A/N: Okay, so this was supposed to be done by Halloween. As you can see, that didnt happen. So, today I bring you my first every one-shot. This is a halloween based fic, so I hope you like it!!

Soul Eater

by: Shamise

The night was cool and crisp, perfect for all the people who wandered the streets looking for lit porches and free treats. The moon was almost full and hung low in the sky, casting long, shaky shadows where the street lights stood sentry. Sounds of laughter and joking paranoia rang loudly through the streets even though each group would swear it was as quiet as a cemetery. Parents kept a vigilant eye on their youngest children and shouted at their oldest to stop running ahead.

One particular house was always on the early bird's schedule. It was in the residential area, a small game shop with living quarters on the second floor. Sinister red lights guided children's feet to the door where an elderly man and a woman in her thirties sat handing out candy and a free trading card to the first twenty people. Other small businesses were also handing out a limited supply of cards and some children religiously collected them and traded with their friends.

If someone were to look up at the right-hand second floor window they would see the shadow of a boy busily getting ready for his own candy hunting. A stranger wouldn't be able to tell that the boy was nervous, nor that he was also proud that his mother trusted him enough to go trick or treating by himself.

~(*)~

Yuugi hurriedly ran about his room, searching for a flashlight and his bag. His cape was messily tied around his throat, his costume itched, and it smelled like cheap material. However, none of this was as significant as this night. Tonight would be his first year trick or treating by himself.

He found his bag, which was really just his pillowcase, and dashed downstairs to ask his mom if she knew where the flashlight was. He dodged the decorations that hung low from the ceiling and kept a tight grip on the staircase railing, least he trip and fall. A million and one thoughts buzzed through his head like a beehive and his heart raced with anticipation.

Mrs. Mouto, his mother, was walking into the kitchen to retrieve some more candy when Yuugi stumbled headlong into her stomach. She was able to maintain her balance, though Yuugi wasn't so lucky, and help him off of the floor while she laughed. Yuugi blushed in embarrassment and tried to hide it by giving her a big hug and asking where the flashlight was.

"Hmmm," she thought, her right hand coming up to hold her chin. "I think there might be one in the kitchen drawer. Let me go check." Yuugi followed her into the kitchen and eagerly snatched the flashlight out of her hand when she found it, checking to make sure that it worked by flipping the switch a couple times.

He thanked them with a big smile and dashed to the living room to get the map he had made last night. On this map he had marked all the houses in the neighborhood that gave candy every year and put a star by the houses that gave the most candy. He remembered to put a big X on old man Jones's and his one-eyed guard dog's house, and a big smile face on Ms. Leah's house, she always gave him extra candy.

Yuugi made sure to consult his grandfather on his map. He always knew what kind of candy each house would have; it was like he was psychic! His mom also told him which houses not to go to and just how far away from the house he was allowed to get.

"I'm ready!" He proclaimed loudly as he posed at the bottom of the stairs near the living room.

His mother squealed about how cute he was and made him wait while she got her camera. His costume had been one he found behind all the other witch, ghost, and zombie costumes at Wal-mart. He didn't want to be a superhero again this year and he didn't want to be a vampire like everyone else, so the costume he had picked was that of a warlock. He wore a wide-brimmed hat, much like the traditional witch's costume, with a strip of golden cloth tied around the base with the ends trailing off to either side. A black, long-sleeved shirt colored with silver veins hid under a billowing cape and black cargo pants flowed over his tennis shoes. A silver and purple sash encircled his waist.

Yuugi's face turned red at the comments his mother made about his outfit. She made it seem like it was the first time he dressed up. His grandpa was a littler more mild in his teasing, but even he was subjected to Yuugi's mother's camera.

"Stop it, mom!" Yuugi protested as she readjusted his cape. Man, was he glad that no one else was in the house.

"Oh, leave the boy alone, Yuuki." Yuugi's grandpa piped in. "Cant you see he's all grown up? He'll be fine." It dawned on Yuugi just how nervous his mother was. So he hugged her tight and promised that he would bring her back lots of candy.

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "I know you will." She said.

"Now, Yuugi. You'd better had fun for me. There old bones can't go traipsing after you younglings anymore." His grandpa joked.

"I promise." He gave his grandpa a hug too and once they separated, the whole family went to the front door.

A chorus of 'trick-or-treat' greeted them at the door. Yuugi's mom burst into smiles at the mismatching costumes and eager faces. She quickly grabbed the candy bowl and the last few trading cards and handed them out equally. Grandpa gave Yuugi a thumbs-up and Yuugi waved at his family as he exited his home.

'Freedom!' Yuugi exclaimed in his head, racing down the sidewalk on route to his first conquest.

Tonight was going to be a good one. He just knew it.

~(*)~

Yuugi was scared. His flashlight had been flickering on and off for about five minutes now and many of the adults had gone home with their children. He kept imaging tall figures running from bush to bush but each time he looked to check, there was no one there.

He froze when he heard a twig snap behind him. Flinging his arm around, he pointed the flickering beam of light right where the noise came from. His paranoia rose when the light did not reveal anything other than fallen leaved and a bare sidewalk.

Hunching in on himself, he quickly turned around and continued walking. He was seriously considering heading home and abandoning the last few hours on his list. He had promised that he would have fun and that meant getting all the houses.

