugi sounded like he was telling his grandpa that he just caused the world to end.

But to the eight-year-old, that was exactly how it felt. The sky was falling; he was doomed.

Sugoroku continued on as though Yugi hadn't said anything.

"... I mean, you were always fond of strawberries..."

"Yes, to eat. Not to dress up as."

The boy officially gave up trying to stop his grandpa from saying 'the word.' He shivered, just thinking about it.

"A strawberry's a wonderful fruit..." Now his grandpa was rambling to himself.

Great.

Just peachy.

... or should it be just strawberry?

The young boy stood up and managed to climb onto the counter from the toilet seat even with the costume on.

He stared at the boy in the mirror.

The boy in the mirror was around eight and had a red, roundish, jar-like-shaped costume on. No, not jar-like – strawberry-shaped was more like it. There really wasn't any other word to accurately describe its shape.

It was definitely a strawberry.

The soft, red fabric had light, faded-yellow, seedy dots.

His arms and legs stuck out of the strawberry in red sleeves.

All and all, with the boy's huge amethyst eyes, boy-ish face and star-shaped, gravity-defying hair, the boy in the mirror looked... (dare he say it?)... cute in the costume.

He figured maybe if he stared at the boy in the mirror long enough, the boy in the mirror would disappear and the hideous costume would be whisked away too.

"Yugi, you better come out now," his grandpa said, waking him from his reverie.

"I can't."

It was physically impossible. It really was.

"Yugi, what about your friends? They're going to be here soon."

"Even more the reason not to come out. They can't see me in this! I'll never live it down. Anzu and Ryou, maybe; Honda even, with some convincing, but not Jou!"

His grandpa sighed. "What about Halloween? It only comes once a year..." he said the last part in a sing-songy voice.

Yugi couldn't.

He couldn't.

He would not.

But... this was Halloween we're talking about and Yugi loved Halloween (even if, according to Jou, he was a bit of a scaredy-cat.)

(But he wasn't a scaredy-cat. OK – maybe just a little.)

Yugi took a deep breath and opened the door to his demise. No. Not his demise. He would not be conquered by a strawberry. That was unacceptable.

Oh, who was he kidding? He was going to regret this, he just knew it.

Heck, he was regretting it right this instant.

"Yugi! My gods! You do look cute!'

Yugi pouted, not realizing he was looking cuter by the second.

"Grandpa..." He looked at Sugoroku with his full-blown, hurt puppy-dog eyes, not even realizing that he was. "I can't go out with this," he said softly.

He flapped his arms dejectedly to indicate the costume.

"I'll be a laughingstock. Strawberries aren't very Halloween, you know."

"Nonsense! You're not just a strawberry."

"I'm not?" A brief flicker of hope leaped across his eyes.

"Nope! You're a strawberry ghost!"

Yugi groaned, any previous hope that things could be better, gone.

"Grandpa, I'm a strawberry. There's nothing 'ghostly' about the costume."

"Now, now, appearances aren't everything. You can say 'boo,' can you not?"

"Yeah... so?"

A wisp of hope returned, even though Yugi would not admit it.

"And ghosts say 'boo,' correct?"

"Yes..." Yugi still wasn't sure what his grandpa was getting at.

"But tell me Yugi, can strawberries go 'boo'?"

"Oh yeah... that's right!"

Sugoroku was inwardly smiling.

"But wait... ghosts can go through walls and float and not be seen when they don't want to," Yugi pointed out skeptically. "I can't do any of those things. Face it, I'm just a strawberry."

Sugoroku was at a loss as to what to say. It mattered not, though, because in a rush, Yugi blurted, "But, but, but I can at least pretend to be a strawberry ghost, right?"

"Of course you can." Sugoroku smiled warmly. His grandson really was too cute for his own good.

Just then, the door bell rang.

"It must be the others!" Yugi bounded off, momentarily forgetting that he was wearing the accursed strawberry costume.

Peeking through the peep hole, he confirmed that it was indeed his friends, and not some random trick-or-treaters.

He unlocked the lock and swung open the door, smiled stretched wide and eyes mere half-moons.

"What took you guys so long?" Yugi teased. "Half the night's nearly gone."

When nobody responded, Yugi glanced at them from face to face. They all seemed to be in a state of shock.

Shizuka was the first ot recover and all but glomped Yugi in a giant bear hug, squealing. Yugi nearly toppled over from the surprise attack.

"Aww, Yugi, you look so cute!"

Shizuka was Yugi's height plus an inch or so taller despite the fact that she was Jou's younger sister, and therefore younger than Yugi since Yugi and Jou were the same age.

"Can't- breathe- !"

Shizuka let go instantly, blushing. She was usually much more shy and not the hugging-squealing type.

Timidly, she bowed in apology and said, "Sorry, Yugi. You're okay though, right?"

"I'm alright," Yugi said, catching his breath back.

It wasn't till now that he got a good look at her.

Her chestnut brown hair tumbled past her shoulders and down her back, under an old-fashioned pilot hat with straps, complete with bug-eyed piloting goggles resting on top. She wore an aviator's jacket and had a soft, mossy green shirt tucked under her beige skinny jeans. A white scarf was wrapped around her neck and brown leather boots hugged her legs and feet.

"Hm... your costume... you're Amelia Earhart?" Yugi guessed.

"Yup!"

"It's a very nice costume, Shizuka."

"Thanks Yugi! But..." She paused, giggling, before she continued: "It's not nearly as cute as your costume!"

(A teensy thought from his back of Yugi's mind suddenly thrust its way forward, blaring, upset that it was ignored for so long: it occurred to Yugi right then that the others were still staring at him in the abomination- er, strawberry, that is.)

