Disclaimers: All the characters in this story belong to Joss Whedon.
Chapter 18: Halloween
Pop's Pumpkin Patch. A sign over the stand past another one counting off the days until Halloween to a pumpkin on the ground aglow with a candle. Buffy landed flat on her back on top of it. She looked up at the vampire that just threw her and saw him coming toward her. She grabbed a squash lying on the ground behind her and threw it at him, hitting him in the forehead. She followed it up with a pumpkin. The vampire staggered back a few steps. Buffy hopped back to her feet. She pulled a stake out of her shirt and launched it at him. He grabbed the scarecrow and pulled it over in front of him so the stake impaled it instead. He shoved the scarecrow aside and came at her with a roundhouse kick. They started fighting hand-to-hand. View of them through a camcorder. The 'record' light was on. Another vampire was taping the fight. He got closer for a better view. Buffy continued to fight the first vampire. The 'battery low' indicator started flashing. A moment later the view became snowy, and the vampire took the camcorder away from his eye. He jostled it, and it started working again. He raised it back to his eye to continue recording. The fight went on, and a few hits later the first vampire knocked Buffy into the hay wagon. She held onto the side of the wagon and kicked the vampire to the ground. She turned around with her back to the wagon and grabbed the railing as the vampire gets back up. She raised her legs and grabbed the vampire's head in a scissor hold. She twisted her body and flips him over sideways onto the ground. Stepping away from the wagon, she spied the sign and then looked down at the vampire. He tried to grab for her legs, so she jumped over him and somersaulted to the countdown sign. She pulled it out of the ground and swung it at his legs as he came for her, knocking them out from under him. She raised the sign and jammed the end of the signpost into his chest. The vampire burst into ashes. Buffy left the sign stuck in the ground at its new location and walked out of the pumpkin patch. The second vampire lowered the camcorder and slowly backed away as he watched her go.
School the next day. Sign-ups were being taken for the volunteer safety program for Halloween. Principal Snyder took one of the clipboards and looked around the hall. He grabbed the next girl that walked by and pulled her aside.
"Hey!" the girl said
"You're volunteering," he stated, with a smile
He held out the clipboard and pen to her. Willow, Buffy, Xander and Spike come in from the other hall.
"But I have to get to class,"
Snyder just shrugged. The team walked past him.
"Snyder must be in charge of the volunteer safety program for Halloween this year," Willow said
"Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept," Buffy added
"What's the deal?" Spike asked the group.
They've reached Willow's locker, and she worked the combination.
"Oh, a bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or-treating. Sign up and get your own pack of sugar-hyped little runts for the night," Xander explained to Spike
The bleach blonde shuddered at the thought of it. Hyped up little kiddies? No thank you!
"Yikes. I'll stick to vampires,"
Snyder put his hand on Spike's shoulder, and he spun around to face him.
"Mr Giles, Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for,"
"Principal Snyder!" "Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another. Well, (leads her to the sign-up table) not this year, mister," he smiled, yet again.
Willow,Xander and Buffy came stand behind him. "Gosh, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome, and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight," Snyder held up the clipboard and pen.
"The program starts at four, the children have to be back at six," Spike reluctantly grabbed the pen and clipboard and signed himself up. Xander thought it was funny that captain peroxide was getting dragged into something he didn't want to do. He smiled back at Buffy and Willow had a concerned look on her face. Snyder held pens out to Willow, Buffy and Xander too. They all looked at him, begging not to be put through this. Willow gave in and took the pen. The others followed suit not looking very happy with the situation.
"I can't believe this. We have to get dressed up and the whole deal?" Xander groaned out.
"Snyder said costumes were mandatory," Spike said
"Great. I was gonna stay in and veg. The one night a year things are supposed to be quiet for me," Buffy huffed
"Halloween quiet? Oh, I figured it'd be a big old vamp scare- apalooza," the dark haired boy questioned
"Not according to dad, He swears that tomorrow night is, like, dead for the undead. They stay in,"
Willow began to smile. "Those wacky vampires! That's why I love 'em! They just keep you guessing!" she exclaimed.
The gang entered the library , to be faced with a serious looking Giles
. "Dad, what's wrong?" He looked at the gang, grimly.
