The Sphere of Varrock Specials:
Halloween 2011
A deep chill was in the night air as Solo and Willow wandered the streets of Varrock on a quest for a rare book. He had learned about it from a street vendor a week ago; the book was rumored to contain the recipe to the tastiest cake in the known world. His friends had scoffed at him, unwilling to accompany him. However, his assistant, Willow, had been more than willing to assist him.
Solo rested his freezing arms in his pits trying desperately to keep warm. He didn't know what it was about March, but it was turning out to be the coldest month of winter yet. Which was very peculiar, seeing as how spring should be right around the corner.
Walking at a quick pace, ever wary of the cold, Solo was unaware of the rapt attention his assistant was paying him. Willow's blue eyes were glued to Solo, admiring the way he walked and the sheen of sweat on his face.
Any time he glanced at her, she quickly looked away, a deep blush on her face. Her breathing became shallow, and not just because of the pace at which they walked. Willow realized earlier that this was the longest she had ever spent with her hero, and she was going to make the most of it.
She scrutinized her brown coat and black leggings, intent on looking her best. Passing by a window, she inconspicuously checked her shoulder-length black hair.
Everything passed the inspection. In other words, she was hot. Or about as hot as a thirteen year old girl could get when compared to a mature woman like Emma.
Turning red just at the thought of Emma, Willow shook her head free of Solo's girlfriend. The woman was nothing but an attention seeker.
Solo noticed the lack of any dialogue and attempted to start one. "So Willow," he began. She glanced up at him. "What's it like being a mage?"
"Oh, well, I'm not a mage yet." she frowned. "I'm just an apprentice."
He nodded. "But, you must have learned some cool trick, right?"
She hesitated, and he noticed. "Oh come on, Willow! Show me a trick." He smiled at her, hoping to convince her to give him a magic show.
"You are such a child!" she teased him. "Fine, I'll show you a minor spell I learned."
Holding out her outstretched hand, Willow concentrated and a single drop of water appeared above her palm. With a single thought, the drop began to absorb the moisture in the air, adding to its mass. Within a few short seconds, it had grown to the size of an apple.
Solo stared in awe, and a bit of jealousy; he had only worked out how to summon a small flame. He stole a quick glance up at Willow, and was surprised to see her sweating profusely. Her eyes were nearly scrunched in pain as she struggled to keep the ball of water intact.
This must be harder than it looks, he thought. Suddenly, she gasped and the ball of liquid exploded, water droplets flying everywhere. Willow's face fell in defeat, and she hung her head.
His face contorted, desperately trying hard not to snicker. He let out a chuckle, which Willow heard, drawing her head back up.
"Are you laughing at me?" she exclaimed incredulously. Her face had turned red in embarrassment, and possibly anger.
"No, no," he tried to say without laughing, but failed. "Just that it was funny how it blew up."
Willow glared at him fiercely. "I'm not talking to you; let's go find that stupid book of yours!"
Trudging on at an alarming pace, Willow quickly put some space between her and Solo. He shook off his mirth and chased after her, continually apologizing along the way.
Wow, he thought. It's almost like when he apologizes to Emma.
When Willow had eventually stopped, she stood in front of a dilapidated, old store. Trudging up beside her, Solo tried to peer in through the dusty windows.
"No use," he said with a frown as he tried the door. "I can't see through them, and the door is locked."
Poking around the building, Willow noticed a slightly opened door in the alley. "Solo!" she shouted. "We can go in this way."
The hair on the back of his neck stood up on end as he opened the door and crossed into the dark building. Following close on his heels, Willow suddenly screamed as the door slammed behind them. She pulled on the doorknob in a panic, desperate to get it opened.
While she foolishly tried that, Solo's eyes began to adjust to the dark. He could make out some shelves lining the walls. Stepping around a table, he approached the shelves; a few of them held peculiar items.
He turned toward Willow. "Come here. There's something on these shelves here."
Barely able to contain her terror, but also curious, she made her way over to Solo. Peering around him her eyes caught sight of a jar housing a brain. Quickly, Solo clamped his hand over her mouth before she could let out a scream.
He glared at her, hand still held tight. "Don't scream again, Willow. We don't know if we're really alone."
Her eyes as wide as saucers, she nodded quietly. Solo smiled in relief, and removed his hand; he turned his attention back to the shelf. "There is a lot of interesting items here, Willow. Look at all this stuff. There's jars of brains, other organs, and some creepy black book."