Yugi resembled a beet more than a strawberry at that moment (in colour, at least.) He could feel all the blood boiling in his cheeks and ears, and more blood shooting all the way up from his feet like a plant growing upside-down roots skyward in the span of a half-second.

In other words, it was a full-blown volcanic eruption of a blush, worthy of a place in the world records book.

With the blush, everyone else seemed to snap out of their shock.

The first thing Jounouchi did when he stepped through the threshold was pull Yugi into a half-hug while ruffling his hair.

"Hehe, Yug' here looks harmless and adorable! Like a baby panda!"

"Jou!"

Jou started laughing a bit and then it grew and grew and grew to the point that he really couldn't stop.

"Shizuka was right – you look so cute and huggable!" Anzu gave Yugi a warm hug, not unlike how children hugged a plushy.

Honda was laughing right along with Jou as he came in.

"I know you said you weren't going to be a mummy this year and to expect something good, but this... this is too much!"

"Honda!" Yugi whined. "It's not that funny, you guys!" He could see Honda and Jou clutching their stomachs desperately.

Ryou came in, shutting the door behind him.

"At least Ryou has the decency to not laugh. I always did like British people more than the people here," Yugi muttered, still in Anzu's hug.

At this point, Shizuka decided to join the hug.

When Ryou turned around, everyone could see the laughter in his eyes. In fact, his eyes seemed to be in tears. He had a hand over his mouth, trying very hard to stifle any giggles and laughter that wanted to slip out.

"Ah, never mind."

Yugi slumped in the small hugging smush he found himself in with Shizuka and Anzu, resigned to his fate.

They were in the kitchen, eating some snacks and in general, preparing for the night ahead of them.

"So, Shizuka, not that you're unwelcome here, but why are you here?"

"Well, I had it all planned out with my friends, but two of them got sick last minute and couldn't go. Jou here thinks that because there are fewer people, it's suddenly a lot more dangerous."

"Wha! Safety in numbas!" He said as he stuffed some chips down his mouth. "I can't hav my baby sista wanderin' all by herself!"

"Jou, there were still two other people going."

"I don't care! My lil' sis ain't gonna go off without her bro on a night with so many monsters out!"

Shizuka giggled. "Silly Jou. It's Halloween. Of course there are monsters out!"

"You're stuck with me for life, sis," he said matter-of-factly, as he chowed down more chips.

Jou titled his head back and they all watched him dump the remains into his mouth.

Jou was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt and brown jeans with a hazel, bushy wolf tail attached to it. On the table sat a furry wolf headpiece to go over his head – his outfit resembled a wolf mascot costume minus the body part.

"Jou, weren't you going to be a full wolf this year?" Yugi asked.

"Nah, I decided that a werewolf would be cooler."

"Let me guess, you spent all your allowances on video games so you couldn't get the body part of the costume."

"Aw, Yug', why do ya always see through me?"

Yugi laughed. "'Cause I know you."

Honda turned to Jou. "What? I thought you only got the pants with the wolf tail 'cause the store's full wolf costume looked messed up."

"Meh. It was partly true."

"Really now? Somehow I don't believe you. Pay up, wolf-boy," Honda demanded, with his hand out.

"Huh?"

"We had a bet that Jou here wouldn't be able to save enough money to buy his costume since he usually spends half the money he gets for a month in one day. And this sneak here tried to lie about having enough money. 'The costume's ugly; I can't wear that,' he said. I can't believe I actually fell for that flimsy excuse."

Yugi laughed.

"Okay, now give me my money."

"I dun hav' any."

"What do you mean 'you don't have any'?"

"Well if I had da money, it woulda went towards buyin' da costume."

Honda groaned. "I'm not getting my money ever, am I?"

Jou grinned proudly. "Nope!"

Honda sighed. "So anyway, I actually saved enough money for the full costume."

"I resent dat."

"You owe me money so you can't resent anything."

"Hmph."

As for Honda, he was a magic gunner, just like he said he would be months ago: a cape around his neck, a light-coloured shirt, some combat pants and boots (currently resting by the door), and as props, he had a thick, black belt with silvery ammo and a magic pistol.

"How about me? Like my costume? I was going to be a cat, but Miho was already dressing up as that," Anzu said as she gave a mini twirl.

The others nodded.

Anzu was dressed as a witch – pointy hat and black cloak. On the inside, she wore a dark, simple dress that stopped mid-thigh. She also had striped stockings to go with her tall black boots (also by the door).

"Nice costume, but wouldn't there be more people dressed up as witches than cats?" Shizuka pointed out.

"True, but I don't know them, so it doesn't matter."

"But what if some other girl from our class dressed as a witch too?" Honda said.

"Or boy," Jou added.

"Why would a boy dress up as a witch? That's a girl's costume. Besides, isn't there a different name for boy witches?" Honda said.

Jou stifled a grin, but Yugi noticed anyway and narrowed his eyes. He had a bad feeling about this...

"Well, da way I see it, if Yug' can be a strawberry, why can't a boy be a witch? A strawberry's way girlier."

Yugi groaned.

"And cuter." Jou winked suggestively at him.

It was a joke, Yugi knew, but he still groaned even louder, covering his warming face with his hands.

Yes, most definitely he was regretting leaving his hiding place in the washroom.

Ryou giggled – he couldn't help it. Yugi really was cute and the fact that he hated his costume made him all the more adorable.

Yugi looked up from his hands at Ryou and directed at him a pitiful excuse of a glare.

"Oh, shush, you. Don't get me started on how much I dislike you right now. You're supposed to be the quiet, sympathetic one."