"Mike Parson has gone missing...a-and I have a feeling that it has something to do with the harvest,"
They all looked shocked. The harvest? What's the harvest? And why was Mike involved. Spike had gone pale. Xander was dumbfound, Willow looked sickened and Buffy looked confused.
"What's the harvest?" she asked Giles began to read from the text book.
"'For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life.' P... Pours life...(He turns the page back to the picture of Satan feeding power to a man) 'On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice it will come...' Of course. That's tonight! The master is planning on making a vessel so that he can get stronger, but of course!" him exclaimed.
The slayer looked visibly pissed.
"It can't be tonight...tonight is Halloween and there is much fun to be had, besides we're all on trick or treating duty," she protested
"Why the hell does he need Mike then?" Spike expressed his anger and confusion all in one.
"Heaven knows...tonight Buffy will patrol, AFTER the trick or treating, search out every corner, underground place that this town has, whatever it takes, we have to get Mike back...alive,"
In a new fancy dress shop called Ethan's. A dark haired man was kneeling before his statue of Janus, which had a face of a man on one side and on the other was a face of a woman. He pressed his hands together and winced in pain. When he pulled them apart there were wounds in his palms, and blood flows freely from them.
"The world that denies thee, thou inhabit,"
He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger and smeared it over his right eyelid.
"The peace that ignores thee,..." He dabbed the blood from his right hand with his left middle finger and smears it over his left eyelid.
"...thou corrupt,"
He dabbed the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again and smeared a cross onto his forehead.
"Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son," he finished his chant.
"Okay, Willow, come out. You can't hide in there all night,"
"O-okay, but, but promise you won't laugh?" the red head said nervously
"I promise,"
Willow opened the door and came out wearing boots, a short, black leather skirt and a burgundy, long-sleeved, V-necked, midriff-baring top. She was uncomfortable, and quickly stepped over to her ghost sheet and picked it up. The slayer was dressed in a frilly, red, billowy 18th-century gown Buffy smiled at her friend.
"Wow! You're a dish!" she complimented her friend
Willow tried to hide herself with the sheet, but Buffy took it from her and tossed it aside.
"I mean, really,"
Willow was very uncomfortable and tried to cover herself with her arms.
"But this just isn't me," Willow fidgeted even more with her costume.
"And that's the point. (walks around Willow to show her the mirror) Look, Halloween is the night that not you is you, but not you. Y'know?" she explained
The doorbell rang.
"Oh! That's Xander. Are you ready?"
"Yeah. O-o-okay," she nervously replied
"Cool! I can't wait for the boys, in specific Oz to go non-verbal when they see you!"
Buffy went to answer the door and Willow was still trying to cover herself. Buffy came down the stairs and opened the door for Xander. He entered saluting with his toy rifle in his hand.
"Private Harris reporting for... (sees Buffy in her costume) Buffy! Lady of Buffdom, Duchess of Buffonia, I am in awe! I completely renounce spandex!" Xander babbled as he took in the view of his best friend.
She looked wonderful. She curtsied to him.
"Thank you, kind sir. (Xander bows) But wait till you see..."
They turned to look up the stairs at Willow. She had put on the ghost sheet. It said 'BOO!' on the front in large bold letters.
"Hi,"
"...Casper,"
"Hey, Will! That's aaa fine boo you got there,"
Buffy was disappointed. Xander just stared.
At the school. Children were arriving in costume to be taken trick- or-treating. Inside to the hall by the stairs. Buffy was standing there holding a clipboard, waiting for her charges. Snyder brought them to her. Then he took another group towards Spike, who was dressed as none other than Dracula.
"This is your group, Giles. No need to speak to them. The last thing they need is your influence. Just bring them back in one piece and I won't expel you,"
Synder began to leave and Spike bent down to the children.
"Hi," he greeted them
"Ah, ah!"
Spike straightened back up and rolled his eyes. Xander in his soldier outfit. Larry comes by dressed as a pirate.
"Where's your bodyguard, Harris? Curling her hair?"
