And it's Halloween, which means something appropiate for the season has to be posted. So here's a tiny little contribution from me.
Hope you'll enjoy it!
Hocus Pocus
The smell of hot apple cider wafted towards Marlene as she made her way to the stairs leading down into the bar. Cheerful music echoed through the house. It was a song that she didn't really know, but it was about fairytale monsters dancing at a party. It was the type of song that nobody really listened to anymore, except for special occasions.
Such as today.
"Hey, Marlene," Cloud called out from his seat at the bar as he spotted her from out of the corner of his eye. His face was sickly pale and he had dark rings around his eyes, making him look like he hadn't slept in months. He turned his head to properly look at her, but a hand grabbed his chin and turned him back.
"Hold still, will ya?" Tifa chastized, holding black lipstick in her hand that she began to apply onto his lips. "Wouldn't want to smear it all over your face."
"I should know better, huh?" Cloud quipped. Tifa chuckled.
After a few strokes, Tifa stepped back to get a better look, then nodded and handed him a tissue. "Press your lips on that."
"Yes, ma'am."
As Cloud did as he was told, Tifa turned towards Marlene, her own dark red painted lips curling into a smile. "Want some too?"
"Uh-uh." she shook her head.
"Alright." Tifa closed the lipstick with a little twist and walked back over to the stove to check on the food.
Stepping out from behind the bar, Marlene climbed onto the stool next to Cloud's, who was now looking at himself with a hand mirror, turning his head this way and that a few times before reaching out to touch one of the fake screws on his neck.
"Stop that!" Tifa's hand reached from across the bar to slap his finger away. "Or it'll come off."
"Hm," was all Cloud replied with and lowered the mirror to look at her. "How do I look?"
"Hmm, scary?" she offered with a mischievous smile.
He grinned devilishly. "Great!"
"What's your costume supposed to be anyway?" Marlene asked.
He looked down at her, a smirk still plastered to his painted face. "Well, since Vincent couldn't make it this time I thought I'd have him be here in spirit, at least."
From behind the bar, a barely stifled chuckle escaped Tifa.
"Oooh, I'll let him know, Spike!" another voice said and they all turned to see Yuffie walking in, dressed in long, dark robes with wide sleeves and wearing an interesting-looking hat on her head. In her hands, she held a box with bottles. "Where'd you want this?"
"Just put it over here," Tifa replied while stirring whatever was in the pot. It smelled good.
Carrying the box behind the bar, and pointedly bumping her shoulder into Cloud's, Yuffie placed it on the ground and turned to face them with a huge grin. "Now what would poor Vincent think about that costume?"
"Dunno." Cloud shrugged. "I know he'll be wondering why you've got a sheet of toilet paper dangling in front of your face, though."
Marlene giggled.
Yuffie's eyes bulged at the word "toilet paper" and she began to lean over the counter. "Listen here, this is a paper talisman, not—"
"Hey!" They all turned to face Tifa, who glared at them. She lowered the upturned eye patch back over her eye and put her feather-covered hat on her head. "No fighting aboard my ship, or I'll let you keelhaul."
"Aye aye," was the collective answer and the pleasant smile returned once more.
As Tifa turned her attention back to cooking, Yuffie narrowed her eyes at Cloud before bringing her attention to Marlene, her face immediately brightening. "And what are you dressed as?"
"I'm a sorceress," she replied proudly, flicking one of her ponytails then crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Oooh. Hocus Pocus Fidibus," Yuffie said and waved her fingers around as if to cast a spell. "I like it."
"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "Though it's missing something."
He got off the stool, adjusting his tattered brown vest as he did so, and walked into the garage from where he emerged again holding something long and wooden in his hands.
"What's that?" she asked as he held it out towards her.
"A sorceress needs a staff," he replied with a shrug.
"Looks more like a club if you ask me," Yuffie commented.
"Maybe you should try removing that thing and get a better look." He reached over the counter to tug at the talisman dangling in front of Yuffie's face only to find his hand slapped away by her. The way the corner of his lip curled upward told Marlene he was about to retort, but the sounds of footsteps from above made him stop and look towards the stairs.
Denzel soon stepped into view, dressed in armor made of copious amounts of foil with a red cape flowing halfway down his back. On his hip hung a toy sword.