"Alright, Yugi," he said, still grinning.

Ryou cleared his throat, trying to dispel any remaining laughter. "Do you guys like my costume?" He asked, deciding to have mercy and help Yugi change the subject.

Ryou was wearing a black cape over a black T-shirt with a sketch of feathery wings on it. For his bottom half, he wore grey jeans and black sneakers, which were currently on the shoe rack. On his head, he donned a black, fur-ish, feathery-ish hat that was beak-like at the front, contrasting nicely with his snowy white hair.

"Um Ryou, just what exactly are you?" Yugi asked in a polite tone.

"Oh, this? I'm Raum.**"

"Ramen? Like da noodle? I thought yu was a crow."

Ryou let out an exasperated breath, ruffled at being called noodles.

"No, Jou, I'm dressed up as some 'noodle,' nor am I a crow." He paused, to let the facts sink in as the others were giving him blank looks. "I'm dressed as Raum, the Great Earl of Hell. He is often depicted as a crow, but he can take a human form."

"So I was right!" Jou fist-pumped.

"I said depicted, not that he was. We don't really know," Ryou tried to defend.

"I dunno wha depicks mean, but I was right, wasn't I?"

"But I'm dressed as his human form!"

"So yu admit dere's a crow form. Point for Jounouchi the Great!"

Ryou decided to ignore him – something he figured he should've done earlier.

"Anyway, he rules over thirty legions of demons in demonology. He steals treasure from kings, destroys dignities of men and obliterates cities, crushing them into mere ash and dust."

As he said this, he made motions with his hands a bit dramatically, finally crumpling the empty, grape juice box in his hand when he said the word 'crushing.' He took on a villain-like, muwhahaha kind of voice and look.

"Uh..." Everybody was slightly disturbed that the amiable, innocent Ryou had a dark side like this.

They all stared at him like the time they first saw just how much he could eat for someone so small. Not as much as Jou, per say, but even Jou was impressed.

"Eh?" Ryou seemed to come back to his senses and noticed their stares. He blushed, scratching the back of his head lightly. "Sorry for getting carried away there... It's just I get so excited with demon myths and such."

In hindsight, it was to be expected that Ryou would pick a creepy, obscurely-known figure as his Halloween costume.

It was Ryou, after all.

And, well, his Duel Monsters deck was filled with the most freakish, dark, and powerful cards, clashing greatly with his gentle disposition.

After the pre-trick-or-treating snacks, they took some flashlights, grabbed their bags to collect goodies in and put on their shoes, ready to go.

"Wait!"

"Huh? What is it Grandpa?"

"Come pose for a group photo!" Sugoroku had a camera in his hand, waving them over.

"Do we have to?" Yugi said, not moving.

"Yes, my boy! Why, you were the one reminding me last year!" Sugoroku chuckled fondly at the memory.

Yugi shrugged nonchalantly (or tried to.) "That was last year," he said simply.

"You jus' dun wanna photo cuz of your costume. No way you're gettin' outta this, man. This is da perfect blackmail material."

A soft sigh left Yugi.

Anzu frowned at this.

"While I don't agree with Jou's reasoning, we definitely do need to have a photo if you're dressed as a cute strawberry!" Anzu said.

"Look on the bright side, mate."

Yugi turned to Ryou. "What bright side?"

"It's only for one night."

"One night too many," Yugi moaned.

They all posed for the photo and with a loud click and a bright, blinding flash, the moment was captured.

A quick glance at the photo taken had a frown appearing on Sugoroku's aged face.

"Okay, one more photo! This time, I want a smiling strawberry, no sulking ones allowed."

"Just pretend you're wearing a Dark Magician costume," Ryou whispered as he stared unblinkingly at the lens once more.

Yugi tried to do just that, but he didn't believe it.

"I feel like my night has already been ruined by this costume," Yugi sighed to himself through a force smile.

Click.

White light.

Fade.

I guess a sad smile is better than no smile at all, Sugoroku thought, looking at the photo.

Jou, hearing Yugi's mumbled comment, immediately went to lighten his best friend's mood after the photo was taken.

"Cheer up, buddy! We're gonna hav loads a' fun! At midnight, we can -"

"Uh Jou?"

"... lots of candy an' tell spooky tales an' -"

"Jou!"

"Yea?"

"I have a ten o'clock curfew."

"What? Aw, Gramps, cut Yug' some slack! It's Halloween!"

After some deliberation, Sugoroku agreed. "Midnight, Yugi. Alright?"

Yugi began to nod, when Jou said, "But dat's when da real fun begins! Real ghosts and stuff don't come out 'til den."

Sugoroku heaved a great sigh and consented once more. "Two o'clock then. That's the latest," he said firmly when he saw Jou open his mouth again (which he promptly closed.)

"Okay, Grandpa," Yugi said easily.

"I doubt you'll be able to stay awake that late though," Sugoroku said.

"Haha, that's true."

Jou wrapped an arm around Yugi's neck, giving him a mini noogie.

"Don't'cha worry 'bout dat, Yug' – dat's where da candy comes in. Da sugah rush should keep ya awake till two, maybe you'll even pull an all-nighter," Jou said quite loudly (he had meant to whisper.)

Sugoroku's eye twitched.

Not that Jou, oblivious to all, noticed.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I won't eat too much candy and I won't be out too late."

His grandpa nodded in relief.

"Good plan, Yug' – reassuring him doesn't mean we havta follow through. Guy secret, yea? (Not that your gramp's a woman but you get the point.)"

Sugoroku's eye twitched again.