He jumped at Xander, making him flinch. He laughed in Xander's face and went. Xander pointed his rifle at him, but then dismissed him. The other day Larry was harassing Xander and Buffy had pulled him off Xander, causing Xander to get a reputation of a coward. Oz was checking his guitar at his locker. Cordelia came into the hall wearing a tight-fitting catsuit and walks up to him.
"Oz. Oz."
He looked up at her.
"Hey, Cordelia. Jeez, you're like a great big cat,"
"It's my costume. Are you guys playing tonight?" she queried
"Yeah, at the Shelter Club,"
"Is Mr. I'm-the-lead-singer-I'm-so-great-I-don't-have-to-show- up-for-my-date-or-even-call gonna be there?"
"Yeah, y'know, he's just going by 'Devon' now," he informed her
"Well, you can tell him that I don't care, and that I didn't even mention it. And that I didn't even see you. So that's just fine,"
"So, what do I tell him?" Oz asked sheepishly
"Nothing! Jeez! Get with the program!" Cordelia exclaimed and walked off in a huff.
"Why can't Willow be more like that?" he said sarcastically
Xander was now briefing his group. He had them all lined up and standing at attention.
"Okay, on sleazing extra candy: tears are key. Tears will normally get you the double-bagger. You can also try the old 'you missed me' routine, but it's risky. Only go there for chocolate. Understood?"
They all nodded their heads.
"Okay, troops,"
He turned and faced down the hall. The kids followed his lead.
"Let's move out,"
They began to march out of the school, bags and buckets in hand.
A student dressed as a vampire was escorting a group of kids. They walk by Buffy's group coming back from a house. Buffy crouched down to see what they got.
"What did Mrs. Davis give you?" she enquired
They all pulled out toothbrushes.
"She must be stopped. Let's hit one more house. (gets up) We still have a few more minutes before I need to get you back," They continued on to the next house.
At the back room at Ethan's. He weaved a spell in Latin.
" Janus, evoco vestram animam. Exaudi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro. Veni, appare et nobis monstra quod est infinita potestas,"
Translation: Janus, I invoke your spirit. Hear my plea. Seize the night for your own reason. Come, appear and show to us that which is infinite power.
Willow followed her charges along the porch to the door.
"C'mon, guys," she ushered them
One of the kids wearing a green monster mask on his head rang the bell and stepped back. An old lady answered the door. The kid with the mask pulled it down over his face.
"Trick-or-treat!" The old lady smiled at the children.
"Oh, my goodness, aren't you adorable!"
Back to Ethan's. "Persona se corpum et sanguium commutandum est. Vestra sancta praesentia concrescet viscera. Janus! Sume noctem!" he continued
Translation: The mask transforms itself into flesh and blood. Your holy presence curdles the heart. Janus! Take the night! Back to Buffy.
A wind began to blow. She sensed something isn't quite right. Back to the Lady with Willow's kids. She looked into her empty candy bucket.
"Oh, dear! Am I all out?" she said sadly
Back to Ethan's. He raised his head. "Showtime!" he said, grinning madly.
Back to the Lady's house. "I could've sworn I had more candy,"
The kid wearing a red rubber cap with horns morphed into a horned, red skinned monster.
"I'm sorry, mister monster. (bends down) Maybe I..." she began to apologise.
The kid with the green mask had changed into a monster also, and grabbed the lady by the neck and began to choke her. The other kids screamed and ran away.
"No! Let her go!" Willow shouted frantically
The red monster attacked the green one, and he let go of the lady. The two monsters were at each other's throats.
"Stop! What're you doing?!"
The lady ran into the house and slammed the door shut.
"Stop! Hey!" she screamed.
The two monsters kept on fighting, ignoring Willow. She suddenly started to feel weak.
Xander was standing there watching all the parents and children running around him. Things were being thrown and windows were being broken. Willow staggered a bit as the two monsters kept fighting.
"Ohmigod! Can't breathe..." she panicked
She collapsed to the floor.
Back to Xander. He jerked back like he had just been hit by something. He bent over slightly, looked down and lowered his toy rifle. Slowly he straightened back up and surveyed the scene around him. He raised his rifle again and cradled the fully automatic M-16 in his hands. He shouldered the weapon and spun around, scanning for a target. When he didn't immediately find one, he took the rifle from his shoulder and held it ready.