"This book?" she asked, pulling a leather-bound book from the shelf in front of her. "There's no title."
"You're right," he said in surprise. Grabbing the black book back, he flipped through the pages. Much to his shock, each page was completely blank. He flipped through the pages some more, but it had nothing.
"Why aren't there any words, Solo?" Willow asked.
"No clue," he responded back. Just as he was about to put it back, something at the back of the book caught his eye. Frowning quizzically, Solo turned to the final page where a strange symbol adorned a single page.
"Wait a second," Solo said pointing at the page. "This symbol wasn't there before." The symbol looked almost like a pumpkin etched in black ink.
Solo squinted closely at the pumpkin and could swear he saw writing on it. Upon even closer inspection, he found that there was indeed something written on the pumpkin. The inscription read: Nam cultus.
While he was reading it, Willow noticed how close she was to him. Her chest was pressed tight against his shoulder as she stood on tiptoe to read over him. A deep blush settled in her cheeks and she began to grow hot at the thought of being so close to Solo; her body was actually pressed against him in a way that turned her on.
Solo muttered something under his breath, shaking Willow out of her clouded mind. She stepped away from him and went to check on the door again.
As he muttered the inscription again, the symbol began to glow bright orange, frightening him into gasping. Willow rushed over to see him drop the book; the pumpkin continued to glow.
There was something strange happening to Solo and Willow; it felt as if the book had a gravity of its own, and was drawing them towards it.
"What's happening?" Willow asked fearfully.
Solo didn't hear her because the book had started to emit a terrifying tune. It dipped and rose, bringing flashing images of pumpkins and candy. Without warning Solo and Willow found themselves being thrown toward the book. Their screams were drowned out by the crescendo of Halloween music, and with a blink they were gone, nothing but the book lying on the floor to ever hint they were there.
His body ached all over. Head on fire, Solo felt something heavy resting on top of him. Annoyed and curious, he opened his eyes slowly to discover that it was Willow laying on him.
Her eyes fluttered open as she came to. "Solo?" she asked. She blushed deeply when she realized his hands were on her butt.
"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed embarrassedly. He quickly removed his hands and instead found himself placing them on the small of her back. Willow blushed again, loving how close she was to Solo right now. She began to lean down for a kiss when a twig snapping startled her.
For the first time, they noticed their surroundings. Somehow the book had, acting as a portal, teleported them to a forest in the midst of autumn. Solo and Willow were just south of a giant, gnarled oak tree, all of its leaves red and orange. Solo's head swiveled in the direction the sound had come from.
Walking toward them was the strangest being either of them had seen before. The figure had the body of a human, but he had the head of a pumpkin, its eyes lit by a flaming fire.
Stopping a few feet from Solo and Willow, the creature waved. "Hello, strangers! What are you two doing by yourselves in Hollow Woods?"
Pushing off of each other, the two climbed to their feet. Solo approached the pumpkin man. "Where are we?"
The man laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the trees. "You're in Hollow Woods, just on the outskirts of Frightville. The festival is about to start, and you don't want to miss it. So come with me."
He turned to head back the way they'd seen him come from when Willow called out to him. "Wait, what's your name?"
"My friends call me Jack," he replied with a grin.
As could be imagined, the two had many questions for their new friend Jack. For one, where was Frightville? How did they get there? Unfortunately, Jack didn't know anything about a book with a pumpkin symbol, though he smiled at the use of imagery.
On their way to town, they passed a small hut. Playing in the grass out front were two children, but something was off about them: the little boys had demon ears. Solo couldn't wrap his head around the situation, having zero experience with something like this. First a man with a pumpkin for a head, and now children with demon ears. What could possibly be next?
The first thing they saw as they started to come over a hill was hundreds of curls of smoke lifting into the sky. When the reached the top, Solo was astonished to see a gigantic city looming in the distance.
"It's even bigger than Falador, Solo!" Willow leaned over to whisper to Solo. "How come we've never heard of this place before?"
Solo didn't know; a place this large should have been easy to spot. His eyebrows curled in thought.
What if we're in the Eastern Lands, he thought. That might explain the strange inhabitants.
"Just below is my home, Frightville," announced Jack. "The second largest city in the world. If you're looking for a scary time, then this city is the perfect place to be. You see, the Frightville Festival is the most celebrated event since forever, and many travelers come from all over to participate in the games and rides."