Yugi laughed nervously. "OK Jou, I think it would be a good idea to go now," he said as he practically dragged Jou along.

"Hey, what's da rush?"

Sensibly, Anzu slapped him upside the head.

"Ow! What was dat for?"

"For blabbering nonsense again! With your mouth, Yugi won't be going anywhere!"

"Alright! Shutting up." Jou rolled his eyes. "Jeez, girls are so... bleh sometimes."

"Do you want me to smack you again?"

Off they went, into the lovely night.

And a truly lovely night it was.

The sky was a beautiful bluish, inky black, littered with stars and a full moon hung in the background.

When Yugi stared at the sky, it felt like there was something surreal in them... something beyond understanding, like somewhere in those deep layers of the sky, Fate was weaving the delicate paths of souls. There was something about the atmosphere that allowed him to easily imagine her creating a dream catcher of the world.

It was a bone-chilling night.

Yugi loved it.

And yet, his costume...

Yugi frowned.

Leaves littered the ground in a pretty array of orange, gold, red and brown.

He felt a warm autumn breeze sweep across him, a caress almost. Like a sign of better things to come.

Yugi didn't believe it though.

You could hear the laughter of trick-or-treaters all over, but to Yugi, the night was going downhill, and picking up speed, too.

Already five houses in, two of them had mistaken him for a girl and the other three thought he was 'undeniably kawaii.'

All the while, Jou was snickering in the background.

Yugi loved his best friend – he really did – but he was getting tired of his constant teasing.

Anzu and Shizuka weren't helping much either, agreeing whole-heartedly with the 'cute' comments. He was a boy, damnit! He felt bad immediately for swearing, even in his thoughts. His Grandpa taught him better than that. But boys were not cute! Why didn't the two understand?

Then there was Honda, fawning over Shizuka and agreeing with her every word. Unfortunately, that didn't distract him to the point where he forgot to laugh at the different houses' reaction to the strawberry costume

And Ryou... Ryou was sympathetically supportive, restraining himself from laughing too much.

"Yug', man, dat was hilarious! Now I wish I wore a strawberry costume. Maybe I'da get more candy too!"

Yugi hoped the next few houses would be better.

Oh, if only he knew how wrong he would be.

The next person to answer the door was a middle-aged woman, with damp, oily hair.

Yugi wasn't sure what she was dressed up as – she was on the overweight side, to put it mildly, and that kind of distorted whatever it was she wearing out of shape. Clearly, she should've gotten it a size or two larger.

He winced at her high-pitched voice.

"Here you are, my dears!" She exuberantly handed out treats to his friends.

Since it was a narrow veranda, they had to take turns to get candy.

Yugi was last.

His friends were at the bottom of the steps, waiting patiently for him.

"And what's this lovely girl dressed as? My, what a wonderfully cute strawberry you make!" She said excitedly.

Not again.

"I'm not a girl, ma'am, nor am I cute, I assure you. And I'm part ghost," Yugi stressed.

"Ah, I see, we have a gingersnap tom-boy here, don't we?"

Oh god. And my friends are hearing all of this.

"I said, I'm not a girl!"

"Ooooh, a feisty girl."

"But I'm not a girl!"

"For being extra special, you get an extra special treat. Mm-mm, my favourite!" She flung a candy bar into Yugi's bag. "And you have a good night too, little miss I'm-not-a-girl."

"For crying out loud, what part in 'I'm not a girl' do you not get?"

"Your secret's safe with me, hun. Mum's the word." She pinched his cheek.

Ow...

Before he could reply, she already closed the door.

He looked into his bag, and then looked to his friends. "This snicker bar was so not worth it."

Indeed, things seemed to be getting worse and worse:

"Oi! Get the girly in strawberry some candy! I dun want her crying!"

"Sir, I'm not crying in any-"

"Hurry! I think I see some waterworks going on!"

.

"And what's your name, little strawberry?" A cooing voice. Sickly sweet. Enough said.

.

"Gurl, you're cute as button. For that, you get a button." The lady promptly snipped a button off from her cardigan and plopped it into Yugi's bag.

.

"Are you an underfed tomato with chicken pox?"

Honestly, Yugi thought that was the best comment all night.

.

"I just want to cut you with my shiny, sharp knife and then eat you up, gobble, gobble, gobble. Huh, that came out sounding kinda creepy, didn't it? Well I meant it figuratively, not literally so no need to – wait! Come back! I didn't mean it, I swear! Don't you want candy?"

Needless to say, they were all still freaked out and quickly left.

.

"Hey, dad! Look! She's Strawberry Shortcake!"

...

"What?" Yugi blurted.

"From the t.v. show. It's American."

No I don't know, nor do I want to, thank-you-very-much, Yugi thought.

.

"Sooooo cuuuute! Little boy, give me a hug!"

Yugi was glomped again. This was the – actually, he lost count at seventeen.

At least they got his gender right this time.

.

"I'm allergic to strawberries."

Tentatively, Yugi said, "I'm sorry?"

"Just kidding! I love 'em. Come take a picture with me, you cute thang."

They wouldn't take no for an answer.

Yugi still didn't know what 'thang' meant and Jou laughed when he asked.

.

A boy around five with tousled, black hair stared at Yugi with wide eyes.

"Mama, why is the boy wearing a girl's costume?"

"Yuuki, don't be rude, that's a girl."

"Oh. But I thought he's -"

"Not he, it's she, remember? Because she's a girl, Yuuki. Now help me pass the candy out to these wonderful children."

"Yes Mama."

Yugi was feeling utterly miserable.

"Yug', I think you win best costume of da night," Jou said.

That was the last straw.

