Disclaimer: Shenanigans in Halloween Town.

Junior swept his gaze around the room, leaning back against the bar with his arms crossed over his chest. After enjoying the impromptu party in the town square for the majority of the night, the band of fools who were trying to scare the Black Cat retreated to the tavern, the reality of their undertaking sinking in slowly for each. In times before Blake ruled, the Queen of Halloween would often gather together all the creatures of their town together, for celebrations and announcements and the like, and usually to touch on various plans for the following year's visit to the mortal plane. While she'd tried a few times in her first century, a schism had opened between those who thought the Shade was overstepping his bounds and the rest, the Black Cat herself switching sides only a little over a century ago. To see such a return to form, even if she did slip away halfway through the night with her companion on her arm, was still a good sign for Halloween Town... and a very bad one for Cinder's motley crew of terrors.

Roman and Neo were doing their best to distance themselves as much as the Flame would allow, remaining entirely out of sight while the Snow Spirit was in the square. Emerald and Mercury stuck close to Cinder's side as she watched like a true predator, seeking out the one weakness she needed for her plan to work. The twins had stayed by him, greeting Weiss and those they hadn't seen in decades with fondness and even putting up with Yang's attempts to spook them throughout the night. They did get back at her a time or two, but the Twisted Clown was always a wily one, fear and amusement nearly one and the same to her.

For his part, the butcher just tried to imagine how things would play out once the ax fell. Adam spent nearly the whole time indulging himself in empty platitudes from those who hadn't seen him recently- those who were as-of-yet unaware of his humiliation. However, there were moments when the Shade's true thoughts showed plainly in his expression, anger and hate burning bright in his red eyes directed at the Snow Spirit. At one point in the night, he pulled Cinder aside, likely giving her an idea with the way her eyes started shining and a wicked grin split her face.

Whatever lay ahead of them, it certainly wasn't going to end well, and he understood the Vampire's warning with a dread that settled deep in his bones.

This would not end well.

Golden eyes scanned the graveyard, glossing over tombstones and mausoleums alike in wary anticipation, a small amount of worry coiling in her gut. Blake was more than familiar with every nook and cranny of the cemetery but she wasn't sure how much that knowledge would assist her in the coming trial. Even her ears seemed to betray her nerves, twitching uncontrollably at every subtle shift in the wind.

"Is something wrong?"

Immediately, her gaze snapped to Weiss, who stood beside her with a slightly bemused expression. "No, not at all."

The Snow Spirit quirked a brow at her quick denial. "You seem worried."

"It's just..." She frowned, pushing down the strange ball of anxiety- to think such a mortal sensation would be afflicting her- until she could speak steadily, though she was a bit abashed by the admission. "It just occurred to me that I didn't specify where in the cemetery I wanted the teleportation spell to land. I'm not sure where you'll find yourself once you activate it."

"Presuming I can activate it at all." Weiss reached up, running a finger along one of the sapphire's facets, something she seemed to do subconsciously whenever looking at the Black Cat. "And that's quite a gamble as is, yes?"

Truthfully, she wasn't sure; it made sense at the time that her companion would be able to manipulate Halloween Town magic, but now she felt herself shuffling in place. There really was only one way to find out and she was somewhat loathe to suggest it. "The Malachites said they'd used a simple trigger. Usually, that means you just have to visualize that you want to go to your destination, and the spell takes care of the rest." She glanced up at the broken angel standing tall over one of the graves, on a slight hill that stood in the near perfect center of the cemetery. "From there, I should be able to spot you no matter where you end up."

The woman waited a moment before prompting her. "And you aren't going over there now because..."

"I don't want to leave you alone." It wasn't far- a hundred feet or so- but she still didn't like the idea much. "I may have made the announcement but—"

"But you're worrying over nothing," Weiss said, a fond smile on her lips even as she released Blake's hand, giving her a playful shove towards the hill. "You said we had places to go today and I'd like to see them. No point in dawdling here over a few idle concerns, right?"

"Okay," she replied, though the Queen of Halloween did her best not to look too glum about the prospect as she marched towards the angel.