Now at the city gates, Jack turned to his two companions. "Don't be surprised if people look at you strange; it's just we haven't seen folks like you in a long time."
"That's surprising," Willow whispered sarcastically.
Pointing down the street, Jack said, "I have some things to take care before the festival tonight, so this is where we part. Take this street all the way down, then make a right, then another left. Third on the right will be the Ghost Brothers' Hotel. Check yourselves in and explore our quaint city!"
After checking into their hotel, Willow and Solo agreed to take a look around town. Solo was getting hungry and he had seen a bakery a few buildings down from the hotel. He grabbed the only thing that he had brought with him, a dagger, not knowing that a situation could occur where he'd need something stronger.
Standing outside the bakery, the sign read: Cemetery Bakery. A picture of a graveyard, rotted hands coming forth from the ground, stood plastered to the brick wall.
There'd better be real food in here, he thought.
Opening the glass door, an overhead bell chimed as he entered. The sweet smell of bread assaulted his nose, his mouth watering instantly. He approached the counter and rung the bell for service.
A bloated man came from the kitchen, his eyes small and fierce, but similarly void and lifeless. Solo managed to hold in a gasp, but his eyes betrayed his fear.
"What's the matter, boy?" The man's voice sounded gurgled, like he was choking on his own blood. "Never seen a dead man before?"
"I'm sorry," Solo managed to stutter.
The man grinned. "It's fine. So, what'll you have?"
"Any sweet rolls?"
"No, I'm afraid not. The festival folks cleared them all out this morning. Let me see if I have any extras in the back, though."
Solo sighed wearily. The sound of the front door caught his attention, and turning around he saw such a sexy girl. Her long red hair cascaded down to her bright red dress; the dress hugged each and every one of her luscious curves.
Her eyes found Solo, and her painted-red lips turned up into a smile, revealing her white teeth. As she walked toward the counter, she seemed to blaze across the room, her eyes almost like fire themselves.
She stopped a foot away from Solo; her very presence sucked all the air out of the room, leaving Solo sweating profusely.
"Hello," she smiled.
Solo couldn't find the words to say, as if his tongue had swollen and become limp as a rag. He began getting a sense of déjà vu, like he'd seen this woman before.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded in response. "Yeah, just fine."
Coming back from the kitchen with a box of sweet rolls, the bloated man noticed the woman. "Oh, Veronica, you're here for your order."
Veronica nodded and stepped forward. "Yes, Mr. Coxin. I hope they're ready." He bent down behind the counter and reappeared with another box similar to Solo's.
"One chocolate cake especially ordered for you, Ms. Veronica."
Veronica grabbed hold of the box, thanked the man, and turned to leave. She quickly turned back around and addressed Solo, "What's your name, stranger?"
"Solo," he replied with a smile. He stared into her bright blue eyes and wished never to leave. "My name's Solo Pehkayer."
Extending her hand, she introduced herself as Veronica, which Solo took earnestly. Stepping closer to him, her scent rafting over him like cinnamon, she kissed him on the cheek. Veronica smiled as she left a stunned Solo behind.
"What just happened?" he asked confusedly. He glanced at Coxin to see him frowning deeply. "What's wrong?"
Coxin's face had grown pale white, something Solo didn't know could happen to an already dead and pale man. Slowly he raised a fat finger at Solo, quivering. "Y-you've been marked."
"I've been marked?" Solo asked. "What do you mean marked?"
"The witch has marked you as hers," the shop keep reiterated. "Once that has happened, you must do as she bids for the rest of your life!"
To make matters even worse, Solo began to notice a searing pain on the cheek the woman had kissed. When he touched it, he winced in pain. He ran to a mirror and found to his shock that in the place where he had been kissed was a burn mark in the shape of lips.
Coxin was right; he had been marked. The shop keep padded over to him and gave him some potion for the burn, but stated that it would continue to return to its original burning state until he died.
Solo rushed from the store, in a hurry to find Willow, and perhaps come up with some plan of action. One thing was certain: they needed to get out of this nightmarish place.
Willow walked the streets in constant fear. Everywhere she looked there was a monster. She'd even seen a couple of vampires carrying umbrellas. Not only that, but there had been a couple of close calls with talking snakes slithering around her feet.
As she continued further down the street, she began to piece together the town and its customs. Somehow the book had teleported them to a place where all the Halloween monsters lived; the monsters celebrated Halloween, too.