Snap

Yuugi jumped in fright and a squeak leaped out of his throat. Once again, there was no one behind him. He decided that he had gotten enough of the houses to satisfy him and took off running for home.

His feet were spurred to run faster as uncontrollable fear gripped his heart. Skeletal limbs reached out to ensnare him and shadows bit at his heels. His lungs burned like a furnace under the strain.

Something grabbed his ankles and sent him falling head first onto the ground. He rolled once and skidded off to the side in a tangle of limbs and clothes. He curled up into a tight ball, waiting for the strike of a vampire or the pounce of a werewolf.

Silence.

Shakily, Yuugi peered over his shoulder, expecting to see a menacing creature ready to feast upon him but was shocked to find nothing save fore a glittering, golden box.

Laughing to himself, Yuugi stood up from the cold ground. He must have tripped over the box when he was running. Yuugi scolded himself for jumping at shadows; he was old enough now, he had to be brave.

He looked at the box curiously. It was roughly the size of both his feet and had a very geometric shape. The golden color was very dark at this late hour and the weird symbols carved into its surface were ineligible. Yuugi carefully touched the golden surface and quickly drew his hand back to him as if he had been electrocuted. He scoffed at his imagination for being so jumpy and he gingerly touched the box with both hands this time,

Yuugi decided that the box was made of metal and not plastic, like he had thought. It felt a little wet and it almost slipped out of his fingers when he picked it up. He gently ran his fingers over the carved sides, wondering what the symbols meant. Maybe his grandpa would know, he knew everything.

A sudden rush of cold air caused Yuugi to shiver and the hair on his arm rose. Why did it feel like someone was watching him? He looked up to see that several of this street's houses' porch lights had gone out, signifying the end of trick-or-treat. He held the box tightly in his arms and began the walk hone, not stopping nor fleeing shadows.

~(*)~

'"I'm home!" Yuugi sang as he entered the Kame Game shop. His mom came rushing at him, leaving his grandpa to follow at a more leisurely pace, and they both asked a million questions about how his night was. Yuugi's chest puffed out in pride as he told them about how he got the best candy and almost made it to every house in the neighborhood.

"Yuugi, what's that you're holding?" Grandpa, ever observant, asked. Confused, Yuugi looked down to see the golden box still resting in his hands. He lifted it up to eye-level, showing it to his family.

"It's a box I found. "His fingers itched when Grandpa took it from him. "I tripped over it." He admitted sheepishly. His mom was instantly checking him over for scrapes and Yuugi brushed her away in embarrassment.

"Are you sure it was just lying on the ground?" Grandpa asked, holding the box up to the light. It revealed the golden smooth surface and the finely etched lines on each side. Yuugi could have sworn it was a lot dirtier when he picked it up.

"Yup."

"Hmm, I wonder what's inside." Grandpa tried to remove the top of the box and strained at the effort. It was like opening a new jar of pickles.

"Give it here, Old Man. I'll open it." Mom teased, snatching it from the sputtering elder. She too tried relentlessly to loosen the top, but it wouldn't budge.

"Sorry, sweetie." She handed the box back to Yuugi. "I don't think the top was meant to come off-"

Pop

Dumbfounded, Yuugi stood there with the top and bottom halves of the box lying in opposite hands. The top had come off easily enough, so why did Mom and Grandpa have such a hard time?

"Well, we loosened it for you." Mom muttered.

Grandpa laughed. "So what's inside, Yuugi?"

Peering over the rim, Yuugi saw many differently shaped pieces of metal. They all were settled silently on the cloth-lined inside of the box and they looked brand new. Yuugi set the lid on a nearby table and ran his free hand over the golden pieces. They were smooth, like the way the box felt when he held it.

"Pieces?" Yuugi questioned, picking up a handful and taking them out of the box. Grandpa and Mom each took one to inspect, tilting them to get different view points. A strange feeling welled up in Yuugi's heart, but it was gone before he could tell what it was.

"To what?" Mom asked in turn. She held hers up to the piece Yuugi had in his hand.

'Wait,' Yuugi thought as an idea formed in his head. Gingerly, Yuugi took the piece from his mother's hand, ignoring the relief that squirmed in his head, and compared it to the one in his hand. He rotated one piece and his eyes lit up in understanding and excitement.

"It's a puzzle." He snapped the two pieces together with a distinguished 'click'. Yuugi gathered the other piece from his grandpa and, after fiddling with it for a minute, attached that piece too.

Quickly saying thanks and goodnight, Yuugi extracted himself from the questions of his family and sprinted up to his room, candy and puzzle in hand. He wondered what a puzzle had been doing lying on the sidewalk, but a part of his mind pushed the need for answers away. It didn't matter how it got there, now it only mattered that he solved it quickly.

His family watched him go with fond amusement before locking the front door and turning in for the night.

~(*)~

It was almost midnight by the time Yuugi's energy ran out. He had changed from his costume into a random pair of pajamas tat had been in his dresser. The puzzle he found lay scattered in his bed, and a chunk of about five pieced had been attached to the first three.