Yugi didn't know why. Compared to all the other comments he received, this was nothing. But it was the thing that drove him over the edge.

He stopped in his tracks.

"I'm leaving."

His friends all turned and stared at him.

"What? Where'er ya going?"

"I don't know! Home! The park! Anywhere! Anywhere but here!" He threw his hands up, his bag of treats forgotten. "I can't take it anymore! I'm a boy! A boy! Not a girl! Stupid girly costume..."

"We'll come with you..." Anzu started.

"No! Stay away! You guys laughed at me like the rest of them... I thought we were friends... aren't friends supposed to stick up for each other?"

"Yes, but Yugi -"

"Then why are you guys so mean to me? You guys are like everybody else."

Tears were in his eyes. Yugi knew he was being irrational and the things he was saying were unfair to them, but he felt so... unhappy.

The night, it was ruined, ruined, ruined...

He couldn't take it anymore. He was going to burst into tears and he didn't want his friends to see him cry over something so pathetic.

So he ran off.

"Yugi- wait- !"

But he was already gone. Like a ghost, a strawberry ghost, vanishing into thin air.

Yugi just wanted to be alone.

It was dark in the neighbourhood Yugi ran off to.

Correction: it seemed darker, since it was already dark out.

And quiet.

Eerily quiet.

Yugi was scared and upset and ridden with guilt for running off like that. His friends probably hated him now. Maybe they would never want to be his friend again. He felt sad at that thought.

But he was mostly scared, because he was helplessly lost in an unknown neighbourhood at night – and a deserted-looking one too, where creepy people or freaky things could be lurking beneath dark shadows. Didn't Jou say that real monsters came out at midnight? Oh no, what time was it?

But Yugi didn't have a watch with him... only Anzu thought to bring one.

He found a park nearby and sat on a bench.

He dried his tears with his sleeve, sniffling a little still.

Yugi didn't know what overcame him to say those harsh words to his friends. He was just so upset, and his friends' teasing didn't help.

He wanted to go apologize to them for being so selfish. If only he knew the way home...

He brought his knees to his chest and hugged his legs. It was awfully cold out.

Yugi decided he would try to wander home and hope that someone up in the sky would guide him. No sense in sitting in the cold, wallowing in self-pity and freezing into a Popsicle.

He didn't get very far, when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Yo strawberry girl!"

Stupidly, he turned around, despite the feeling of dread building in him and the strong urge to flee. Curiously, Yugi stood, unmoving, staring at the burly boy with a ghoul mask on, some distance away.

"Wait a minute..." The boy lifted his mask up, his black eyes squinted. "You're not a girl... you look like shrimp at school!"

Now Yugi realized why the voice sounded so familiar. And why his instincts were flaring like crazy. It was Ushio, the boy who always beat him up – sometimes for homework and sometimes for lunch money, but most of the time, it appeared to Yugi to be for no reason at all except that he enjoyed it.

"Look at that, I guess it's my lucky day!" He rubbed his hands together, smiling devilishly. His eyes had a cruel glint in them.

Yugi started to run as fast as he could in a costume, which was to say, not very fast. When he glanced back over his shoulder, he could see Ushio stomping after him, looking so much like the monster he dressed up as.

Run, run, run! His mind practically screamed.

His lungs burned for air and his legs felt so weak, like spaghetti. He thought his knees might buckle at any moment.

Yugi kept looking back, afraid that Ushio was catching up, but because of this, he didn't see the root of an oak tree sticking out up ahead.

Suddenly he pitched forward, and it felt like the world around him tumbled for a second as his vision blurred. Then there was the ground, rushing up too fast, and the bruising impact that he had no time to brace for. His head smacked against a rock.

This section of the park had a slope so Yugi log-rolled downwards a little through dry weed and grass.

He came to a stop on his back, gasping for air and looking skyward at so many stars.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow... That bruising roll was not fun at all.

A stinging pain at the front of his head remained even when everything else that hurt dulled to a low throb.

"Heh, heh, gotcha now," Ushio said, towering over him so that the stars were no longer in sight.

"Shrimp-boy, don't you want to see me?" Ushio said in a fake hurt voice. His expression darkened. "You shouldn't have run. Do you remember what I said I'd do if you ran away instead of taking it like you deserve it? Because you do deserve it."

Fractured memories came in a surge.

.

Yugi was running, running like the wind. So very fast. Like the wind.

So exhausted – maybe he'll collapse, but no matter. He would be safe this time, unharmed.

His brain on overdrive: Where to go next? Ah! There! Slip into an alley, quiet, like the wind. Turned the corner, oh no, bad move. No, no, no, no, no... This can't be happening...

Dead end.

Maybe he could climb something, float away, and disappear. Like the wind.

A giant dumpster with a box off to the side – yes, perfect, anything will do. Hurry.

Stepping onto the box, on tippy-toes. Reaching for the top of the dumpster.

But no.

Too short. Can't reach. Just a little more... can't do it.

Why?

fate was so cruel.

He's coming. Panic. Where to go what to do what To DO THINK YUGI THINK HURRY THINK GET AWAY CAN'T MAYBE HIDE, yes, hide, hope rises, quick scan, and hope dies

because there's nowhere to hide...

Help, help, help, somebody please help, don't let him get me.

...

Punches, kicks, taunting, everywhere. Hurt, hurt, hurt. Burning. Humiliating. Tears, lots of salty tears.

He must've been dying.

Maybe he would leave this world, without a trace of ever living.

Like the wind.

No. Just a broken rib or two, dislocated shoulder, some bruises, a small cut on his head. Overall, not dying, not even close. Of course not, Yugi remembers thinking, then the fun would end.

