I wanted to wait until Halloween to post this, but I just couldn't wait. Hope you enjoy!

What is that term the humans use for these situations? Ah, yes – oh, shit.

I was standing in front of a black iron gate, with a sign next to it that read "Halloween Town". It wasn't just a stupid name – this town really did look like Halloween originated here, with mummies walking about, vampires talking freely, and an abnormally tall, well-dressed skeleton walking about friendly as can be.

That wasn't what worried me. It was myself. I was in my Resurrección Segunda Etapa. This was quite distressing for two reasons: One, I hadn't even released it. Two, my chance at gaining a heart was gone.

Fear not, Ulquiorra, a feminine voice whispered in my head. It was the Caretaker! How was she doing this?

I relayed this to her. She replied, One of my powers is telepathy. I can communicate with anyone in any world. Now, about your current form. You aren't truly in your final form – you've only taken on its appearance. Your powers associated with this form are still locked away.

It was true – my spiritual pressure was still at level as though I hadn't released my sword at all. How is such a thing possible?

It's the magic of this world, she replied. It turns people into the figure that people see when they're scared of you. In this case, it's your final form.

Alright. I understand now. Anything else you neglected to mention? I asked monotonely.

Only one thing. You won't be traveling alone. I'm sending you two others.

Before I could ask what or who, two white portals similar to the one that brought me here appeared behind me. Turning to face them, I saw two figures that I never thought I would see again.

"Grimmjow?" I asked. "Starrk?"

They hadn't changed at all since I last saw them. Grimmjow was still in his Espada uniform, a scar across his chest and his unruly blue hair uncovered by any hat. Starrk was in his release state, which still impresses me to this day. He's actually the most effective Espada at long-range attacks. His two handheld guns were actually Lillynette, the little girl who always followed him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, not expecting this at all, yet still not able to feel a damn thing.

"Teh, I'm here to get stronger," Grimmjow replied. "Fighting enemies that come from the darkness in people's hearts? I can't wait to fight a Heartless that came from someone truly evil!" He cracked his knuckles as he said this.

Starrk looked up at the moon, actually looking… hopeful. That wasn't something I'd seen in all the time we lived in Hueco Mundo. "The Caretaker promised that I'd find people as strong as us if I helped you," he replied. "So of course I agreed to help you."

I don't like being in situations where I can't do anything to improve my position. This is one of those situations. Starrk is more powerful than me; he could probably fight me to a standstill if he were to take it seriously. Turning towards the gate, I said, "Come along, then. You'll probably be useful."

I could tell that Grimmjow wanted to kill me very badly, but he also didn't want to lose his chance at getting stronger. Starrk just followed step. Huh – this may be better than I thought. Knocking on one of the bars, I asked, "Could someone let us in? Hopefully sometime in the next year?"

A short, pudgy man in a comically tall top hat ran to the side of the gate and started cranking the handle. "Of course! My apologies," he said as the gate retracted like a garage door from the human world. "Welcome to Oogie Town!"

"Are you blind, old man?" Grimmjow snapped. "The sign says Halloween Town!"

"Oh, that old thing," the man apologized. "Lord Oogie Boogie kept that sign as a reminder of the past. We gave everything we had to the humans, and they never even thanked us! Not once! So now, we keep Halloween to ourselves. Our Lord is working on doing the rest with the other holidays as we speak."

The man walked off. I noticed on the back of his suit jacket, it said Former Mayor on it. Without turning to my companions, I said, "Something is wrong here."

"Gee, ya think?!" Grimmjow snapped. "I thought that everything was moonshine and blood around here!"

"The Caretaker told me that these people were in charge of Halloween," Starrk said, bringing one of the guns to his shoulder. "I'm getting the feeling that someone did something drastic here."

"I've come to much the same conclusion," I agreed. "Although, I have a feeling of what it might be."

"What is it?" Grimmjow asked.

My Keyblade appeared in my hands. "The Hogyoku," I replied. "Did the Caretaker tell you about its true power?"

"Yeah," Starrk replied. "You think this Oogie Boogie has it?"

"After what that man told us, I can't think of a more plausible answer," I said, walking towards the skeleton. "Let's see if we can correct the situation."

The skeleton noticed that I was approaching. "Hi there! I don't believe we've met. I'm Jack. Jack Skellington."

"Ulquiorra Schiffer," I replied curtly. "These are my companions, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Coyote Starrk."

"Hello, friends!" He said joyfully, waving his arms at the scene around him. "You just came in while we were making preparations for our big day!"

"Halloween. We know," Starrk interrupted. "We actually want to talk to your boss. Where is he?"

"Lord Oogie Boogie?" Jack asked. "You can't miss him! He's just beyond the pumpkin patch, less than two hours away from here."

"Thank you," I replied. I walked off, noting the surprised expressions on Grimmjow's and Starrk's faces.

"You actually thanked someone?" Grimmjow asked incredulously. "Just what the hell got into you, Ulquiorra?"

I then did something that surprised even me. I smiled. Not a ridiculous grin like Grimmjow's, but a small, contented one. "I'm learning what it means to have a heart."

Ulquiorra smiled! I'm so happy for him. Stay tuned for the epic fight with Oogie Boogie!