A large creature suddenly came out of nowhere, instantly denying her access to the street she was about to turn on. Gingerly she raised her voice to the seven foot tall monster. When the monster rotated to face her, she nearly jumped out of her skin; the monster had the face of a baby, but with rows of razor sharp teeth.
"Is there a problem?" it said in a thundering voice.
Shaking in terror, she spoke barely above a whisper, "You're in the way."
To her surprise, the monster looked embarrassed. "Oh, I am deeply sorry, ma'am. I'm afraid my height often gets in the way of seeing such tiny folk like you." He stepped to the side, beckoning her to go. She waved at him as she passed, a little bit more assured in the town.
The people of Frightville were giving him weird looks, not just because he was sprinting toward his hotel as quick as he could, but from the ever-burning mark on his cheek. Finally he noticed the Ghost Brothers' Hotel. Solo flew in, taking the steps up to his room two at a time.
Once inside, he realized Willow hadn't gotten back yet and that she had said she'd be gone for two hours. He decided he'd take a quick nap before she arrived, but just as he was climbing into bed, he noticed the sound of running water.
It was coming from the bathroom. Unlike most places, the hotel didn't have a traditional bath. It was much larger, appearing to be capable of holding at least four people. Investigating the sound, just to make sure it wasn't some unannounced monster, Solo slowly pushed open the bathroom door.
Inside the room, Solo could only see a shadowy figure in the bath due to all the steam. Stepping closer, his foot landed on a squeaky plank, and he froze in place. Luckily for him whoever was in the bath was still filling the tub with hot water.
Sneaking further in, Solo got a bad feeling about what he was doing. The person hidden behind the veil of steam began to look more and more feminine, and Solo didn't want to intrude on a woman taking a bath.
Wait a minute, he thought suddenly. She's in his bath, so why should he care if he intruded?
He now stood a few feet from the tub, and his view of the woman had increased somewhat. At the sight of the lady, his breath caught in his throat. Her legs were visible, his eyes following them up to her stomach; he struggled to breathe as he was immediately attracted to this girl. He took in all the details of her lithe, young body. Eyes moving of their own coalition, he stared at her chest, then moved to her face.
Eyes wide at what he was seeing, Solo stumbled back a few steps; his lack of looking out for where he was stepping caused him to slip on the wet floor. Solo hit the floor hard at just the exact time the girl had turned off the faucet.
"Solo?" Willow squeaked loudly. "What are you dong here?" Her entire face a shade of red, Willow desperately tried to cover up her exposed flesh, but to no avail.
Picking himself up, Solo tried to speak, but all that came out was a whisper. "Didn't know you were home. I heard the water running and thought someone had broken in."
"I finished shopping and came back early," she explained, still blushing red. Her eyes were focused on the floor so he couldn't see how red her face had become.
"I'm so sorry, Willow!" he said in a burst.
"Could you turn around?" she asked quietly. "I'd like to get out of the bath and put a towel on."
He nodded enthusiastically. Solo looked as far right as his head could possibly swivel. The sound of splashing told him that she had risen from the bath. He waited a few minutes before he finally heard her tell him he could turn around again.
When he faced her again, she had a white towel wrapped tight around her. Solo felt so ashamed when he found his eyes drawn to her legs which, while thin, were very pleasant to look at. While only thirteen, Willow was beginning to get curves, and Solo couldn't tell if that's something he should be worried about or enjoying.
"What are you staring at?" Solo mentally cursed himself. Of course she had noticed him checking her legs out; she wasn't clueless. He didn't know a person could turn any redder, but somehow Willow had managed.
Feet moving of their own accord, Solo found himself standing in front of her. He smiled weakly and said, "Please grant me your forgiveness, Willow."
Taken aback by his formalness, she replied, "For what?"
"I was staring at you in the bath and I didn't look away."
She smiled back at him. "You…you were staring at me? How long?"
Solo suddenly blushed and looked down. "Several minutes, I couldn't look away." Never had his shoes seemed so interesting.
He felt a hand on his chest, and when he looked up Willow had taken a step closer. She was smiling sweetly and blushing furiously, her eyes flicking away and back.
"Solo" was all she said before kissing him. His head swam with what was happening. Willow, his young assistant, was kissing him and quite well. He knew he would regret this, and with that small thought he grabbed her and pulled her close.