"And who do we have here?" the Ninja asked with obvious amusement.
"The legendary hero, Alfred!" Denzel proclaimed, unsheathing his tiny sword and swinging it around a few times.
"A hero and a sorceress, eh? Now we only need a dragon for you to slay."
"Let's keep it at candy gathering," Tifa said and stepped away from the stove. A tiny frown formed on her features as she looked from Denzel to Marlene. "Maybe one of us should accompany them this time?"
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. We checked, and there shouldn't be any...surprises." Cloud glanced over to Yuffie, sharing a nod with her.
"I guess you're right…" Tifa's smile returned. "So are you two ready?"
"Yeah!" Marlene and Denzel chorused.
"Alright—"Cloud picked up the two lanterns on the nearby table, handing Denzel his while attaching Marlene's to the little hook at the top of her staff. "Now remember, don't go any further than you usually would and don't stay out too long."
"We won't," Marlene promised as he ignited the candles inside the lanterns. Her papa had said he would be coming over later and she'd hate to already have to go to bed as soon as they came back.
"Good girl," he said and ruffled her hair, drawing a giggle from her.
After the two of them had received a bag each, they were sent on their way. As soon as they stepped outside, they were greeted by the chilly wind of the early evening. People were out and about, kids dressed in costumes for their own candy gathering fun as well as some of the adults, accompanying some of the children or heading towards a party; perhaps even just waiting for Seventh Heaven to open up and have a good time there.
They started around their little neighborhood, doing the traditional routine of offering to chase away the evil spirits with the light of their lanterns in exchange for sweet treats to fill their bellies on this chilly night. From there, they began to fan out to the other neighborhoods, eventually joining up with some of the other kids to form a larger group and roam the streets together.
A large smile formed on Marlene's face as she looked at the decorations scattered around town, excitement rushing through her as they moved from house to house and street to street, their bags filling and growing, always just a little heavier after every stop.
Then, all of a sudden, a tiny shiver traveled down her back and she felt like somebody was…watching them. But as she searched around, she only found other small groups walking past them, minding their own business.
"What's wrong?" a voice asked, making Marlene jump and whirl around to face one of the other children they had joined up with. She was called Mia, and she was dressed like a doll with curly, golden hair and bright rosy cheeks.
"I, uh…" Marlene glanced over her shoulder. Nothing. "...just my imagination. Must've been the spooky mood."
Doing a little shrug, she resumed her walk.
As the evening continued and the hour grew late, one by one the other kids began to head back home, until only Denzel, Mia, and she were left.
"We've got more candy than last year," he said, looking into his bag.
She nodded, looking into her own bag as well. "Oh, there's even some of those cinnamon candies that Papa likes!"
"You should give them to him then."
"That's a great idea!"
"Well—"Denzel closed his bag. "I guess we should head back home too."
"Already?" Mia then asked, tilting her head as she looked at them both.
"We promised to not be out too long," Marlene replied.
"Aww, can't we at least go down that way?" the other girl asked and pointed down the street to the east.
"Hmm, I dunno," Denzel said, rubbing his head in thought and looking at Marlene.
"Papa is probably waiting…"
"Come on, one more street? I'm not allowed to be alone, and you're the only ones that stuck around…" Mia looked at them with pleading eyes.
"I…" She looked down to the ground for a moment, then back towards her foster brother. "...guess one more street can't hurt?"
"Yeah, and afterwards we'll take you home."
"Thanks guys!" Mia did a little jump, then grabbed both of them by the arm and began to drag them down the street.
The three of them went from house to house, but it became quickly apparent that not many people were at home. Still, the little candy they did receive spurred on their new friend to head down the rest of the way.
"Wonder where everyone is?" Marlene asked after they stepped away from another door that wasn't answered and on further inspection, she noticed that the lights were out too.
"Probably at parties," was Denzel's answer.
When the next three doors yielded the same result, she was about to suggest to just call it quits, but stopped as that feeling from earlier returned in full force, burning into her back. A sound began to echo from behind.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap…
Turning around, Marlene spotted a figure in the middle of the street, slowly walking towards them. Dressed in black from head to toe, their face was entirely obscured by the shadow their hood was casting.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
In their right hand was a long staff with a top like a sickly, twisted branch that coiled around the Materia at its center like gnarly fingers, while the bottom reminded Marlene of a wicked dragon's claw.
