AN: Since it's nearly Hallowe'en, it seemed appropriate to write something seasonal. So, here's my take on Hallowe'en in Twilight Town. Prompt number 32 - "Night".
The moment the sun had set, Twilight Town was swarming with teenagers in costume. The little kids had already returned home with bulging bags of sweets, parents hurriedly ushering them inside. Just as well, because Twilight Town on Hallowe'en looked completely different from usual. Carved, glowing pumpkins decorated almost every window, and the inhabitants were unrecognisable. It was a night for scaring each other, a night of playing tricks, of accepting dares that wouldn't normally even be considered. A night, in other words, where the rules just didn't apply. Nowhere was this more evident than Yuffie Kisaragi's house.
Two hours previously, Yuffie and Tifa had dragged an unsuspecting Cloud Strife into said house, and proceeded to stuff him into a costume. Cloud wouldn't have minded so much, if the costume had been anything else. Anything at all. A short pink dress, complete with fairy wings and tiara, however, was really testing the limits of what Cloud would tolerate. The make-up was just one step too far.
"I won't wear it, Yuffie. I won't."
"You already are, so shut up and let me finish."
A final layer of lipstick and his costume was deemed complete.
"I look ridiculous."
"Cloudy, it's Hallowe'en. You're allowed to look daft. Remember Leon last year?"
He did indeed. Leon had been forced into some kind of toga-style outfit, and Cloud had struggled to keep his eyes off the brunet all night. Leon hadn't looked silly at all, but it wasn't a good idea to start an argument with these two. You just never won. As for being called Cloudy, he'd told her hundreds, if not thousands,of times, that his name was Cloud. She just didn't listen.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
In the park across the road, a ghost and a vampire perched in a tree, cackling like witches. They were putting the final touches to a plan that had been conceived months ago, and had taken a great deal of preparation. They weren't, of course, really a ghost and a vampire- they were Demyx and Axel, respectively. A bag was clutched tightly in Axel's hand - it contained a hoard of eggs and flour that they'd collected and carefully hidden over the last few weeks, specifically for Hallowe'en. The local shops wouldn't sell those items to teenagers in the days before Hallowe'en, in a vain attempt to stop incidents such as the one about to happen. A certain hyperactive teen was about to get absolutely covered in the stuff. Dropping silently to the ground, they strolled casually out of the park, towards their chosen ambush site.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"I dare you..."
Kairi and Naminé turned to see who had spoken. Those three words were never ignored on All Hallow's Eve, because it was a case of "anything goes". Rikku, the bubbly blonde who'd only recently moved to Twilight Town, approached, grinning. Yuna and Paine, her best friends, followed closely behind.
"I dare you," she repeated, "to investigate the haunted mansion. Tonight."
Kairi shrugged. Naminé, beside her, shuddered. "Now?"
"If you like."
"We'll meet you later, then. Outside the station?"
Rikku nodded. "You have to bring something from inside, to prove you went in."
"No problem."
The trio left, and Naminé let out the breath she'd been holding. "They say it really is haunted, Kai."
"Load of nonsense. Besides, all we have to do is creep in, grab something, and leave. Sixty seconds, no more."
They walked, arm in arm, in the direction of the mansion. In the dim light from the streetlamps, they looked identical. Matching purple wigs, and similar costumes, one black, one white. Naminé, who normally wore white, was being the dark witch, while Kairi represented light. Almost a role-reversal, and one that they performed nearly every year. Even so, it still confused people.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Sora, in typical Sora style, had concocted a costume that was totally outlandish and outrageous. He'd made (yes, actually made) a moogle costume, complete with red pompom. He'd spent all day practising his moogle speech, and had driven everybody mad with repetitions of "kupo kupo kupooooo!" Roxas was walking around with his earphones in and the volume loud, while Riku wore earplugs. Secretly, both were wondering if a gag would be the better option.
Riku looked very dashing as a Port Royale pirate, while Roxas had donned a pointy hat and blue cape, calling himself Merlin. It was customary for someone to poke fun at the old man who thought he was a wizard - this year, it was Roxas's turn.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
A small stone pinged against the window, followed by a second, shortly after. Zexion stood, stuffed his textbook back into his schoolbag, and opened the window. Outside were Axel and Demyx, grinning widely.
"Zex, get down here!"
As he started to clamber out of the window, onto the tall oak tree just outside, his mother's voice could be heard, shouting. "Zexion, you'll be grounded until you're thirty if you dare go out tonight!"
"I'm already grounded," he muttered. "It can't get worse."
Seconds later, he was running down the street with his friends; he wasn't going to miss Hallowe'en for anything.
"Everything's set up - we're just waiting for Sora to arrive." Axel grinned, a pretty scary sight anyway, but the vampire fangs made the expression look pure evil.
"He'll be here sooner or later."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
It had taken a while to persuade Cloud to leave the house in his costume, but he had, eventually. He was beginning to wish he'd worn a wig, just so he wasn't instantly recognisable. Axel had already wolf-whistled and called him "gorgeous". He'd have fled back inside if Tifa hadn't been gripping his arm tightly, and if it hadn't been for the confounded high heels, which were making him wobble.
"Don't know how you girls walk in these shoes, really, I don't."
Yuffie and Tifa sniggered. "Practice makes perfect, Cloudy. Besides, they make your legs look great."
"Yuffie, please tell me I didn't just hear you say that."
"She's right, you know." Cloud spun around, lost his balance and ended up sprawled on the floor. Leon was the last person he'd have expected that comment from, but it had just happened.
Tifa took Yuffie by the arm and dragged her away. "They don't need an audience right now."
Cloud attempted to get back to his feet, but stumbled again. This time, Leon caught him before he hit the ground.
"Thanks."
"Do you think you can make it home without any more accidents?"
"Doubt it."
"Then I'd better walk the lady home."
Cloud glared. "If I wasn't wearing this stupid costume..."
"But you are." Leon let his gaze wander up and down Cloud's body. "And it suits you."
The intense gaze made Cloud look away, before he did something he might regret, like kiss Leon. That last comment had been dangerously close to flirtation. "I saw how you watched me, last Hallowe'en. This year, it's my turn."
Cloud couldn't be certain which of them made the first move, but the kiss was fierce, heated, something they both needed.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"This doesn't feel right, Kairi."
They were outside the gates of the mansion. Naminé had reached out a hand to push them open, then drawn it back, sharply.
"We're not going to damage anything."
"I don't think we should even go in there."
"Wait here, then. I'll go in. I'll be back before you know it."
Kairi slipped through the gate and darted up the steps to the entrance. "It's locked, Naminé." She returned to the gate. "We can't get in there, so the dare's off."
"That's a relief."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
A bombardment of eggs and flour rained down from the tree onto the unsuspecting Sora, who squealed in indignation and jumped back. "Don't you guys ever get sick of that?"
The culprits leaped down, and shook their heads. "That's one trick that never gets old."
"Do it to someone else next year, ok?"
"Sure thing, Sora." The grin on Axel's face showed that there was no way he'd choose another target. Sora just took it so well.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
The next morning, the inhabitants of Twilight Town breathed a sigh of relief. Hallowe'en was over for another year. Soon, this lot wouldn't be teenagers any more, but it didn't look as though they were going to grow up and act like responsible adults. At least, not on Hallowe'en.
AN: I have plans to make this a series - do one-shots for different holidays. Good idea or bad idea? You tell me.