A whisper to his ear before he blacked out:

"Don't run or I'll break your legs next time. Let's see how you can run then."

Sometime later, when the sinking sun was almost completely lowered, he woke up in a start. Wracking pain, but bearable. He limped home.

He was no wind.

.

Yugi's eyes widened.

"Ah, I see you remember. Good."

Yugi tried to crawl away, but a meaty hand gripped around his ankle and he felt himself being yanked back painfully and flipped onto his back. Ushio sat on Yugi's chest, straddling him,, so that his arms were pinned to his sides.

It was hard getting enough air to breathe.

"I warned you and yet, you decide to not listen. You brought this upon yourself."

"Please... don't break... my legs." Yugi gasped out as tears blurred his vision.

"Hm, maybe I'll beat you up and then break your legs and then beat you up some more. How does that sound, shrimp?"

Yugi was too panicked to answer.

He didn't want to hurt all over again.

Ushio raised his fist.

Please, no.

Yugi shut his eyes, bracing up for the first hit.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The voice of an angry boy shouted.

"And who're you? Oh well, I'll just take care of you and then me and shrimp can have our fun." Ushio got up and then punched Yugi in the stomach as a warning to not run away.

The blessed strawberry costume took the brunt of the blow, but Yugi still clutched his aching stomach.

"Don't punch him! Fight someone your own size!"

The boy couldn't be much older than himself, Yugi deduced.

What caught Yugi's eyes was the full Dark Magician outfit the boy was wearing. The purpley fabric itself had a swirly look and there were simply no words to properly describe how amazing the costume looked.

It was like the Duel Monsters card came to life, minus the magician, of course, and in his place, this mystery boy.

(Who, Yugi thought, looked pretty amazing himself, on a side note.)

In his hand was a glowing, green staff – made of legit stuff, not plasticky and fake-looking, Yugi thought excitedly.

Just where did he get that?

Beneath the pointy hat, Yugi could tell the boy had spiky hair just like himself, but without the fringe of blond bangs.

They looked similar, too, but the other boy's features were more angular and sharp, not looking of Japanese descent, despite his pale skin. Perhaps Mediterranean, somewhere like Greece, Yugi mused, but he couldn't tell for sure.

"You're hardly taller than shrimp boy over there. I doubt you can win me."

"Well then, I think you and I need to play a game to find out."

"Game?" Ushio snorted, folding his arms.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"Games are for losers, losers like shrimp. They're too easy anyway – a bore for someone like me."

"Not this one, I assure you."

"Alright, fine, I'll amuse you. I'll play your – hey, what's that?" Ushio had a puzzled look on his face. He was staring at a spot behind the boy.

Don't look, it's a trick! Yugi wanted to scream to the strange boy who didn't seem to be afraid of Ushio at all. But the words were stuck in his throat.

Yugi felt sick to his stomach, knowing what would happen – he'd fell for it a few times and seen it happen to others twice as many.

The boy turned.

Ushio pulled his fist back, about to deliver a sickening blow to the boy's jaw. The force of it would surely dislocate it at this angle.

Smack!

Yugi winced.

But at the same time, Yugi was astonished.

The boy had ducked, even with his body turned away, like he had expected the underhanded punch. In one smooth motion, so agile, he spun back and swung his green staff around, nailing Ushio in the stomach. The force with which the staff hit the bully rendered him breathless and on the ground on his back.

"Shall we play fairly now? I don't tolerate cheating," the boy said calmly, yet his eyes were fierce, warning.

He had the top end of the staff pointing down at Ushio's chest, like he was ready to finish him off.

Don't mess with me, his whole body seemed to radiate out.

Ushio, tiny as his brain was, realized this and scrambled away the moment he got his breath back.

The boy's eyes narrowed after the bully, trying to decide whether the retreat was a trick or not. Satisfied with what he saw, he visibly relaxed and went over to an oak tree to rest his staff on before hurrying over to Yugi.

"Hey, are you alright?" The boy in the Dark Magician outfit had his hand stretched out to him, concern bleeding from his dark violet eyes.

A sense of déjà-vu struck Yugi as he grasped the other boy's hand and he was helped up.

"Oh! Your forehead! It's bleeding."

"Wha...?" Yugi was feeling a bit dazed, like one of those out-of-your-body moments.

"Here, let me get that for you." The other boy dabbed his sleeve gently on Yugi's forehead. "There, all better now."

Yugi flushed. For a second of two, he felt like his voice vanished with the wind.

"I- I- th-thank-you... um..."

"Yami," the Dark Magician boy said. "I'm Yami Faden."

"My name's Yugi Mutou."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yugi."

Yugi couldn't help but admire how warm the older boy's eyes were. There was just something about this boy... he felt like he knew him all his life – perhaps even longer than that, which must've been his "wild imagination," as his grandpa put it. But Ryou said he felt differently about things from "the average brainless person" because Yugi had "heightened senses and an especially strong sixth sense" so he "perceived more than others," whatever that meant.

Yugi knew a long time ago that Ryou was much smarter than his age and it wasn't to show off or anything, like the other kids thought. Ryou was born with this insight to the world that very few had and added to that, he was naturally brilliant. It was sad to say that he was bullied for those very reasons. So although Yugi didn't understand a word he said sometimes, he always believed him.

Blinking, Yugi realized Yami was in as much of a trance as he was.

"Ah, can I have my hand back?"

"Oh whoops! Sorry!" Yami let go immediately, ears going red.

"I know I've only just met you, but may I can you Yami-kun?" Yugi asked shyly.