They'd woken up just as the moon was rising to the constant flapping of wings just outside Blake's bedroom door. Cecil didn't seem keen on letting them sleep in for whatever reason, clinging to the Snow Spirit's shoulder the moment he was admitted entry, but he did eventually relent and agree to carry a message to Jaune and his compatriots to see if the cornfield maze would be ready by midnight. It took a solid hour to get him to ferry the message, of course, but the Black Cat honestly expected as much from her stubborn roommate; he had been far too helpful with Weiss' gift for her to expect such behavior to continue. Luckily, her companion found her seemingly one-sided conversation with the bat as humorous, else she might seriously consider exiling him back to the caves.

After that, they'd come to the graveyard as a means of wasting time, under the pretense of ensuring the transportation spell worked as Blake intended. It was the first thing that came to mind, aside from simply returning to bed, and it would be a suitable distraction... if it didn't end up making the Black Cat rethink the whole proposal in the first place. Really, she should've tested it herself instead of being so excited to put the pieces together. That was foolish on her part.

Although reluctant to do so, Blake climbed to the top of the angel, perching one foot on its shoulder and the other on a broken wing. While she couldn't see every inch of the graveyard, she could see most of it, and especially Weiss, who was watching her with something akin to amusement.

"I'm ready." She frowned, running a hand through her hair. "Just... shout if you don't see me, okay?"

"Stop worrying!" The Snow Spirit smiled a little wider as her form began glowing blue. "I'll be fine."

In a flash, she was gone, and every sense the Black Cat possessed was focused and intent on seeking out where she'd reappear. Golden eyes raked over every inch of the cemetery, her head nearly separating from her body as she quickly turned to look for any sign of her companion. It was her ears that first caught any sign- cloth being rustled by the wind- and she quickly looked up, dread stabbing into her chest at the white form once again plummeting from the sky. Granted, the distance was much shorter this time around, but Blake wasted no time diving into the nearest shadow, coming up just beneath the Snow Spirit with a little more force than was entirely necessary, allowing her to catch Weiss in the air. They both came back down with a soft thump, the Queen of Halloween scanning her companion for any sign of injury.

"Weiss, are you alright? I'm sorry- I should've been more specific with them, I—"

"Hush, Blake, I'm fine," the woman said, pressing a finger against her lips to silence any protest or further apology. "Although your assistance was appreciated, I would've survived that fall with ease."

Her ears drooped, a frown coming to her lips, "You could've gotten hurt."

"Nonsense." She waved a hand before point up, close to where the spell had transported her. "By the way, I think Cecil's on his way to fetch us." Shaking her head, Blake set the Snow Spirit down, hovering close by just in case. "Honestly, I'm not made of glass."

"No, you're made of snowflakes, which I don't think is much better," she said, cringing almost as soon as the words left her mouth. Weiss raised a brow, tossing her head once before setting off towards the iron wrought gate leading back into Halloween Town. "Wait, that came out wrong- I didn't mean—"

"Oh, I know quite well what you meant." Her voice wasn't exactly light and teasing as it had been previously, but neither did she seem altogether upset as they left the graveyard, managing to keep a few steps ahead despite her shorter stature. "However, perhaps you should rethink your rationale, oh revered Queen of Halloween."

"Weiss, please—"

"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself, I'll have you know."

"I do—"

"And you have something of a reputation to uphold, remember?"

"Weiss—"

"Oh, and good evening, Yang."

Blake blinked, stopped for a moment by the non sequitur until she caught sight of the Twisted Clown giving both of them a confused look.

"Do I even wanna know?" The blonde crossed her arms over her chest, head cocked to the side as she looked at her friend with what could only be described as pleasant confusion. It wasn't often the woman was stumped, usually barreling through obstacles with as much reckless abandon as she took to everything else, but this seemed to be the one time she was willing to sit back and watch as Cecil flapped down to perch on her shoulder, tilting his head to mimic her expression. "'Cause it looks like someone did something she shouldn't have."

"Not you, too." The Black Cat grumbled, turning her attention to Yang fully for a moment. "I'm just trying to keep her safe—"

"Uh, Blake—"

"—I don't see why that's such a problem."

"Is she supposed to glow?"