His eyes were droopy and his muscles ached more than they should. Yuugi fumbled with eh golden pieces as he put them back into the box and a yawn escaped his mouth. He didn't notice the squirming shadow that inched toward his bed, nor how the puzzle's golden appearance flickered for a moment.

He sat there, starring off into space with the puzzle's box in his lap. He leaned too and fro as his muddled mind trine to keep his body upright. For some reason unfathomable to him, he didn't want to stop putting the puzzle together. It was like a veil had been pulled over his eyes and the only thing he could half-way focus on was the puzzle. He was just about to spill the puzzle pieces back onto the bed to start working on them again when something weird happened.

Unseen hands gently enclosed around his own, stilling the compulsion that had gripped him. Yuugi's hands were directed like a puppets and a gentle caress against the back of his hands went unnoticed. His hands set the flickering puzzle on the bedside table. Yuugi was guided to lie down on the bed and a soothing chill brushed against his forehead.

/Sleep, young one./

A faceless shadow stood sentry over his new host, hiding his presence from the over-eager ghosts that rose early from their graves. The shadow was not strong enough yet to project his form and most of the recess energy he had went into guarding his host, but that would change soon. On Hallow's Eve he would regain his former power and nothing would real him away again.

~(*)~

Yuugi awoke feeling groggy and sapped of energy. He sighed in frustration and buried his head back into his pillow. This had been happening for the past week, ever since trick-or-treat. At first, he had thought that he was just tired because he stayed up late working on the puzzle, but he had went to bed extra early the next night and still woke up exhausted! It didn't help that his mother was only minimally worried, saying crazy things about 'growing pains'. Everybody knew that the Motous didn't grow fast enough to have 'growing pains'!

Wincing at the bright sunlight that came in though his window, Yuugi extracted his lead-filled body from the thick mess of blankets. His room had been rather cold lately, even though the window was always closed and the heater wasn't blocked, so he had gathered the entire extra comforters and quilts from the closet and piled them on his bed.

He'd also been feeling the strange sensation of being watched, and at the oddest times too. It normally happened when he was about to go to sleep or when he walked past the local cemetery. Yuugi passed it off most of the time due to the fact that Halloween was fast approaching.

Wearily, Yuugi stumbled out of his pajamas and into some day clothes. A glint of gold caught his eye as he was pulling his shirt over his head. The puzzle had become a source of endless wonder for him. The pieces were slowly coming together and a weird geometric shape was forming. He had already made out two edges and the smaller edges that made a strange design.

He waved a farewell to an empty room and raced towards the bottom of the stairway, not noticing the vaguely human-shaped shadow that starred after him.

The aroma of freshly baked goods met him at the bottom of the stairs.

'Oh yeah,' Yuugi remembered. ' Today's Halloween, so all my distant cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents will be coming into town.' Halloween was one of the only holidays that Mouto family, and its extensions, celebrated. Most of his cousins made fun of all the superstitions their parents had and they always planned lots of pranks, most of which were directed at Yuugi. It didn't help that they had the 'gathering of the Moutos' at a family cemetery.

Pranks aside, this gathering was one of the more fun ones his family had. Everyone brought flowers and origami to decorate the gravestones, and Grandma Youko would give each person a 'charm of protection', which they are forced to wear the whole night. The cemetery had ceased to frighten Yuugi a couple years ago, but a few of his older cousins replaced that fear with their pranks. Last year he had been pegged with water balloons so he had to sit by the fire for the rest of the night, and he came down with a cold the next day.

Luckily for him, his cousin Rebecca hung out with him most of the time and her presence warded off most his other cousin's pranks. The pranks were getting more and more creative each year.

"Good morning, Yuugi. Did you sleep well?" His mother paused in her baking to give him a flour filled hug. Yuugi smile at the smell of his favorite foods on his mom's apron. One of the reasons he loved today was the east of sweet foods his mom always made.

"I'm afraid there won't be any eggs for breakfast today. I'll need the rest of them for the cake."

"M-kay!" Yuugi chirped as he wiggled out of his mom's arms. His blooming good mood was easing away his tiredness. He didn't bounce as he went to get a bowl and spoon from the cabinet, that would have given him a headache for sure, but a little light-footedness worked its way into his step.

"So," Yuugi said between mouthfuls of 'Frosted Flakes', "Where's Grandpa?" Normally, he and his grandpa ate breakfast together before school and before Grandpa opened the shop on Saturdays.

"He's already opened the shop. It is almost noon."

'Man!' Yuugi thought as he gobbled down his cereal. 'I didn't think it was that late!'

"Don't worry. It was his idea to let you sleep in. now hurry up and finish your breakfast, I need your help with this bread."

~(*)~

Soon. His time would come soon. Hallow's Eve was only hours away and he was wide 'awake' thanks to the energy he had 'borrowed' from his host. He would manifest tonight.

His host…it was strange how he felt towards the human. The child, that's what he was compared to his millennia of entrapment, caused weird, long-forgotten emotions to well up inside of him like a shallow wound reopened. He would need to make sure that his host couldn't be used against him, because there was a very good chance they would be stuck together when he released his energy.

He began to plan.

~(*)~

It was a little chilly when Yuugi had taken the trash out earlier, a brisk wind that smelt of an early winter rustled through the fallen leaves, so he made sure that he wore long socks, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hoodie under his winter coat. Although, he should probably waited to put his coat on until after he got outside.