Willow was on the porch. She got up out of her body and looked down at it. She was only wearing her sexy outfit now without the sheet.
"Ohmigod! I'm a real ghost!" she gasped
She heard automatic rifle fire and turned to look.
"Xander?" She ran out into the street and came up behind him.
"Xander!" He spun around and pointed his M-16 at her.
"It's me, Willow!" she told him who she was.
He looked at her, baffled.
"I don't know any Willow," he stated
"Xander, quit messing around. This is no time for jokes,"
"What the hell's going on here?"
"You don't know me?" Willow looked at Xander, brows raised.
He lifted his rifle away from her. "Lady, I suggest you find cover," He started to walk past her but Willow got in front of him.
"No, wait!" Xander walked right through her. They're both were surprised by the experience.
"Oh!"
Xander turned around and pointed his weapon at her again. She turned to face him.
"What are you?" he frowned
"Xander, listen to me. I'm on your side, I swear! Something crazy is happening. I was dressed as a ghost for Halloween, a-and now I am a ghost. And you were supposed to be a soldier, and now I, I-I guess you're a real soldier," Willow explained
"You expect me to believe that?"
A monster appeared across the street, growling. Xander pointed his rifle at it. It ran away. Willow jumped in front of him.
"No! No guns! That's still a little kid in there!"
"Step out of the way!"
"No guns! That's an order!" she ordered him like an army general would
He lowered the rifle. "We just need to find... (sees her) Buffy!"
She ran across the street over to Buffy. Xander followed.
"Buffy! Are you okay?" she asked her friend
The monster was back with a friend, and they both roared as they approached. Xander shouldered his M-16 again and took aim.
"This could be a situation,"
"Buffy, what do we do?"
Buffy stared at Willow, fainted and fell to the ground.
The street. Xander fired off a couple dozen rounds at the approaching monsters. They turned and ran. Xander lowered his rifle. Willow was kneeling beside Buffy, who was lying against a tree.
"Buffy, are you alright?" Willow asked her friend once more
"What?" Buffy asked the strange looking woman in front of her.
"Are you hurt?" Xander asked her
Buffy sat up and looked at them both, bewilderment all over her face.
"Buffy?" The red head turned to Xander.
"She's not Buffy,"
"Who's Buffy?" he asked Willow
"Oh, this is fun. (turns Buffy) What year is this?"
Xander took Buffy's hand and helped her up.
"1775, I believe. (confused and hyperventilating) I-I don't understand. Who are you?"
"We're friends,"
"F-friends of whom? Y-your dress... Everything is strange! How did I come to be here?"
"Breathe, okay, breathe. You're gonna faint again. (to Xander) How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer?" Xander looked at Willow, then and Buffy and finally back at Willow.
"What's a Slayer?"
A monster came around the tree behind Buffy and roared, fangs bared and claws raised to attack. Buffy screamed and backed off. Xander jumped in and whacked the monster across the face with the butt of his rifle, knocking it down and out.
"I suggest we get inside before we come across anything..." He was interrupted by Buffy screaming.
"A DEMON! A DEMON! (gets behind Xander) A DEMON!"
A sport utility vehicle came driving down the street with its headlights on.
"That's not a demon. It's a car," she informed her.
"What does it want?" Buffy asked, shakily.
"Is this woman insane?"
"She's never seen a car,"
"She's never seen a car?"
"She's from the past,"
"And you're a ghost,"
"Yes! Now let's get inside," Willow barked
"I just want you to know that I'm taking a lot on faith here. Where do we go?"
The red head stopped and thought for a minute.
"Where's the closest... We can go to a friend's,"
The Summers house. The kitchen. Xander opened the door and scanned the room. "All clear!" he shouted Willow walked in.
"Hello? Mrs. Summers? (no response) Good, she's gone,"
He closed the door. "Where are we?" the slayer asked
"Your place. Now we just need to..."
There was a banging at the front door. Xander went to investigate, and Willow and Buffy followed.
"Don't open it!"
"Could be a civilian,"
"Or a mini demon," Willow pointed out.