"Really, I- what?" Blake turned, just in time to see the Snow Spirit's form disappear just as before. She whipped around, spying Weiss falling through the air back at the cemetery and immediately abandoned the conversation to dive into the nearest shadow. When she emerged, some part of her was braced for being too late, expression pinched into one of deep worry as she emerged from the same shadow as before. However, this time, she arrived just a moment too late, surprised to find her companion gently touching down just outside the shadow's bounds. "How..."

"I'm... not quite sure myself." Blue eyes blinked away a sudden surge of anxiety as a small smile curled her lips. "But it seems there's always something to catch me, should I fall."

Blake furrowed her brows for a moment before the familiar presence of the not-quite-there swirled around her, murmuring soft assurances that lingered at the edges of her hearing. When she'd made the announcement the night before, she actually hadn't expected it to be taken this seriously, but felt herself relax all the same. With the assistance of Halloween Town itself, it seemed that Weiss would be able to come as go as she pleased.

"Thank you," she said softly before rejoining her companion, taking hold of the Snow Spirit's hand as her mood brightened once more, her words taking on a slightly teasing lilt. "Are you done trying to scare me?"

"No," Weiss replied, equally amused as they restarted their walk away from the graves side-by-side and hand-in-hand. "I still have quite the fright to repay you for, if you recall." The Black Cat merely grinned, allowing the subtle threat to slide by without comment. "But I suppose we should let bygones be bygones. For now."

With a nod of acquiescence, Blake led them away from the graveyard, the pair coming across Yang and Cecil once more. The moment they were in sight, the bat left his perch on the blonde's shoulder to claim Weiss' instead, earning a little scratch between his ears in the process. While he seemed perfectly at ease with the situation, the Twisted Clown looked even more confused.

"Is it me, or do you two get weirder the more you hang out?" She smirked, raising both hands in surrender at the look Blake shot her. "Hey, I'm just saying—"

"That you were looking for me for some particular reason?" Her ears flicked, a sign of annoyance with the slight interruption. Honestly, she wouldn't terribly mind if Yang decided to tagalong with them, but she also wanted to show the Snow Spirit to the maze without dealing any sidebar teasing at the same time.

"Oh! That, too." She paused, eyes rolling towards the slightly cloudy sky in thought for a moment. "Right!" A smile nearly split her face as she hiked a thumb behind her. "Just ran into the Mayor. He wanted you to know that everything's on schedule but he wanted to talk to you sometime in the next few days about some more ideas."

That prompted a raised brow, a little surprise suffusing her voice. "The next few days?"

"Yeah, he said whenever you're available." That was... odd. Usually, Ozpin would insist on seeing her straight away, but that was often because she was so difficult for him to track down when she wanted to be. Her increase in involvement likely bought her some leeway, something she'd have to keep in mind if she didn't want him making her existence difficult. "Where are you two heading, anyway?"

"To see Jaune," she replied, grateful when the widened eyes of her friend were followed by a twitch of her lips, an unspoken promise passing between them in that moment.

"Sounds like fun. Tell him I said hey." She shrugged, heading off towards one of the crypts near the cemetery's border. "I'd go myself, but I promised Ruby I'd help her with some project she's working on. You two have fun!"

Thankful for the blonde's discretion, Blake bid her friend farewell before directing the Snow Spirit towards the edge of town, where Jaune's ramshackle home sat, the cornfield maze just behind it. As they rounded the last turn towards it, the Queen of Halloween could take a certain amount of pride in the work the others had put into setting the place up, even adding broken and rusted farming equipment laying around abandoned to give the entire area a creepy look. After all, they had no use for such mortal implements, making their apparent disuse even more unnerving in Halloween Town than in the Humans' world. At least, that's what she assumed to be true as Weiss pressed against her side a moment before steeling her nerves.

Something she'd likely always admire about the woman was her ability to face everything in Halloween Town with only the barest hints of apprehension, the Black Cat thought idly as they made their way through the stalks. There was no official entrance to the maze, merely a few dozen rows that blocked it off on all sides before the rest would rearrange themselves accordingly, allowing anyone daring to enter to choose their own path. Although it had been years since the last time she'd visited, Blake was unsurprised to find that very little had changed, the two stepping onto a well-worn path a moment after pushing past the first few rows.