Currently, Yuugi was scurrying around his room, gathering a few last minute supplies. A black and green backpack lay on his bad stuffed full of games, spare clothes, and the golden puzzle. He was determined not to be unprepared for this year's prank so he packed the side pockets with glow sticks, washcloths (since towels wouldn't fit), and a pair of gloves. Maybe he could just hide out with his parents…

No, Yuugi decided. It was always more boring around the older people of his family. His grandpa was the only exception and he would be talking about the 'good old days' with Yuugi's other grandparents.

If it got too hectic, he could always sit by the fire and work on his puzzle.

"Yuugi!" the muffled shout caught his attention. "It's time to go!"

He snatched his backpack and ran out of his room, shutting the door in the process. Yuugi jumped onto the railing, sliding down it in half the time he would have running. He landed in his feet at the bottom of the stairs with perfect balance. Grandpa, who was walking out of the kitchen, whistled at the stunt and in the same breath told him that he was lucky his mother hadn't seen him do that.

Yuugi grinned sheepishly, agreeing with his Grandpa. He darted ahead of him and jumped down the porch steps. He settled into the car, putting his backpack on the floor in between his legs. Grandpa leaned into the passenger's seat with a relieved sigh and Yuugi's mom, who had already been in the car, locked the doors and pulled out of the driveway.

He dozed for most of the forty-five minute drive to the family cemetery. Shadowy images drifted across his mind for a majority of this time. There images seemed to circulate around a strange ritual and Yuugi had the impression that someone was behind him, buoying him from the dark colors that swirled around him. He felt trapped but protected at the same time.

/Wake up, young one./ A voice, gentle but rough at the same time, whispered in his ears. /This is not the place for you./

/Wake up./

"Wake up, Yuugi!"

Purple colored eyes stirred from beneath closed eyelids. Yuugi stretched, yawning in the process. His eyes opened to the sight of his mother hovering over him exasperated.

"Good Lord, Yuugi. You were sleeping like the dead there for a minute. Are you sure you feel well enough to be outside?"

Groggily, Yuugi rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. Did he fall asleep? What a weird dream too. He could barely remember it. His mom's cool hand rested atop his forehead for a moment.

"You don't have a fever…" Yuugi swatted his mom's had away. He was fine, just a little tired and he told her so. He ignored the skeptical look she gave him and jumped out of the car with his backpack in had. He gasped at the rush of cold air that greeted him outside of the car.

At his mom's beckoning, Yuugi slipped the backpack around his shoulder and helped her carry the bread and other backed goods to the set of tables nestled near the fire pit. One of Yuugi's uncles, a man named Josh, was busy stocking firewood into a neat pile at a safe distance from the pit. Soon a roaring fire would spring up, chasing away fall's chill.

Thirty minutes were spent setting everything up. The food was still covered to keep the insects away and the light of the fire added with a couple of lanterns exposed the surrounding area. Cars pulled up and let out the rest of Yuugi's extended family. He tried to make himself inconspicuous when the bulk of his prank-loving cousins showed up.

The last person to show up was Great Grandma Youko and her homemade 'protection charms'. The young boys snickered when she wasn't looking and they made rude noises too. Yuugi grimaced in contempt at their antics, would they ever stop?

Apparently not.

Yuugi was careful not to be alone for the beginning of the gathering. A prank would most definitely occur if he went off by himself. He had decided that if he stayed in plain sight of everyone then he would be safe. And he was, for a while.

Everyone had finished eating and all the adults had grouped up to talk about meaningless things. Yuugi was getting bored really fast, so he got his puzzle out of his backpack, sat at a nearby table, and went to work. He only had about four more pieces left and they were proving to be the most difficult. He knew for sure that the piece with the eye on it would be last, but the other three pieces all looked the same.

He munched on a brownie as he worked on the puzzle, sliding piece after piece into he same slot. His eyebrows lowered in frustration when none of the pieces fit. Logic reasoned that at least one piece should fit into this spot, maybe if he turned it onto its edge…

Click

A smile lit on his face as the piece snapped in. so the puzzle had a trick to it? Yuugi did love a good challenge. He picked up the next piece and went through the same process as the first. He rotated it the barest of an inch and it slid right in.

Yuugi's heart raced as he fitted the next one in. He paused when he grasped the eyepiece in his palm. Apprehension gripped him at the sight of the eye; it looked as if it was watching him with a triumphant glare.

Yuugi shook his head feverishly, ridding his mind of such a stupid thought. His puzzle was just a puzzle; it couldn't express emotions. He deliberately pressed the eyepiece into the center of the puzzle. It latched on with a gentle click.

A minute or two later, Yuugi opened his eyes, looking warily at his newly completed puzzle. The fire's light flickered along its shiny surface and it cast black lines in the crevices. Nothing burst into flames and there were no screams.

A rush of energy swept through his veins, like a winter wind in early fall. Goosebumps speckled his flesh and his eyes grew wide. It felt like something was rising within him, pushing to break free. Yuugi's voice caught in his throat as it reached its breaking point and-

Vanished like a puff of wind.