"Of course, Yugi-chan ~ "

"Hey! Don't call me that. That's for girls."

"Well... to be honest, you kind of look like one." Yami smirked.

"Yaaaami!"

"Alright, alright, I'm joking." Yami covered his mouth with his hand to hide a growing smile.

"It's not funny!" The strawberry turned away, blushing.

"I'm sorry, aibou."

"Aibou?" The strawberry turned back, curiosity written all over his face.

Now it was Yami's turn to blush. "Eh, sorry. Slipped right out of my mouth. I won't ever call you that again if -"

Yugi reached up and placed his hand over Yami's mouth, silencing him.

"I don't mind." He gave a small, hopeful smile.

Yami returned the smile, removing the hand covering his mouth. "Thanks, aibou."

Softly, Yugi said, "You felt it too, didn't you?"

"Yes, I felt it." Yami's voice was just as soft.

Nothing was said between the two for a minute; they simply stood there, drinking in the presence of the other.

"I didn't have time to ask before, but now..."

Yami looked at Yugi with his head slightly titled, questioning, silently gesturing him to go on.

"My Ra, are you dressed as the Dark Magician?" Yugi felt like he was ready to faint. The costume looked so good!

Yami smirked. "The one and only," he said as he mock-posed. "But tell me, how did you know it's the Dark Magician? Every house I've gone to thinks I'm a wizard."

"Well, I'm a duelist too! And the Dark Magician is my favourite card!"

Yami's eyes lit up. "Really? Mine too. We'll have to duel some time. My Dark Magician against your Dark Magician."

"Deal."

They shook on it.

"Speaking of costumes, that's a nice strawberry costume you got there."

"For your information, Yami Faden, I am not just a strawberry."

"You're not?"

"Nope. I'm a strawberry ghost."

Yami had a puzzled look. "But there's nothing 'ghostly' about the costume."

That's what I said to Grandpa.

He decided to explain that he was in fact a strawberry ghost - no way he would ever dress up as a strawberry and actually go trick-or-treating in it. Maybe if he explained it like his grandpa did, it would sound real enough.

"So basically, ghosts say boo, and so can I. But we all know strawberries can't, ergo, I'm a ghost and not a strawberry. But clearly, I'm still a strawberry, you see, even though I'm not exactly a strawberry, so that means I must be a ghost-slash-strawberry. A strawberry ghost, essentially."

When he got no immediate response, he added, "It's a rare species of fruit." Okay, so he made up that part and he felt kind of bad lying like that, but he wanted to sound more believable to the other boy.

After another second, he went 'boo' just to get his point across.

Yugi concluded the explanation didn't quite come out like how his grandpa's did. In fact, he was pretty sure he confused himself.

Luckily, it seemed that Yami understood.

"The thing is..." Yami paused, gathering his thoughts, "ghosts can do other stuff too like melt through walls and float and become invisible, so you're not really a ghost... unless... you can do these things?" His voice was not accusing; he sounded like he merely wanted to get the facts straight.

That's what I also said... But it's okay, 'cause like I said earlier, I could always pretend. Grandpa said so. Oh no...

"Yugi? What's the matter?" As though sensing his sudden distress.

"I forgot," Yugi responded in a small voice, looking at his feet.

"Forgot what?"

"I forgot that I was only pretending to be a strawberry ghost. That I'm not actually one..."

"Yugi...?"

To Yami, Yugi sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "I... I... I'm just a silly strawberry, Yami, aren't I?" He said 'strawberry' like how someone would say 'loser.' He looked imploringly into Yami's eyes.

"Hey, don't be like that! You can be a strawberry ghost, if you want."

"Really?" He sniffled.

"Yep." Yami nodded solemnly to confirm.

"And you're convinced that I'm a strawberry ghost?" Suspicion coloured his tone.

"I'm convinced, cross my heart and hope to die."

"Don't say that! I don't want you to die! I'd rather be a strawberry forever."

"My point is that I'm convinced, Yugi," Yami said gently.

Yugi instantly brightened, smiling a smile so full of light that Yami felt blinded for a moment.

Hikari, Yami thought out of nowhere.

"Though, just out of curiosity, why is a strawberry ghost okay and a regular strawberry not?"

Yugi made a face. "People think I look cute in it. I figured I'd look scarier as a strawberry ghost. It's not really working out," he admitted.

The other boy laughed. "They're not wrong about the cute part."

"Not you too!" Yugi covered his face with his hands.

"But..."

Yugi peeked between his fingers, wondering what more he had to say.

"Along with looking cute, you appear to be very yummy too." Yami's features took on a sly look. "And guess what, Yugi-chan? This Dark Magician is in the mood for strawberries."

It took a few seconds for Yugi to register all this, and his eyes widened when he finally did. He turned to escape, but it was too late. Yami had snaked his arms around him, pulling Yugi's back into his chest, pretending to 'eat' him. Yugi made a soft 'eep.' It was more like snuggling, in reality. Yami nuzzled his face into Yugi's hair.

"Mmm... you smell good, Yugi-chan, did you know that? Maybe not like a strawberry, but nonetheless, I think it was a wise choice on my part to eat you."

"Yami-kuuun!" Yugi complained. "You're messing up my hair!"

(But Yugi secretly still enjoyed the hug.)

"Oh hush. I know you like it; don't deny it."

Or maybe not-so-secretly.

Either way, Yugi relaxed into the hug, face as red as ever. Somehow, he didn't mind so much being called 'cute,' if Yami were the one saying it.

How strange the world is, Yugi thought.

After the hug came more questions and answers and discoveries between the two.