"So, we just... find our way to the other side?"

"That's the idea," she replied, watching as the bat graciously departed Weiss' shoulder with nothing but a little chitter bidding they enjoy themselves. Cecil wasn't in on the plan but he seemed to sense when there was mischief afoot, excusing himself from being wrapped up in it. "Why don't you lead?"

The Snow Spirit took a step forward before she stopped, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Apparently, the bat wasn't the only one to notice that something was off. "I feel like this is a trap."

"How so?" Her expression was innocent, a small smile on her lips.

Perhaps too innocent.

"It's a trap." Weiss surmised, disengaging their hands only so she could wrap one arm around the Black Cat's waist, pulling them closer together. "If I'm to be scared, then you'll suffer the consequences from up close. I'll have you know a snow storm can be very grating on the ears."

"We'll see." Blake copied the gesture, fingers lightly brushing along the white sash around the woman's waist, and tried her best not to seem too amused at her companion's ever vigilant examination of every twist and turn.

The maze itself seemed to stretch much farther than it should. That, or their pace was so leisurely that the trek was simply taking forever, though neither seemed inclined to complain. After the first hour, the Snow Spirit relaxed, more intent on keeping mental track of which turns they'd taken than preparing herself for any scares.

Which, of course, meant that she was less prepared for the inevitable.

"Did you hear that?" Weiss looked around, convinced she'd heard something shuffling among the stalks.

Although it took far more effort than she would've guessed, the Queen of Halloween managed to school her expression into one of surprise, ensuring her feline ears never once twitched towards the sounds. "No. What do you hear?"

"Someone's out there." The Snow Spirit narrowed her eyes, glancing at her. "But you already know this."

"I do?"

"Don't play innocent." Her blue eyed gaze swept around them, pressing a little closer as they continued down the path. "I hope you enjoy your amusement while you can. Scaring may not be a skill I'm well versed in, but I will get you back."

"So, being unable to hear something automatically means I'm the cause?" Blake rolled her eyes but didn't bother defending herself any further, acknowledging that protesting too much would be just as suspicious. Of course, she didn't even need to flick her ears to hear Nora lumbering along behind them, trying her hardest to move slowly. The Sound just wasn't accustomed to leisurely strolling anywhere, often skipping around town just for the noise it made, but her efforts were well appreciated even as the Black Cat caught movement out of the corner of her eye. "Did you see that?"

Weiss stiffened, whipping her head around to scrutinize the stalks. "No... but you obviously did. Who is it?"

"I couldn't tell." She shrugged, offering a small smile. "It's probably just Jaune; it is his maze."

"That does make sense," she muttered, shifting uneasily as they continued on the path, going right at the next fork.

While Blake had long since lost count of each turn they'd made, she could feel with every step where they were in the maze and had to fight not to smile as they came within a few turns of the center. While they were all pretty sure mortals wanted to find the 'exit' of their own mazes, Halloween Town residents often utilized the tradition for the sensation of getting somewhat lost, making the center a halfway marker. Most would usually just turn back the way they came, which would often be different anyway seeing as the cornstalks rearranged themselves whenever no one was looking.

The Black Cat had failed to mention that at the onset, though, preferring to wait and see how her companion would react when they tried to leave and found themselves unable to utilize the same path. Even if she got in trouble at first, there was an amount of certainty that Weiss would forgive her harboring in her chest that made the excitement to see what the four creatures she'd charged with the task had cooked up overtake any worry that might linger. Surely they'd gotten creative, mixing together something very special indeed for the woman, and getting to see the fruit of their labor from up close would be satisfying in its own right. In fact, it gave her a few more ideas to discuss with the Mayor regarding next Halloween.

The sudden, heavy thud of someone landing close by had the Snow Spirit whipping around to look, and Blake turned a moment later, trying to keep up her part of the act.

"Did you hear it again?"

"Did I- of course I did!" Weiss glanced back, a slight scowl marring her features. "Are you really going to pretend—" Barely shimmering into existence over the woman's right shoulder was Pyrrha, a small smile on her lips as she reached out. Much like Adam, the Poltergeist had the ability to be intangible or mostly solid, except she had complete control over the process. With barely a moment's hesitation, Pyrrha reached out, running barely-there fingers across her target's shoulder before vanishing in the blink of an eye, far quicker than the Snow Spirit could turn around. "—what was that?"