'That was weird…' Yuugi set the puzzle down on the table and sighed into his hands. His muscles trembled like he had just sprinted from here to the car and back, without a jacket. 'Just my imagination.' Shakily, Yuugi stretched his arms high over his head and arched his back.

Sounds of laughter met Yuugi's ears. He turned in his stretch to peer at the group by the fire. One of his more modern aunts seemed to be entertaining the adults with a comedic story. Yuugi caught some words like 'office' and 'scandal', but that held no meaning to him. Maybe adults were just weird…

Was that laughter? A shiver worked up his spine. It didn't belong to anyone he knew, that was for sure. He had to be imagining things. It was probably just a mixture of his grandparent's laughter. Yeah, that was it.

"Gah-umph!" a hand was suddenly over his mouth, containing his exclamation of surprise when multiple hands grabbed him from behind. His heart raced and his eyes glance wildly about when images of ghoulish things played about his mind. His flailed as he was dragged backwards, away from the light of the fire and into the darkness of the cemetery.

He was suddenly released when they were a good distance from the fire and the adults. Tripping over a gravestone, Yuugi fell to the ground with a dull 'thud' and cowered there in fear of what had kidnapped him,

"Geeze, Yuugi. What's with you?"

Yuugi jumped in surprise, whirling around to see his cousin, Ryuu, looking at him with exasperation. Feeling more than a little disorientated, he scanned the nearby gravestones. A dozen cousins, excluding the youngest ones, starred at him with blunt amusement.

Yuugi's face reddened in embarrassment and he mentally chided himself for being so jumpy. There were no such things as monsters!

"Well," Ryuu said. "Now that everyone's here, we can get started." Yuugi tilted his head in confusion when several of his older cousins scurried around the gravestones, taking out candles and chalk sticks. His cousin Rebecca appeared in his vision but she was lording over a big, brown book.

This book…gave Yuugi a bad feeling. He didn't know how to explain it, but he knew that this book was bad. Where did Rebecca get it?

"What are you doing?" Yuugi's voice, although he whispered, was unnaturally loud in the night air. He flinched when he received a few rather harsh 'shushes'. No one seemed to want to answer his question either.

Rebecca finally looked up from her reading, the moonlight casting a glare across her glasses. "We're going to summon spirits."

A cold lump settled in Yuugi's stomach and his hands tightened on his puzzle. Wait, how did the puzzle get here? He was sure that he didn't grab it.

"It's a prank." Ryuu stated defensively. "Grandma Youko is always going on about how there are always restless spirits in every cemetery, no matter how well kept. This should shake her up a bit; to see her grandkids summoning the deceased." Yuugi could understand why they targeted Grandma Youko, the elderly lady was really strict and her mind was stubbornly stuck in tradition, but why would Ryuu actually try to summon an evil spirit? Why not just dress up as ghosts and pretend?

In the end, Yuugi couldn't gather up enough courage to vocalize his questions or to try and explain the bad feeling he had about this. Even if he did, they would probably just ignore him anyway.

So instead of protesting, Yuugi stood off to the side and watched. His fingers took comfort inside his sleeves and he held the puzzle close to his chest. He knew that they would get in trouble for this and he would definitely get dragged into it, but he couldn't tell on them. He didn't want to be called a coward and a tattletale.

A circular symbol was drawn onto the ground near one of the larger tombstones. The symbol had an unrecognizable design but it was obviously taken out of the book Rebecca had brought. She said that this symbol was the easiest to do, but it required a 'blood sacrifice'. Yuugi's stomach churned at the thought of blood.

"Done." The word seemed simple to all the stuff they had prepared. Candles were stationed on the parameter of the circle, supposedly to contain the spirit they summoned.

"Okay, everyone step back. Yuugi, come here." Hesitantly, Yuugi came out at Ryuu's beckoning. "You," Ryuu said, pointing his finger at Yuugi, "can be our 'sacrifice.'"

"No!" Yuugi shouted. He backed up really fast. "I wont do it!"

"Shh! Fine!" Ryuu growled. "I'll do it then, you wimp."

Ryuu's name calling stung Yuugi, but he really didn't want any part of this 'prank'. He was pushed away from the main group of kids and many of the older cousins gave him mean looks. Wincing, Yuugi shrunk in on himself. Could they not see that this was a bad idea?

A cold breeze started when Rebecca gave Ryuu the words to the summoning. She glanced at Yuugi regretfully. He realized that she must not have had a choice in this.

"By blood offered and refuge given, I summon thee, faceless shadows of the night. Join this world under my control and do as I see fit." The wind stood still as Ryuu pricked his thumb, letting the small wound well up with blood. He yelled a Latin word as he smeared the blood across an unseen symbol in the center of the circle.

The kids held their breath as they waited for something, phenomenal to happen. The wind started to stir, catching fallen leaved and tossing them about.

Nothing happened.

"Darn it." Ryuu cursed, plopping down on the ground. The older cousins looked disappointed and the younger ones looked confused. No one, save for Yuugi, saw the inner circle lines blacken, or how Ryuu's 'protection charm' began to glow a bright red.

Yuugi's heart shuddered and a paralysis gripped his limbs. His lungs craved for air as a cold hand gripped his heart. Shadowy figures were lurking just behind the seal's surface, eagerly licking at the blood on the ground. How could they no see it?!

