Happy Hallo-Duel (A Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Oneshot)

Happy Hallo-Duel

The moon hung high in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the old, abandoned mansion that loomed before Yuma and his friends. Dressed in a sparkling red outfit reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Yuma was practically buzzing with excitement. Beside him stood Bronk, swathed in layers of white bandages as a mummy, while Cathy flaunted her witchy cat costume. Tori, dressed as Gagaga Girl, rolled her eyes as Flip, sporting a gaudy game show host outfit, adjusted his bow tie. Caswell looked the part of a mad scientist, while Shark, donned as Ghostrick Jack-O-Lantern, including a black cape and a massive pumpkin ghost-shaped hood, tried to hide his annoyance. Rio completed the group as a cute priestess, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Why did we let you convince us to do this instead of going to Heartland Academy's Halloween Bash?" Tori huffed, arms crossed.

"My mom helped me make this outfit for the costume party!" Caswell yelped. 

"And this place...doesn't look up to code" Bronk huffed.

"Disastrous you mean!" Cathy exclaimed.

"Yeah, real creepy vibes as well" Flip added.

"Because this is going to be way more fun! Just think about it!" Yuma replied, grinning. "Haunted houses are way cooler than boring parties!"

"Cooler?" Shark scoffed, glancing at the mansion. "This is just childish."

But Yuma and Rio exchanged sly glances. "What's the matter, Shark? Are you scared?" Yuma teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I'm not scared! I just think this is a waste of time!" Shark shot back, but the teasing continued.

"Bawk, bawk! Is the mighty Reginald afraid of a little ghost?" Rio chimed in, giggling.

With a sigh of defeat, Shark rolled his eyes. "Fine! Let's just get this over with."

As the group approached the creaking front door, Yuma pushed it open with a flourish, revealing a dusty, dimly lit foyer that seemed to breathe history. Just as they stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind them with an ominous thud. Bronk and Shark grabbed the doors and tried to pull them open to no avail.

"Great, now we're trapped in a horror movie," Bronk muttered, pulling on the door handle fruitlessly.

"Relax! This is just part of the experience!" Yuma said, trying to sound casual. But the chill in the air suggested otherwise.

"Yeah, right," Tori retorted, shooting him a glare. "This isn't a game, Yuma!"

"Let's split up and check the place out. We'll find a way out," Rio suggested, trying to sound optimistic.

Reluctantly, they divided into groups. Rio teamed up with Tori and Bronk, while Cathy paired with Flip and Caswell. Yuma and Shark took the study, the last group reluctantly agreeing to search the eerie mansion.

In the kitchen, Cathy led Flip and Caswell to the pantry. "Come on, guys! We have to investigate!" she said, trying to mask her own nervousness.

"Why do I feel like we're going to find a dead body in here?" Flip whispered, peering into a dusty shelf.

Cathy grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Or maybe just some old snacks!"

Suddenly, a black cat sprang from the pantry, followed by a flurry of bats. Flip shrieked, jumping onto a counter. "This is not what I signed up for!" Cathy, much to the boys' horror, picks up the cat and starts playing with it with glee on her face. They expected nothing less from her.

Meanwhile, in the study, Yuma flipped through ancient books, clearly uninterested in their dusty contents. Shark, however, began to feel a chill creeping down his spine.

"Is it just me, or is it getting colder?" Shark muttered, shivering as the candles flickered ominously.

"Just your imagination!" Yuma replied, though he too felt the air grow heavy. The candles extinguished one by one, plunging them into darkness.

In the bedroom, Tori, Rio, and Bronk faced their own set of horrors. As they uncovered dusty sheets, a swarm of bedbugs rushed at them, while moths fluttered around, and fuzzy caterpillars dropped from the ceiling.

"Ew! Get them off me!" Tori shrieked, swatting at the bugs.

After the chaos subsided, they regrouped in the main hall, breathless and wide-eyed. Each of their phones was mysteriously dead.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Bronk exclaimed, looking around nervously.

"Wait! Did you hear that?" Tori whispered, and the group fell silent. A soft, eerie voice echoed around them, demanding they stop.

"What does it want?" Caswell asked, his voice trembling.

Shark stepped forward, recalling what he'd read in the diary he found earlier. "I remember something! The former owner was accused of being a witch. She had some unfinished business before she died."

"Seriously?!" Rio yelped, her hair blowing from all directions.

"Yuma!" Tori glared at Yuma.

Yuma swallowed hard, glancing at his friends. "Okay! Okay! I might have known about the ghost...but I thought it would make the haunted house scarier if I didn't tell you!"

"Yuma!" Rio snapped, shaking him by the collar. "You can't just spring that on us!"

The wind picked up again, swirling around them, as they anxiously called out to the voice.

"Maybe she wants something?" Tori suggested.

"Like what?" Bronk asked.

Shark furrowed his brow. "She mentioned a book with stars before she died. It could be related to her unfinished business!"

Cathy's eyes lit up. "I saw a book with a star on the cover in the kitchen! Come on!"

With Flip reluctantly shielding her from the wind, Cathy dashed to the kitchen, retrieving the book from the table.

"Okay, what now?" she called back to the others.

"Just lay it down or something!" Yuma urged, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through him.

The wind calmed as the ethereal voice instructed them to place the book on the floor. With shaky hands, they complied and stepped back. A swirling gust of wind lifted the book into the air, ethereal hands appearing to grasp it gently before it vanished in a flash of light.

The tension lifted, and suddenly their phones flickered back to life. The front door creaked open, revealing the cool night air.

"Did that really just happen?" Flip asked, his voice still shaky.

"Yeah, but why did she want that book?" Caswell pondered aloud.

"Maybe she just wanted to read it," Shark theorized. "It might've been her childhood favorite."

Yuma smiled softly. "I hope she's happy now. Everyone deserves to be heard." He took a moment to reflect on the ghost's loneliness, how easily people can misjudge one another.

As they stepped outside, a sense of relief washed over them.

"Thanks, Yuma. This was actually...kind of fun," Tori admitted, despite her earlier complaints.

But true to form, Yuma couldn't resist ruining the moment. "Next year, let's do a haunted hospital! Think of the scares!"

Everyone turned to him, glaring in unison. "Yuma!" they shouted, before playfully jumping him in a mock frenzy of outrage.

As laughter filled the air, the moon watched over them, the night a blend of spooky fun and cherished memories.