Hiya! The next chapter has arrived! *cue confetti and disco lights*

I want to thank Vulcanblood, who makes a cameo in this chapter! My first reader cameo for this story, I'm so excited! I'll give you two guesses as to who she is, and I'll give you a hint: she's not Maya.

DISCLAIMER: I could make some sort of witty remark including something about lawyers, me not owning Hetalia, and penguins, but I'm too tired...

BEGIN!

The cast knew that something strange (well, stranger than usual, anyway) was afoot when they woke up to the sound of creepy music playing from hidden speakers.

"Huh? What's going on?" Hungary was even more confused when she peeked into the hallway, only to see it dimly lit and covered with cobwebs and broken mirrors.

"I don't know," Italy replied, popping out of his own room. "Maybe Night forgot to clean?"

The cast got ready in apprehension, the background music making them feel like they were starring in a bad horror film, and they huddled close together as they made their way down the (now torch-lit) staircase.

The music grew louder as they approached the living room, and there was a brief struggle when no one was willing to take the initiative and open the door. They were saved the trouble, however, when the door swung open on its own, and they all jumped back in surprise. They exchanged nervous looks before inching hesitantly into the room.

Their jaws dropped. All of the furniture had disappeared, and the room had been re-decorated to look like a haunted graveyard. Mist whispered over the grass-covered ground, cracked and illegible tombstones made uneven rows, and the ceiling was painted to look like the night sky.

Well, at least they hoped it was paint. They wouldn't put it past Night to knock out the ceiling. And a couple walls while she was at it.

Said whackjob was on the other side of the room, twining vines of ivy over an imposing gated archway. When they came in she turned towards them with a grin on her face, and they saw that she was dressed as Rin Kagamine, bow and all. Her bright outfit and mood made the rest of the room all the more creepy by comparison.

"Hey, guys! Happy Halloween!"

There was a long pause as the cast tried to work out whether or not she was joking. One wonders why they even bother anymore.

"Night," Canada (Night's favorite character, and therefore the one most likely to beat her in an argument) began gently, "you are aware that it's not October, right? And that Halloween isn't celebrated in some-"

"NO!" Night screamed, making a few of the nations jump as the sound echoed off the headstones and reminded them of their less-than-pleasant surroundings. "I already got jipped out of my Christmas special in the last story; you guys are NOT taking Halloween away from me!"

"Night, this is ridiculous; no!" Canada whisper-yelled, for once the center of attention as the other nations warily observed the exchange.

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

The nations' eyes moved from Night to Canada and back, watching as the two glared at each other like two Old West gunslingers. There was a pause, and one could almost see a tumbleweed blow past. After another moment, Night reached slowly into her back pocket before holding out…

…a bottle of maple syrup. Canada's eyes widened slightly before the two began glaring once more, even America anxiously watching this silent exchanged. The tension was so thick it could probably be made into a holiday fruitcake, if one was bored and patient enough to try it.

Finally, Canada reached out, slowly taking the bottle and putting it in his own pocket, eyes never leaving Night's. Another moment passed, then:

"Fine."

"YAY!"

"WHAT? !"

The nations all turned to Canada, glaring accusingly as Night jumped up and down ecstatically. He just shrugged.

"I regret nothing."

Night bounded over to them, eyes sparkling. "Don't worry, this is gonna be great, I promise! I know you guys probably don't want to trick-or-treat, so we're just going to have a party instead. I'm almost done decorating, and you guys can change into your costumes while I work on the food."

"Costumes?" England asked.

"We don't have costumes, aru." China added. Night just grinned.

"That's okay! I have a bunch of them in there," she pointed to a door down the hall that read Costume Storage. "I had it moved from my imagination for the day in case you guys needed it. Feel free to try on anything you want, and call me if you need help!"

With that, she disappeared into the kitchen. The nations looked at each other for a minute before shrugging and heading into the storage closet.

.

"So, how do I look?" Night walked into the foyer to see Prussia standing there, grinning and wearing the same clothes as before. She cocked her head, confused.

"You look the same."

"That's because I'm Prussia! Someone as awesome as me doesn't have to wear a costume!" He smirked, looking immensely pleased with himself. Night shrugged.

"Fair enough."

"Still, it's fun to dress up, no?" Spain stepped out of the closet wearing a gold and red matador outfit, a red flag hanging from his pocket.