"-didn't work." Ryuu was saying to another kid his age. "We knew that this would happen. Ghosts don't exist anyway." He stood up and made to exit the circle, only to be stopped by Yuugi's exclamation of fear.

Yuugi had felt the rush of malice before it actually happened. The wind stopped blowing completely for the briefest of moments before a violent gust shot through the trees. Yuugi was frozen, unable to shield his face like the rest of his cousins did and he watched in horror as the faceless shadows reared up above Ryuu. He watched helplessly as Ryuu stepped back in fear, accidentally breaking the inner circle of the seal.

His cousins screamed as Ryuu was engulfed in shadow, and they ran for the safety of the adults. It wasn't supposed to happen like this!

The shadows feed off of Ryuu, seeping into his veins and blasting past the 'protection charm'. The pieces of paper around everyone's neck burst into flames, sending people screaming to the ground. The shadows arched off of Ryuu and rushed headlong at the crack in the seal.

Yuugi watched in frozen horror as the shadows chased the fleeing children. A strange sensation welled up inside of him and in his terror he was able to push it away. However, the flinch the action had produced caught the attention of the vengeful spirits.

He had no time to run, no time to thing, but the ingrained desire to live was at the forefront of his mind as the spirits rushed at him. He closed his eyes tightly, bringing his hands up to guard his face.

/Now!/

A blinding light forced its way through his eyelids and it sent the spirits scattering with an unearthly shriek. Yuugi cautiously opened his eyes and gasped at the sight of his puzzle floating in front of him. And it was glowing!

The eye was facing towards him and Yuugi could swear that something unearthly was watching him from behind it. A sound echoed in his ears; a sound of…laughter?

Terror grew as long sinewy shadows, there ones a richer color that the spirits, reached out from the puzzle and raced for him. Yuugi's balance was thrown off as he leaned backwards to avoid it. The shadows surrounded his neck, creating a necklace type object with the puzzle as its centerpiece. Triumphant laughter echoed in his ears.

Yuugi flailed as he felt something strange well up in him. The feeling he had when he finished the puzzle returned much stronger than before. His surroundings blurred together the sounds of screaming were muffled. What was going on?!

Cold hand trailed over his arms, reaching up towards his face. Yuugi tried to escape from the unseen hands that held him captive and a sharp pain in his neck forced a startled yelp from his throat

/By blood I call./ Yuugi's heart thudded painfully as a symbol was drawn on his neck with his blood.

/By blood I bind./ Shadows held him still as his face was moved to look upward. He kept his eyes tightly shut.

/By blood I take, and make you mine./ The symbol on his neck burned and Yuugi screamed in pain. A cool touch to the center of his forehead forced his eyes open. Crimson eyes, full of triumph and glee, starred directly into his eyes. Something caught him, engulfed him in a sphere of tranquility, and buried his conscious deep within a shadowy realm.

The darkness had claimed him.

~(*)~

Finally! After so many years he was finally free! Well, as free as he could get due to the circumstances. He honestly doubted that he could exist without an anchor yet and he had grown accustomed to the weighted down feeling. He would have to be careful at this early stage with what he did; he didn't want to overwhelm his host's body or mind. A broken host was like walking with a crutch.

Absently, he checked on his host's consciousness and let a contented smile escape as he tucked it further into his soul. It was such a bright little light compared to the vast darkness he held.

He carefully extended his power over his host's body, moving the finger and toes to test the extent of his control. He was pleasantly startled when his host's body sucked him in like a sponge. Shaking away the disorientation, he quickly adjusted to the feeling of being in a body. He felt the body shift, physically changing to his presence. He delighted in the sensations of having a body produced. He could feel everything, the ground beneath him, and the torrent of wind against his face, and the delicious sounds of screaming.

Eyes once rounded in childhood innocence were now narrowed with the years of darkness he possessed. He willed them to open and he winced as long-forgotten light assaulted the lens. Stubbornly, he kept them open, and they adjusted after a few moments.

Stars. It had been so long since he had last seen any. The night sky was a pleasant backdrop to the multi-colored lights. Another scream tore the air, disturbing his tranquility.

Sighing, he slowly pulled his host's legs underneath and pulled the body upright. A dizzy spell rose briefly and he braced himself with his arms. The body was sluggish, due to being unused to his thought process and posture, but he was able to stand with little trouble.

Strands of hair tickled his face as he gazed at the devastating scene through half-lidded eyes. The puzzle that had held his soul for millennia rested against his chest and it emitted a soft light. He held dual feelings for the item, for it had been his sanctuary and his prison, for now, he would use it to contain a large portion of his power until his host's body could handle it.

Back to the matter on hand, he scanned his surroundings, taking in the situation. Multiple people lay on the ground as a shadow-possessed human pursued the live ones. He sneered in disgust at the collection of spirits feeding off of the human's soul. Didn't they know that that was the best way to get exorcised? Probably not, the stupid things.

By the light of the fire, a group of ten people huddled. An elderly woman stood at the forefront, supporting a rather impressive barrier. She was yelling at the fleeing humans to 'get over here now'. The smart ones were following her orders but the shadows had the instinct of a predator and they were going after the youngest. The shadow's current prey was a young human girl with blond hair and large glasses. Rebecca was her name, according to his host's memories.