Now using both of her hands to grip his hair, the towel slipped from her and to the floor. Electricity shot through him at the feel of her skin against his shirt, her wet body soaking his clothes.
Her lips, he thought, were so soft and plump. He had never felt anything like this, besides his first kiss with Tory. He kissed her back with all he could muster, his faculties leaving him immediately.
Coming up for air, Willow had begun to doubt herself and voiced them. "Solo, maybe we shouldn't." Solo's breathing had become labored and he shushed her.
"Shut up," he commanded.
Willow grinned and they resumed the kiss, barely coming up to breathe. It had all happened so quickly and without much thought that she had barely had time to consider that she had finally gotten Solo.
Body tingling with pleasure and excitement, Willow pushed Solo into the tub with a giggle. He landed in it with a huge splash; he came up coughing and sputtering, but was too happy to complain. Willow leaned over to make sure he was okay, which he took advantage of by yanking her in along with him.
The two laughed when they noticed how silly they were acting. Slowing down to enjoy their predicament, Solo teased Willow. He ran his hands up and down her back, enticing a squeal of delight from her. Moving lower and lower, Willow grew very hot.
She stopped him and grinned. "I didn't know you went so far on a first date."
He winked and replied, "I wasn't going to. I only wanted to see how far you'd let me go."
"Not that far, Solo," she responded slyly. "How about this, instead?"
She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, pushing her tongue in. surprised at how bold Willow was acting, he decided he actually liked this Willow. He responded back in turn with his own tongue .
Pulling back, Solo asked, "Wow, how old are you again?"
"I'm thirteen." Willow's inner fire started to subside, and her regular shy self began to return. She blushed crimson at how she'd acted and that she was still naked.
"Oh, Solo!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I'm sorry for kissing you. I shouldn't have done that, because you're older than me and you've got Emma."
She quickly stood up, got out of the tub, and wrapped the towel around her. Facing Solo she apologized again, yet was taken back when Solo leapt from the tub and grabbed her waist.
Looking her straight in the eyes, he said, "Don't be sorry. I enjoyed this. I mean, I also felt a bit ashamed of my actions, but in the end we enjoyed ourselves, right?
Willow nodded. "But how will everyone react when they learn that you kissed someone as young as me?"
Solo, for the first time, became worried. His eyes clouded over as he thought about what she'd said. "We can't let anyone know about this, Willow. Not if we want to escape persecution."
Willow turned her back on Solo, tears in her eyes. "Do you mean that we can't ever be together again?
He wrapped his arms around her from behind. He ran his fingers through her silky hair in order to comfort her. "Did you honestly expect a happy ending like in the books?"
She looked at him with her big, blue eyes. "I did, Solo, because I'm in love with you!"
Overcome with desire she kissed him once again, but with sadness and anguish. He responded in turn and he loved every bit of it. "I can't say that back, Willow. I'm confused at what exactly I'm feeling."
"Say you love me, too," she said, tears running down her cheeks.
Taking a moment to think, Solo delved deeply to pull out what he said next. "I think I could be falling in love with you, Willow. I've never truly noticed how cute you are before now, and I can honestly say I've never felt this way quite before."
As he said that his mark began to glow red. With a gasp, he felt it dissipate all together. When he noticed Willow's eyes wide with fright, he related his encounter with the witch in red.
"And it's gone?" she asked out of concern.
He grinned impishly. "It seems it disappeared after we confessed our feelings to each other."
She punched him lightly. "Are you trying to say love won the day?"
Serious once again, he answered, "I'm saying your feelings beat the witch, Willow."
"Oh, Solo," she said with a blush.
He didn't know how long they would be trapped in Frightville, or if the town was even on the same world as their own, but he did know one thing. As long as he had Willow by his side, he would survive.
To Be Continued Next Halloween…
Review Q: What are your thoughts on the budding relationship between young Willow and Solo? Will it last? Explain in your Review.
Well I've finally finished the first part of the Halloween Special and I hope you enjoyed it. It took me an entire month to write this, and while I think the premise is one of my best, I think the execution is one of the worst. I seriously think this is one of the worst things I've ever written; however, it's up to you guys to decide whether you agree or not :D.
This story is a series of one-shot holiday specials, and the next story is the Thanksgiving Special, so look for that next month.
I hope you guys had a fright-filled Halloween! Muhahahaha!
Until next we meet, Happy Halloween!