Buffy noticed a picture on a table and went over to look. She picked it up, and saw it's of her wearing a spaghetti strap top. She turned around as Willow came over to her.
"This... this could be me," she continued to stare at the picture.
"It is you. Buffy, can't you remember at all?" Willow sounded concerned.
"No! I, I don't understand any of this! Uh, uh, th... This is some other girl! (puts the picture back) I would never wear this, that low apparel, and I don't like this place, and I don't like you, and I just wanna go home!" she exclaimed, tears falling onto her cheeks.
"You are home!" Willow turned back to Xander.
"She couldn't've dressed up like Xena?" she rolled her eyes.
Xander scanned the outside through one of the small windows in the door. He moved away just as a monster punched through the glass and reached for him. It pulled its hand back as Xander raised his M-16.
"Not a civilian!" Willow shouted
"Affirmative!"
Xander took aim through a broken portal
"Hey! What did we say?!"
Xander let loose a volley of bullets.
Willow winced at the noise. Buffy bowed her head and covered her ears. Xander rolled away from the door when he's finished his burst.
"Big noise scare monster, remember?" he reminded them.
"Got it,"
They heard a woman screaming outside. Xander looked out again.
"Damn it!"
He opened the door and went out to rescue whomever it is, pulling the door closed behind him. Buffy ran up to Willow. "
Surely he'll not desert us!" Buffy was petrified.
Willow shook her head.
"Whatever,"
She rolled her eyes and headed into the living room. Buffy is wide-eyed with fear.
Outside. Cordelia screamed as she ran from a sasquatch.
"Somebody help me!"
She looked back at the monster chasing her and screamed. When she turned back around again she ran into Xander.
"Xander! Help me!" she squealed
"Come inside!" He took her by her elbow and lead her to the house.
Inside. Willow watched through the window. Xander and Cordelia quickly came in through the door.
"Cordelia!"
"Wait a... What's going on?" she raised a brow at Willow and Buffy.
"Okay, your name is Cordelia, you're not a cat, you're in high school, and we're your friends. Well, sort of," she tried to explain. Cordelia rolled her eyes and huffed.
"That's nice, Willow. And you went mental when?"
"You know us?"
"Yeah. Lucky me. What's with the name game?"
"A lot's going on,"
"No kidding. I was just attacked by Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy. Look at my costume! (shows the torn sleeve) Do you really think that Partytown's gonna give me my deposit back? Not on the likely," she moaned.
Xander had taken his shirt off and put it around her shoulders.
"Here,"
Cordelia looked at him, quizzically. "Thanks,"
"Okay. You guys stay here while I get some help. If something tries to get in, just fight it off," Willow had formulated a plan.
"Well, i-it's not our place to fight. Uh, surely some men will protect us?"
The cat pointed at Buffy. "What's that riff?"
"I-it's like amnesia, okay? They don't know who they are. Just sit tight," Willow started to leave.
"Who died and made her the boss?" Willow walked through the wall behind Cordelia. Buffy stared in wide-eyed amazement.
Xander brought a chair over from the dining room. He turned to Cordelia.
"You! Check upstairs. Make sure everything's locked up,"
He positioned the chair to help hold the table they've upended against the window in place. Cordelia headed upstairs.
"Surely there's somewhere we can go. A safe haven,"
"Lady said stay put,"
"You would take orders from a woman? A-are you feeble in some way?" Buffy frowned at Xander
"Ma'am, in the Army we have a saying: sit down and shut the..."
He saw a picture on the floor.
"Whoa!" He picked it up. It's was of the three of them.
"She must be right. We must have some kind of amnesia,"
"I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it. I bathe quite often!" she stuck her nose up in the air, snubbing the picture completely.
"How do you explain this?" he wiggled the picture at her.
"I don't! I was brought up a proper lady. I-I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty, and then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a Baron," she narrowed her eyes to show that she was thinking.
"This ain't no tea party, princess. Sooner or later you're gonna have to fight!" Xander shouted at her "these low creatures? (snotty) I'd sooner die," She crossed her arms.
"Then you'll die,"
Spike came in from the kitchen. He looked Buffy and Xander over. She looked wonderful but that wasn't important.