//Save her!//

He blinked in surprise at his host's voice. He had thought that the human was unaware but it seemed his consciousness was struggling to pull free.

//Please!//

/Alright, alright./ He shushed his host, sending a pulse of power to quiet him. He didn't bother putting him back into unconsciousness; it would take too long.

With a grin, he rushed forward, adrenaline filling his veins as he swept past the spirits. His own shadows coated his left arm and he sliced through the head of the spirits, disrupting them with the confusion of actual pain. He snagged the blond human girl around the waist with his right arm and carried her off a good distance from the writhing spirits.

He dropped her unceremoniously to the ground, not looking in her direction. She coughed and her breathing was irregular but she was alive. That should be enough to quiet his host.

"Y-Yuugi?" The girl's voice caused him to look back over his shoulder. He gave her a toothed grin before darting off. This would be so much fun!

With grace similar to a hunting cat, he tore through the spirits. He took glee in how they tried to retaliate to his superiority. They should have known better than to involve his host and now they were paying for it. He had forgotten that taste of spirit and he was very hungry. He was careful to keep the spirits he absorbed away from his host's mind. it wouldn't be good if he went insane.

Spinning around, he caught the throat of the shadow-possessed human in his left hand. His own shadows eagerly licked at the spirits, begging to devour them. The demented creature's eyes widened in stunned realization at what he was. A sadistic smirk filled his face. It would be so easy to break this human's neck and harvest the long overdue soul, so easy.

//Ryuu…//

He paused at his host's voice. Did he know this human? He knew that this was the fool who summoned the spirits, so he had no problem killing him to get rid of them, but it appeared that the fool was related to his host.

/Nothing I do can help./ His host could probably just barely understand what he was saying, but the emotion behind the words were all the same. /Fine./ Reason said that problems would arise if he killed a human child.

He glared at the possessed body. It was his fault that things were difficult right now. Honestly, where did he get the idea to summon these demon spirits? Especially on this night, foul spirits lurked near the border just waiting for some fool to open the Gate.

He called his shadows with an arcane word, watching the weak spirits try to get free by clawing at his hand. Concentrating, he sent his shadows into the possessed human, directing them to scrape his veins and supplant the spirits. They flooded out of the flesh, shrieking in rage.

A smirk lit his face as he captured the over-ripe spirits. With strong hands he held them and inhaled them with a breathy sigh. The spirits he consumed filled him to the brim and some of his more… unique characteristics came out. His pupils narrowed to slits, his shadows danced fire-like around his body, and skeletal wings curved from his back. He shivered at the rush of energy and faced the full moon. What a glorious way to wake up.

"Demon! Be gone!"

The craggy voice broke his serenity and he dropped the human's body to the ground. He had saved the worthless fool's soul, so he held no further desire to keep him from physical pains. Turning his head, he looked at the elderly woman from the corner of his eye. She was the same woman that had been holding the barrier earlier and now she was standing before him, hands at the ready.

"Why have you brought this among us?!" She demanded.

He snorted. Of course this was his fault. Pay no attention to the summoning circle over there, it just appeared out of nowhere.

A sudden blast of psi-force caught him off-guard and he barely had time to sweep his arms in front of him to issue a counter. The attack slid off of his shadows and hit the ground, forming a small crater. He trained his eyes on the human, this would not be the first time he encountered an exorcist, nor would it be his last.

He calculated as he dodged the next attack. The attacks were purely spiritual, so they could only have an effect on him and not his host's body. 'Smart lady,' He commented, 'she would have made a great opponent in her younger years.' As it was, her reaction was slow and he had just fed. Perhaps he could use her attack to strengthen his host's psychic capacities…

He stopped atop one of the gravestones, balanced there and practically daring the old woman to attack him. She took the bait and launched a rather stong attack at him. He would have to be very precise.

He caught the blast dead in his hands, hissing as it stung his shadows. Before it could do any real damage, he opened a hole in his soul and absorbed the pure energy. He transferred it in a steady stream to his host, who, after a moment of resistance, responded and absorbed the energy in turn.

Smirking, he looked at the old woman. As his host grew stronger, so did he, and he was already feeling the affects of that absorbed energy. He laughed darkly as they old woman realized what he had just done. Cursing, she made to attack again.

A brush of wind was the only warning of his passing and he grabbed the woman's hands from behind. Sparks flew from the contact as light and dark contacted.

"You're a little slow, old woman." He whispered darkly into her ear. "Perhaps now you will listen to me? I really do not like to be shot at for no reason."

"Why should I hear you out, demon? You possessed my kin, let loose evil spirits and destroyed this place's wards! I have no reason to."

'Courageous.' He thought. 'Definitely a missed challenge.'

"For one thing, I am not a demon no matter what you think. And for another, I did not summon those spirits; one of your kin did. Luckily for him, he's still alive and still has his soul. Might be a little sensitive to the spiritual though…" he tailed off as he noticed the woman's rigid posture.

"Why are you possessing my grandchild?!"

"Why?" He smiled devilishly. "Heh, don't worry. I don't plan on taking his life, just borrowing it."

He released the old woman with a shove and stepped back. His smirk grew when she shot another attack at him and he savored her expression when he absorbed it.