"I thought I saw something." Pulling her features into something resembling the focused and hostile expression she'd worn while confronting the town upon the woman's first visit. "Stay behind me."

"Blake." There was a tendril of worry, real fear exuding from her as she cast a wary look around.

"Halloween Town bends to my will." She gently reminded, ready to face whatever surprise the others had come up with and a little excited to see how things would go. "Aside from Adam, there's only one to ever openly defy me, and while it might be something of a menace, it's relatively harmless."

"If you're trying to comfort me, you're doing a horrible job at it."

A slight tug on her sleeve directed her to step back, one foot after the other as they carefully retreated. "Weiss, there's nothing to worry about—"

The Black Cat abruptly cut off as she made the 'mistake' of turning to look over her shoulder, drawing the Snow Spirit's attention away long enough for the one hiding in the cornstalks to come out, a bone chilling growl drawing their gazes back. While she'd expected Ren to play the part of trying to chase them down, he'd shifted his form just enough so the Sloth was entirely unrecognizable. Blake was pretty sure he hadn't introduced himself to Weiss yet but, opting to ere on the side of caution, she'd insisted he change his visage enough to be somewhat unrecognizable.

He did just that. Ren walked almost like a beast now, with clawed toes and fingers, a gaping maw that couldn't contain a thin tongue that dripped with something viscous, and black hair that draped over him like a shaggy blanket. His pink eyes were bright enough that one might find them terrifying in the right light and, overall, the aesthetic was probably something they'd have to revisit again to get the Mayor's opinion. It looked a bit silly to the Black Cat, so accustomed to the Sloth's usual look, but if the slight shivering behind her was any indication, it at least warranted some consideration.

"On second thought... there may be some cause for concern." Blake muttered, continuing to back up and shield the Snow Spirit.

"Blake." The woman warned. "This isn't funny."

"I'm aware." Golden eyes never left Ren. "Stop."

Of course, he didn't.

"Blake."

"Just stay calm. He will stop."

The Sloth growled, a low and throaty sound, as he advanced, his plodding pace doing little to assuage the woman's fear.

"Blake."

The Black Cat allowed her ears to flatten back as her lips pulled into a snarl, ready to transform at a moment's notice. She wouldn't, of course, but the actions seemed to set her companion somewhat at ease, likely thinking this was just another struggle between the monsters of Halloween Town. Before she could reach the point where it was obvious she wasn't exerting her authority as the Queen of Halloween, a sudden crashing brought Blake's attention to her right, where Nora was lifting her great hammer high in the air with a maniacal grin splitting her face, terrifying glee etched into every contour.

"IT'S LEG BREAKING TIME!"

"Run!"

Blake reached out, grabbing her companion's hand and ducking away just as the hammer crashed down where she'd been standing a moment before. The Snow Spirit was jerked by the motion initially but quickly caught up, the two dashing side-by-side through the cornstalks, taking turns at random as the Sound's heavy footsteps hounded them. Ren had likely broken off from the chase, opting to come at them from a different angle, but the Black Cat was more concerned with helping Weiss win the game rather than how the others would deliver their next scare. This was supposed to be fun, after all.

Taking another corner on the woman's heels ended up being a bad idea as she suddenly stopped short, causing the Queen to run into her from behind, nearly bowling the Snow Spirit over as she let out a shriek that made all four ears ring. She quickly wrapped her left arm around Weiss' waist despite the disorienting agony, keeping both of them on their feet better than the woman could as she punctured the air with yet another horrible scream. Eventually, Blake recovered enough to note the plain horror in her companion's blue eyed gaze, directed at Jaune's dismantled body spread out across the path, straw connecting the pieces in suggestive trails. That was a nice touch, she thought, even as the Snow Spirit pulled her in a different direction, barely keeping them both out of Ren's claws as he pounced from somewhere in the stalks. Nora's hammer nearly took off their heads, the two ducking just in time as they ran back the way they'd come. The Black Cat could feel how the paths had shifted, directing them towards the center no matter which way they turned, and with the duo close on their heels, they broke into the middle of the maze.