Tap...
The figure stopped, and everything went quiet.
Denzel, who had long since noticed their new arrival as well, took a step forward. "Hey, who are you!?"
Silence.
Before she knew what was going on, Marlene found herself grabbed by the hand and pulled back as Mia shouted, "Run!"
And as she saw the figure advance, she did just that, prompting Denzel to do so as well.
They ran down the street as fast as they could, sharply turning to the left at the first crossing, then to the right at the following junction in hopes of getting rid of them. But whatever was chasing them wasn't so easily shaken, and the longer the chase went on, the closer they got; like a ghost made of shadows.
"Oh no!" Marlene shouted as her bag slipped out of her hand.
"Forget it!" Mia grabbed her hand and pulled her further along, forcing her to speed up.
Glancing over her shoulder, something flashed behind the shadow of the hood in the pale moonlight, like the eyes of a hungry predator, and she felt panic grip her heart, holding it tight as it hammered inside her chest.
Her eyes then landed on Denzel, just a few steps behind her, fear flashing across his face as he tripped on something and stumbled to the ground, the lantern he had held desperately skidding across the pavement. The light flickered once, then winked out.
"Denzel!" she cried out, trying to wrestle free of the other girl's grip to go help him, but she turned out to be far stronger than her. The last thing she could see before she got pulled around the next corner, was him pushing himself back onto his feet and grabbing his tiny sword, soon followed by a cry that was muffled almost immediately after. "DENZEL!"
She wanted to desperately run back and help him, but as things were, the only way she could run now was forward. Even as her lungs began to burn and her sides stinging, she ran. Unfortunately, what little luck they might have had, had now ran out as they soon arrived at a dead end.
A loud tap from behind them made her spin around to see the hooded figure standing there. The fear she felt was momentarily replaced by anger, and she took a step towards them. "What did you do to Denzel!?"
But the figure didn't answer and instead simply stared at her, no...past her…
All of a sudden, an arm wrapped itself around her and pulled her back.
"Hehehehehehe," Mia's distorted sounding voice laughed next to her ear. "Planned on ruining my fun didn't ya? Think I wouldn't notice you?"
"Let the child go," the figure, a woman, answered and raised her staff.
"Ah, no, I don't think I will." Two fingernails glinted in the faint light as they began to grow long and sharp, pressing against the skin of Marlene's chin but not piercing it. A sick crunching noise began to pervade the air and Marlene could feel 'Mia' contort behind her. "Not a step closer, or I'll turn this pretty little face into delicious meat slices."
The woman didn't answer. Instead, her left leg shifted slightly backward and the Materia embedded in the staff began to glow. A small ripple went through the air, then…nothing.
"Hehehehehehe." The laugher had grown deeper and even more twisted. "And what was that supposed to be? A little parlor trick to amuse the chi—"
A snapping sound came from above, shortly followed by the drop of a cloth line and a blanket falling down upon them.
"Gah! What's this!?" 'Mia' shouted and her grip loosened just enough—
"Now, child!"
"Let go!" Marlene rammed her elbow into her captor, loosening her grip even further, and slipped away. Grabbing hold of her staff, she whirled around and smashed it into the creature's head, causing the attached lantern to shatter and the blanket to catch fire.
Stumbling away from the flames, she crawled backwards until she hit a wall, watching as the body underneath the blanket began to twist and turn and grow under painful screams. A glow from out of the corner of her eye made her manage to tear her gaze away from the sight and look towards the lines forming under the woman's feet, spreading out across the ground and forming strange patterns until they connected in a circle.
"Time to send you back!" the woman shouted, raising her staff high into the air.
A bright flash, almost like the sun, forced Marlene to squeeze her eyes shut, and she could feel a wave of heat pressing her further into the wall as an ear-deafening bang drowned out everything. When it subsided once again, all she could hear was the ringing in her ears and the blaring of a car alarm in the distance.
"Are you alright?"
Cracking an eye open, the first thing she noticed was the silver hair, causing a spike of worry, until she noticed a pair of eyes that weren't a shade of venomous green like those of the men that had once taken Denzel and her to that scary place, but instead a pale silver almost as bright as her hair.