"What's a kid like you doing out here all by yourself anyway? But don't worry, I'm nine years old, so I can protect you."

"I'm eight!" Yugi said, slightly miffed.

"Eaten."

"Huh?"

"It should be 'I was eaten.'"

"'I was eaten'?"

"Yes, by me, just now. 'I'm ate' is grammatically incorrect, you know. You should always exercise good grammar."

Yugi blushed a strawberry pink colour at the 'being eaten' comment. He shook his head to clear up these thoughts so that he could properly reply to the matter at hand.

"No! I meant I'm eight years old!"

"Really now?" Yami looked genuinely surprised.

"Yes, really," Yugi said, irked. His blush died down though, thankfully.

"But you're only this tall." The other boy brought the side of his hand to his chest, the palm facing the ground.

"I'm not that short!" Yugi complained. "I'm at least up to your chin, if not nose."

"That's because of your hair," Yami pointed out.

"Your hair looks like mine!"

"But I'm not the one adding my hair to my height."

"My hair is part of my body so it still counts!"

"Well, if you were bald..."

"But I'm not bald, am I?" Yugi crossed his arms, refusing to give in.

The strawberry ghost and the sorcerer stared at each other for an extended moment before they both burst out laughing.

"You know, I think it's about time that I check on Bakura and Marik."

"Who?"

"Two of my friends. One's klepto and the other's psycho. After trick-or-treating for a while, Marik decided that we were walking too much so Bakura suggested the idea of returning to the same few houses over and over again until somebody recognized us. I didn't want to take part so I wandered off."

Yugi laughed.

"They also offered to trick-or-treat for me, which explains why I don't have my bag with me."

"That's nice of them."

"I don't think I'm getting my bag back."

"But how will they get people to give candy to the extra bag?"

"Oh, they'll probably come up with some sort of sob story, I can just imagine it: their little brother is severely sick in bed at home and they wanted to trick-or-treat for him out of brotherly love."

"Wow."

"Oh trust me; that probably wasn't the only thing they're planning on doing."

"What do you mean by that?"

"At one of the houses we visited, the guy gave out carrot sticks in plastic baggies."

Yugi caught on instantly. "Revenge?"

"Spot on. I think they said that they are planning to teepee the guy's house –"

"Ouch."

"–inside and out."

"Ah."

"I have a feeling that they're going to decorate the man's living room with stink bombs and fire crackers too. Just a hunch."

"But they couldn't possibly get inside without the guy seeing."

"Like I said, one of them is a klepto – Bakura – so it wouldn't be difficult at all. To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't burned down the city yet. I mean, I know Malik and my cousin Seto are watching them, but they're still a handful."

"Well, I guess you do need to check on them. And I need to find my friends. They're probably worried sick! That or they hate me. I would hate me too. I said some very hurtful things to them."

"Even so, I don't think anyone could hate you, aibou."

"Thanks Yami."

Yugi forgot all about potentially losing his friends. He also forgot the possibility of ruining his friends' Halloween night. What if they searched for him instead of enjoying themselves like they should be doing? Yugi didn't want that to happen. Maybe it would be better if they didn't want to be his friend anymore. At the very least, they wouldn't have wasted their Halloween.

The whole reason he completely lost track of time was because of Yami and chatting with him. With Yami, the rest of the world disappeared – if not disappear, then it faded away temporarily – and he felt as light as air. Like the wind.

"Yami-kun," Yugi said as he shyly looked to his feet, "I had a very good time talking to you." Yugi glanced up suddenly, worried. "We'll see each other more after tonight, right?"

"Of course." Those warm, dark violet eyes returned.

Yugi loved those warm eyes.

Yami pulled Yugi in and planted a gentle kiss on his right cheek softly.

As they separated, a faint red started to spread across Yugi's nose area, spreading to his cheeks, and trickling down his neck to his collarbone area.

He felt warm and fuzzy all over.

"I love your blush," Yami said.

That comment amplified it tenfold.

Yami held Yugi's shoulders; they were about an arm's length apart.

"Be my strawberry ghost for always, aibou?"

Finding his voice, Yugi said, "Okay, mou hitori no boku." The name rolled out with ease. The strawberry ghost had no idea where it came from, but it felt right, calling the Dark Magician boy that. The name fit.

Eight years old and he felt he found the other half of his soul.

"Let's go, Yugi," Yami said, tugging his hand. Then, as though remembering something, he let go of Yugi's hand, turned, and walked off to the side. He picked up the staff that was leaning against the tree.

Yugi did not hear or notice a thing – his thoughts were whirling millions of miles away.

Other half of his soul? How silly, Yugi scolded himself. Grandpa was right, you do over-imagine things.

But, if that's so, then why did –

He touched his right cheek; it was still tingling.

And his heart... fluttering rapidly, like the wings of a hummingbird.

Could Yami be...?

"Yugi?"

Yugi broke out of his trance. He realized he still had his hand to his cheek and the other boy was already on the path, looking back at him.

"Aibou? You coming?" With his Dark Magician outfit and green staff, (he was glowing in the moonlight, Yugi swore he was), Yami looked at him with gentle, wondering eyes. "The night is still young."

end.

Notes-

*would you like to know the story...? I won't promise anything; I'm just curious if anybody is interested
** straight from Wikipedia, so I own none of this part either

.

.

Way too long? I thought so. I'll stick to shorter pieces.

On an off note:

- This story was born from watching a yogurt commercial, believe it or not
- Originally, all I wanted to write was Yami hugging Yugi in a strawberry costume and then it grew vastly out of proportion. Talk about a wandering mind...

Okay, good-bye now *waves*, 'til next time, I suppose *salutes*