Of course, this was where Pyrrha had decided to lay in wait, though she kept her form shrouded in the stalks and reached out with unseen hands to manipulate a set of seven chainsaws into spinning in a deadly circle, each one roaring to life in sequence. With the terrifying display in front of them, and Nora and Ren coming up behind them, Weiss quickly turned as if to protect Blake's back. It was a sweet gesture but, ultimately, unnecessary, and not what either of them needed to do.

"Weiss, hurry!" She lifted her arms, pretending to wrestle for control of the chainsaw. "Get the pot!"

What she was referring to was one of the twins' old cauldrons, a pitch black one that had a hole near the bottom from a potion gone wrong centuries ago. It sat just beyond the whirling machines of destruction, and there was a moment when she considered that it was too much of a task, terror rooting the woman to her spot.

But in the blink of an eye, she moved, a white streak dashing forward with all the certainty of one who knew nothing of fear. Blake was in absolute awe, not even bothering to hold back the Sound as she charged forward, hammer raised high. The Snow Spirit ducked one chainsaw and lept over another, diving forward to grab onto the cauldron. She tried lifting it up but the thing was far too heavy. Luckily, that wasn't required to win.

"Aw, nice!" The Sound laughed, her booming voice not betraying anything resembling disappointment. "That was the best hunt we've had in ages!"

"Was this some sort of game to you?" Weiss narrowed her eyes, glaring at the jovial woman while sweeping one of her arms towards the cornstalks around them. "You chase us through the maze like you're going to smash us, you quite nearly do several times; not to mention what you did to the Scarecrow!"

"Jaune. My name's, uh, Jaune." He spoke up, having pulled himself together. Well, mostly. One foot was still missing, giving him quite the uneven gait. "And I'm fine."

"You're fine?"

"Weiss," Blake said, stepping around Nora and giving Pyrrha a nod of acknowledgement before approaching the woman, who seemed equal parts confused and angry, blue eyes flashing. "This was a game—"

"A game." The statement was blunt and edged, the Snow Spirit's lips turning down at the corners as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What was the purpose of this game?"

"I... thought you might enjoy it?" Her ears twitched, beginning to lay back the longer that gaze was directed at her, turning colder by the second. "I-it's something of a tradition—"

"What are the rules, Blake." She narrowed her eyes. "The ones you failed to mention before, for reasons I'm sure made sense to you despite my lack of knowing them."

Okay, so she was definitely in trouble.

"Well, uh, usually there's a team, and there are the witches. It used to be the Witches, but that got boring after a few- anyway, but there's usually two, uh, who have to find the cauldron before... well... they get scared too badly to continue. If... they get caught, or reach the cauldron, the game's over."

"And what is this little game called?"

Her ears were laying all the way against her skull and she actually shrunk back, her explanation earning nothing but an even more severe frown. "Witch Hunt?"

"Was that a statement or a question, Blake?"

"It's called Witch Hunt. Statement." Oh, she was in big trouble. "I just thought—"

"Oh, no, clearly you weren't thinking at all!" Her eyes turned sharp for a moment before she closed them. "Dragging me out here, terrifying me, all for your own amusement- coming here was a mistake." Before the Black Cat could voice an apology, Weiss' form turned blue, a glow with which she was quickly becoming familiar. "Goodbye, Blake."

In a flash, she was gone- teleported back to the cemetery, and suddenly everything was wrong, a strange pain striking through her chest that she'd never felt before. Blake whirled around, eyes open wide as she searched for the nearest shadow, a similar look of shock and mounting horror on the expressions of the other four who bore witness to the spectacle. She would explain to them later- they'd done nothing wrong; this was her fault- and Nora's shadow was just deep enough to be suitable as a method of transport, so she dove into it headfirst. Each jump felt like it took forever, bringing her closer to the graveyard far too slowly for her liking, and when she finally emerged from the shade of a headstone, it felt like she was too late.

The Snow Spirit was nowhere to be seen.

