Title: This is Halloween

Author: Digimon Empress Yaten (de yaten)

Notes: Written as a giftfic on livejournal originally. This is the slightly longer, more edited version of what I posted there. Axel definitely didn't get his new magic from a certain friend named Reno. Except he totally did. Edited 3.10.2008. Sadly no longer 666 words exactly—but did anybody else actually notice that, or was it just me? Reviews welcome!

Pairings/Warnings: Sorta Axel/Sora. Dark, a bit of violence, nothing graphic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. I don't claim to own them.

Sora was very uneasy tonight, but he let Sally tuck him in, and began to relax as the sound of Goofy and Donald's uneven snoring drifted into his ears. They were more on edge than he was (but he was used to monsters in bedtime stories, and the worst they encountered was someone named Pete) so it was a comfort to know they felt no danger.

His lids began to droop, his hearing faded into that thick fuzz of dreamland, and he did not hear or notice the stranger approach his bed. His brain only registered something was wrong when there was a sudden weight pressed upon him, and leather hands holding his wrists above him so tight he could feel them bruising.

Forced awake, Sora kicked against the intruder and yelled for his companions.

"I'm afraid they're a bit... incapacitated right now. But don't worry, they'll be fine." The voice was slick and high and far too friendly for the situation.

Blue eyes glared daggers against the face hidden behind a hood. "Who are you? What did you do to them?!"

Adjusting to hold both of Sora's wrist with one bruising hand, he flipped back his hood to reveal shock red hair that Sora could see all-too-clearly in the dark. His face was painted white and black tears hung below his eyes. The thin grinning lips were painted the same rich color as the hair, red like rubies and blood. They reminded Sora more of the latter in consideration of his current position.

The stranger tsked. "Name's Axel, got it memorized yet? Don't worry about your friends. I just used a new spell on them." He motioned towards where Donald and Goofy had jumped from the bed - they stood completely still, mouths still open in a warning cry. "Stop, I think it was called. I borrowed it from an old friend, along with some other nifty new Magic. It's pretty neat, don't you think?"

The brunette remained silent, and tried to swallow the twisting feeling that rose in his throat as he watched Donald and Goofy trapped in their own bodies. He focused on his anger. Anger at being trapped, anger at Donald and Goofy being hurt, and anger at this someone who had dared do this to him.

Axel's free hand wandered from his hair to Sora's bitter cheek, which tensed under the touch.

"Are you scared?" He whispered, hoping to see something besides that bold indignity in Sora's eyes.

"Scared? With that ridiculous makeup - who are you supposed to be? An evil clown or something?" He snorted, and immediately regretted the comment when cherryred lips bit his own and he could feel a line of blood trickle down his chin.

"Try the boogeyman, kid."

But Sora was not afraid, just a little worried, because surely someone(SallyJackLockShockBarrell) would come and help him kick this guy back to wherever he came from.

"I'm not afraid of the boogeyman," he said, summoning the memories of upright nightmares and hushed rocking lullabies that his mother spoke him to sleep with. ("No such thing as the boogeyman, or vampires, or werewolves, no such thing, baby mine. There are no monsters under this bed.")

But Axel could see the memories reflecting in his eyes and grinned, and in this world there might have been fangs, but Sora could not be sure. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but the monster here is on top of the bed."

Sora raised his chin the best he could and spit blood-spit in Axel's face. "I'm not afraid of monsters like you."

Axel only shrugged and wiped the mess from his cheek, before waving a hand over Sora's face.

"Sleep."

He lifted the limp boy in his arms and summoned a portal to Darkness, unbothered by Donald and Goofy's slight twitches.

"You should be very afraid of a monster like me."