"Oh, good! You guys are alright. It's total chaos out there," he said, breathless
They both looked at him. "Who are you?" they both said.
"Okay, somebody wanna fill me in?"
"Do you live here?" Xander asked the strange looking man dressed as a vampire.
"No, and you know that. Buffy, (she jumps) I'm lost here. You...What's up with your hair?" he narrowed his eyes on her.
Buffy lifted a hand to her hair to have a feel. Cordelia walked back in.
"They don't know who they are, everyone's turned into a monster, it's a whole big thing. (smiles) How are you?" The lights went out. Buffy grabbed Cordelia in fright.
"Do you mind?"
she looked at her clinging onto her arm in disgust. Buffy lets go of her. Xander turned to Spike.
"You take the princess and secure the kitchen. Catwoman, you're with me,"
Xander ordered. Cordelia followed Xander as Spike headed for the kitchen.
"But I don't wanna go with you! I-I like the man with the musket!" Buffy protested. Spike took her arm.
"C'mon,"
"Do you have a musket?"
They went into the kitchen. Spike saw that the door is open.
"I didn't leave that open,"
He quietly moved toward the door as he looked around for an intruder. He closed the door. The basement door behind Buffy opened, and a vampire attacked her. She tried to push the door closed on him. Spike grabbed the vampire and wrestled him to the floor. It's the student escort in a vampire costume.
"A stake!" Spike shouted as he fought.
"A what?"
"Get me a stake!"
Buffy looked around and grabbed a knife she saw on the counter. Spike growled impatiently.
"Hurry up!"
He turned to look what's keeping her and had a mad face on. Buffy looked at the vampire and screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran for the door.
"Buffy, no!" he shouted after her.
She opened the door and ran out. Giles was going through a stack of cards he's pulled from the card catalogue. He heard yelling and sirens outside and looked up, wondering what's going on. He saw Willow come though the wall and jumped in complete surprise, letting the cards fly all over the place.
"Jeez!"
"Hi," Willow waved, lamely
Giles calmed down a bit.
"Uh... ah... (speechless) huh..."
He walked to the cage to get a stack of old papers. He blew the dust off of them and came back out. Willow was looking at a book.
"I don't even know what I'm looking for. Plus I can't turn the page," she pointed out.
"Well, alright, l-let's, let's, let's review. (sets the papers on the table) Um, so everybody became, uh, whatever they were masquerading as,"
"Right. Xander was a soldier and Buffy was an 18th-century girl,"
"A-and, uh, your, your costume?" he looked at her in confusion
"I'm a ghost!"
"Yes. Um... w, uh, uh, uh, the ghost of what, exactly?"
Willow covered her midriff with her arms.
"Well, this is nothing. You should see what Cordelia was wearing. A-a, a unitard with cat things, like ears and stuff," Giles couldn't believe it. Cordelia could be a cat?
"Good heavens. Uh, sh-sh-she became an actual feline?" he enquired
"No! She was the same old Cordelia. Just in a cat costume,"
"She didn't change," The red headed ghost began to pace the room
"No. Hold on... Partytown. She told us she got her outfit from Partytown,"
"A-a-and everyone who changed, they, they, they, they acquired their costumes where?"
"We all got ours at a new place. Ethan's,"
Down an alley. Buffy ran between all the trash that's piled up there. To another the street. Cordelia, Spike and Xander are looking for Buffy. Xander had his rifle raised and ready. They kept on walking.
"Are you sure she came this way?"
"No," same his quick reply
"She'll be okay,I'm sure her dorky self can handle them, I mean what are they?" Cordelia piped
"Buffy would be okay. Whoever she is now, she's helpless and THEY are bloody demons, now C'mon!"
Behind a tree where Jonus was hiding and overhearing their conversation. He turned to the child monsters Willow was chaperoning. "Do you hear that, my friends?" The monsters nodded and growled.
"Somewhere out here is the tenderest meat you've ever tasted, and all we have to do is find her first!" he said, rubbing his hands with glee. Buffy had stopped running and leaned against a crate. She sniffed and looked around, frightened.
What do you think guys? Thanks for the reviews so far and keep it up!