"I...Yes…" Marlene slowly nodded and the woman began to smile, holding out a hand with a strange ring on it. She hesitated for a moment but, when she didn't sense any danger coming from her, took hold of it. "Where's Denzel?"
"He's unharmed and waiting for you just a little up ahead," the woman replied as she was pulled back onto her feet.
Releasing a breath of relief, she turned to look over where 'Mia' had been standing just a few moments ago, but only scorch marks remained. She then looked back up to the woman, lips parting to thank and apologize to her when something caught her eyes and made them widen. "Are those—?"
"A costume." The woman pulled her hood back up, then knelt down to the ground to better look at her. "It's a special night after all, isn't it?"
"It's okay, my family has lots of strange-looking people in it," Marlene said with a reassuring smile.
"Hmm, is that so? Fascinating..." After she was handed back her fallen staff, the two left the alley and soon met up with Denzel, whom she greeted with a tight hug.
"Uhm, sorry about trying to hit you," he said after they let go of one another.
"No need to worry about that. Now, I believe it would be best to leave this place."
The two kids couldn't agree more.
Making their way out of the neighborhood, stopping only once to pick up her fallen bag of candy, they headed back towards the main plaza where people were walking around, ignorant of what had just transpired in their town.
"Thank you," Marlene said as they crossed over to the street that would lead them back home, giving their rescuer a smile.
"You're most welcome, little one." the woman let her gaze wander about for a few moments, before letting it come to rest on Denzel and her once more. "Will you be alright?"
"Uh-huh, we live just down there," she replied.
"Then this is where we part ways. But I would ask you to please keep what has happened a secret." a finger was raised against dark lips. "It wouldn't do to worry your parents."
"You're not from here, right?" Denzel asked.
"That is correct, and I should very much be on my way. I'm searching for someone; a traveling companion if you will."
"Then why not come with us to Seventh Heaven?" Marlene asked. "A lot of people come to visit every day. And I'm sure Tifa will cook you a free meal!"
"Yeah, we'll just tell her we got a bit lost in the dark and you brought us back here," Denzel chimed in.
"Seventh Heaven, you say…" Raising a hand, the woman gently tapped her knuckle against her chin.
"That's right!"
"...Interesting. Very well, I'll accept your offer."
"Great!" stepping forward, Marlene grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the street, eliciting an amused chuckle.
As they arrived back at Seventh Heaven, they found the place bustling with activity, people from the neighborhood and beyond having gathered there to celebrate the evening away, some had even dressed up for the occasion while others just enjoyed the special atmosphere. Her Papa was sitting together with a few regulars, playing a game of cards, and when he spotted her, his face split with a huge grin. "There's my little girl!"
His loud voice was more than enough to get the attention of everyone else in the bar. But while all the eyes in the room turned towards them, or rather, their companion, Marlene's almost immediately landed on the woman sitting at the counter in front of Tifa, dressed in strange-looking clothes of red and black. What really caught her attention, though, was the fluffy tail dangling just a few inches off the ground and a pair of furry ears on top of her head, the same shade of blonde as her hair.
Ears which slowly began to perk up as the woman next to her began to walk. Tifa almost dropped the glass she was holding.
"I knew I would find you here when I heard the name of this place, O Warrior of Light," she said and pulled down her hood, revealing a similar pair of ears atop her head. The woman at the bar just smiled. "Seventh Heaven. A coincidence to be sure, but a pleasant one. And speaking of pleasant coincidences—"
She turned towards Cloud, who looked at her mid-sip with a questioning glare, some of his black lipstick smeared across his cheek.
"—If it isn't Cloud Strife. You look...different from what I remember."
"It's a special night, isn't it?" He finished his sip. "Y'shtola."
"It is." The woman, Y'shtola, shot Denzel and her a little smile. "It certainly is."
"Cloud, you know her?" Tifa looked between them. "Is this about…"
"Yeah." He licked his lips, revealing beige skin underneath the dark smudges of his makeup. "Y'shtola, how did you…?"
"Hmm, that is the mystery, isn't it?" Y'shtola shrugged, then looked over to her companion. "And one we should resolve as swiftly as possible."
"...Crap."
What a shocking twist!
Wonder what's gonna happen next? :D