"Weiss?" She called out, taking a few steps and looking around- towards the iron gates, towards the broken angel, towards the wall- but there was no answer. "Weiss?" The silence, always so prevalent among the not-quite-there, weighed heavier on her than she ever thought possible in that moment. Not even the presence of the wind was of any comfort, no whispers to assuage the strange weight she could feel building in her gut. Was this fear? Golden eyes swept over every path, looking for any sign of the woman and finding none. "Weiss!"

And then she saw it- the faint glimmer at the dark forest's edge. Moonlight catching on the phantom presence of Gambol Shroud's trail. Aside from herself, the spectral cat would only appear if Weiss summoned her; it was far too temperamental to arise otherwise.

"Weiss!" The Black Cat took off at a run, unable to keep her transformation from morphing her features, making her faster. "WEISS!"

She stopped dead in her tracks at the one sound she wasn't expecting in that moment: giggling.

"I believe the saying goes..." Blake whirled around, gaze finally landing on the Snow Spirit, perched on top of a mausoleum and illuminated by the moon overhead. "Turnabout is fair play."

"You... were trying to scare me?"

Weiss raised a brow, an amused tilt to her lips. "Trying? Oh, no, Blake; I succeeded."

She thought of voicing some form of protest but, even if it wasn't quite the same brand of terror they visited upon the mortals, it was fear that had taken hold in those moments, and while some part of her was relieved that it was just a scare, she had to be sure. "So, you're... you're not leaving, right?"

"Not at present," the woman replied, pushing off the mausoleum's roof and gliding to the ground, the not-quite-there apparently part of the plan if their sudden return was any indication. Even Gambol Shroud seemed content to return from the forest, bounding over to weave itself around Weiss' feet as she walked. "I will have to leave eventually, of course, but we still have some time." She stopped, putting a hand on the Black Cat's arm reassuringly. "I did warn that I'd get you back, Blake."

"That you did," she replied, finally relaxing somewhat and putting her own hand over the Snow Spirit's. Now that the panic and dread were washed away by relief, she felt a chuckle bubble up from her chest, soothing away any lingering doubts that she'd actually angered the woman. As Weiss lifted up to brush a kiss against her cheek, a thought occurred to her that quickly set her mood mischievous once more. "Would you be interested in scaring the others? As repayment for all their hard work?"

The woman seemed to weigh the option for a moment before relenting, linking their arms together. "I suppose it might hold some appeal."

Falling into the nearest shadow, Blake quickly formulated a plan. The four likely believed Weiss was furious which, in turn, meant that Blake would be as well, so all they had to do was capitalize on that.

It wasn't wise to cross the fearsome Queen of Halloween, after all.

Emerald felt a small bit of relief at remaining undiscovered as their targets departed the graveyard once more, though there was more than a little aggravation at having to back track so soon after catching up to the two. Personally, she had no desire to trail after Blake and Weiss like flies caught in a teleporting web, but that was the task Cinder saw fit to bestow upon her, having lost a little faith in Roman and Neo, both of whom were still too shaken up to be near the Snow Spirit any time soon.

"Aren't you coming?" Her gaze slid to the side, where Mercury was watching her with his head tilted, canine features reflecting his own boredom quite well. "Might be fun to watch them scare the others."

"I suppose you're right." The Mummy grudgingly conceded. "But we're supposed to be spying on them, remember? Not sitting back and enjoying a show."

"I'm pretty sure there's no distinguishing between the two." He scratched idly behind one ear before shrugging. "I mean, have you ever seen Blake this happy?"

Many things in Halloween Town held a different meaning to mortals that didn't necessarily apply to the monsters that dwelled within Halloween Town but happiness seemed to be one of the things that was more or less the same. Where it was derived from was usually what made the monsters different. However, she had to admit the Werewolf had a point; the last time the Black Cat was this expressive and enthused was many years before Emerald came to be, and definitely before Mercury.

"Okay, so you have a point. She does seem to be enjoying herself." The Mummy shrugged as they both started running back to the cornfield. "I don't know what Cinder's looking for out of these little 'missions'."

"I have no idea." The Werewolf loped alongside her, tongue lolling out slightly. "I mean, aside from learning she can wail like a banshee, we haven't seen or heard anything good."

With a shake of her head, the Mummy tried to keep hope that Cinder truly knew what she was doing.

Author's Note: Someone caught on quickly.