"What…are you?"

He laughed at her question. She would find out in time, but for now he needed to recharge.

"Farewell." He bowed at the waist and glanced up at her as shadows engulfed his form.

~(*)~

Youko gasped when the shadows surrounded the demon dissipated with the wind. The demon crumpled to the ground like he had lost all muscle control.

Cautiously, Youko made a sign in front of her. Once she finished the spell the air above the body glowed a bright green.

Her eyes widened and she rushed to the fallen body. A green light meant that he was free of possession while a red light revealed the presence of a spirit. She put a wrinkled hand near his mouth and held her breath in suspense.

He was breathing.

Youko breathed a prayer of thanks to whichever deity was watching tonight. Carefully, she propped his body up and brushed his bangs away from his face. There were no signs of the demon's blood colored eyes ad dazed purple eyes were visible when she pulled open an eyelid.

'Wait…' A strange marking caught her eye. On the boy's neck was a symbol of an upside down triangle with a primal eye in its center. She went to touch the symbol, suspicion forming at the sight of dried blood, and she flinched when a bolt of static attacked her hand. A flash of golden light revealed a band of shadows around his neck and she looked accusingly at a golden puzzle. She went to touch the object, intending to rip it off and was pushed back by a negative force.

So this was where the demon dwelled. Youko cast another spell, this one intended to show her the strength of this item, and was almost blinded in consequence. Gasping, she covered her eyes with her left hand and cancelled the spell with her right. Just what was this demon?!

"Urgh…" Yuugi's body stirred as he woke up and Youko went cautiously to his side. She sensed no sign of possession right none, just the soul of her grandson.

"Yuugi, wake up." She commanded, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him. His eyes, after fighting their eyelids for a moment, fluttered open and Youko gasped at what she saw there.

Inside his pupils was the fading symbol of and upside down triangle and an eye, and she finally recognized what it meant.

Yuugi Mouto, her grandson, had been claimed as the host for a Soul Eater.

~(*)~

Yuugi starred blankly out of his bedroom window. His room was bare, save for a few shelves and two suitcases sat by his door. He wore a gray hoodie today and dark blue jeans. The weather outside was clear and sunny, a direct opposite to his depressed mood.

He really didn't understand what was happening to him. Parts of his memory of Halloween night were missing, even though he could remember feeling afraid. It's just like it was gone, torn out and leaving only the roots and the aftermath for him to worry over. Before his blackout, he remembered Ryuu attempting to summon spirits to prank Grandma Youko and after that he remembered waking up to his family's shocked and horrified gazes. Did he do something bad? Even Mom and Grandpa had looked at him differently since then.

The only way he could describe how his family reacted was like he had a big, mean dog standing in front of him; a dog that had just attacked someone.

He sighed, fingering the golden puzzle in his lap. That was another thing he didn't understand. He didn't remember making the puzzle into a necklace and for some strange reason the puzzle wouldn't come off. The chain that was holding the puzzle was very loose and should have easily slid off over his head…but it would never move past his chin no matter how hard he pulled. He wished it was a little smaller though, and then maybe people wouldn't stare at him so much.

Quietly, he wondered about Ryuu. He hadn't seen his cousin since Halloween night and he was asleep then. Yuugi guessed that he had been taken home by now. Something was weird with Rebecca too. She had stopped by earlier with her parents and thanked him for saving her. Of course, he was confused since he didn't remember saving her, but she didn't say anything else to him until they left. Even then, she only said 'goodbye.'

Absently, he scratched an itch on his neck. When he had taken a bath last night he had noticed a strange marking near the bottom right side of his neck. It looked strangely like a 2-D image of his puzzle. He wondered if this mark and the vision he had right before he blacked out were connected…

"Yuugi! It's time to go!"

Yuugi visible deflated. This was another thing that was weighing on him. Early on November 1st, the day after Halloween, Grandma Youko had persuaded Yuugi's mom to let him move in with her. He remembered the conversation clearly and the shame his mom had in her expression was enough to make him cry. Did he do something wrong? Did she hate him now?

He brushed away his tears as a fluttery feeling filled his chest, smothering his depression. He had to be strong; no matter what.

Shouldering the duffle bags, Yuugi slowly made his way downstairs. He refused to look back at his room because he knew he would cry if he did.

He was met downstairs with the sight of Grandma Youko in the doorway and his Mom and Grandpa standing near the bottom of the stairs. Yuugi was keeping his eyes to the floor so he dint see his mom approaching till the last minute. Warm trembling arms surrounded him as his mom hugged him tightly and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I will always love you, Yuugi. Nothing is going to change that." Her voice was tearful and Yuugi felt tears well up in his own eyes. She released him and whispered, "Stay strong."

"Don't worry, Yuugi." Grandpa reassured him with a hug of his own. "It will only be like this for a little while. Learn what Youko has to teach you, and you'll be fine."

Yuugi smiled tearfully as he waved goodbye to his family and his home. Eh followed Grandma Youko to the awaiting car and put his suitcase in the trunk before climbing into the back seat.

Tearfully, Yuugi closed his eyes and huddled in his seat. As he fell into a light doze he could have sworn he felt someone hover over him, sheltering him within skeletal wings.

~(*)~

The End

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