"Oui," France agreed as he joined his two friends. He was dressed in a light green tunic with puffy brown pants and brown boots, and his hair was pulled back with a green ribbon. Prussia snorted.

"What are you supposed to be, a fairy?"

"The term is elf, Prussia," France replied, tone slightly distracted as he glanced appreciatively at Spain's tight-fitting costume.

"Don't even think about it, cheese-breath." Romano stalked up, Italy trailing behind him. The brothers were dressed up as mafia bosses, complete with matching fedoras.

"The idiot's rooming with me, and if you get your pervy French germs all over him then they'll be in my room too. And I refuse to live in a place that has your nasty wine smell all over it!"

Francis smirked, sidling slightly closer to the oblivious Spain, who was now talking animatedly with Italy about tomatoes. "And how do you plan to stop me, mon ami?"

Romano grinned. "This mafia look isn't just a costume, remember?" He pulled back his jacket slightly to reveal a small pistol tucked into the waistband of his pants.

"Huh, I don't remember that coming with the costume…" At Night's confused murmur, France's eyes widened and he backed away from Romano, whose grin was starting to look slightly more feral.

He was saved when the closet door burst open once again and America bolted out, dressed in the distinctive pads and helmet of a football player.

"Yo, sup dudes! The hero is in the house!"

Canada followed, much more subdued and wearing a hockey uniform. He sighed as he hefted the stick in his hands. "Sorry about him; he always gets rowdy on holidays where there's food involved."

As per usual, his input was largely ignored.

The door opened once more, and Germany was all but pushed into the room. He was wearing a suit of armor and looking highly uncomfortable.

"Can I please change clothes?" He pleaded with Japan, who had, along with Hungary, forced him into the costume.

"No," Japan, dressed as a samurai and wielding his katana, answered. "This costume suits you."

"Yes, you look like a knight in shining armor!" Hungary agreed as she joined them. Her look had changed drastically from when she'd entered the costume storage. With the black lipstick, heavy makeup, dog collar, and black clothing, she could have easily passed for someone you'd see at a heavy metal concert.

"Oh, this is perfect, aru!" China came running out of the closet wearing a Hello Kitty outfit and a huge grin.

"Isn't this so cute?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes," Russia, walking up behind him, answered with a smile. He hadn't put on a costume either, but Night, who had dived behind Canada once again at the sight of the creepy smile, didn't question it.

"Oh, and by the way guys, I invited a friend to the party." Night commented, popping up from behind Canada once Russia's attention was elsewhere.

"WHAT?" Germany looked horrified. "Don't you think your friend will be shocked to see us in your home?"

Night shrugged nonchalantly. "No, it's cool, she was here when I had the YuGiOh cast. And she already knows you're here, so she won't freak out."

As she spoke, a loud scream of metal on metal echoed from the living room. The cast members all jumped, but Night just grinned with excitement. "She's here!"

She raced into the living room, and the cast members trailed after her. The gates of the archway were swinging open, explaining the sound. Though they'd originally assumed it was fake, they saw that it actually opened to the outside.

Once the gate had fully opened, a girl around Night's age walked in. She had brown hair with red streaks and blue eyes, and she had on a blood red T-shirt, black jeans, and combat boots. Night ran up and hugged her.

"Guys, this is my friend Maya! She's actually one of my OCs, but in this story she doesn't live in my imagination. She's going to stay here for the rest of the story, so me and Hungary aren't the only girls anymore!"

The nations all looked confused, though one can't be sure whether it was due to how fast Night talked or her breaking of the fourth wall (*cough* again… *cough cough*)

"Uh, okay…" England answered after a few moments.

Hungary walked up to Maya, trying to make conversation. "So, that's a nice costume. What are you supposed to be?"

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Costume?"

"Oh, Maya doesn't dress up for Halloween," Night interjected. "This is how she always looks."

The cast took in her scary appearance once more. "Oh."

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" Night cried. She clapped her hands and the creepy music changed to upbeat Halloween songs. She grabbed Italy and they started dancing around the room. Hungary joined them, then France, and soon most of the nations had decided to humor the authoress and join in.

They were all coaxing Maya (who had refused to leave her seat on the couch) and a few of the more unwilling nations to join the party when a loud THUMP! was heard from upstairs.

"I thought you said you were only inviting one friend, Night-san," Japan commented softly. Night looked confused.

"But, I did."

For a moment, the cast members exchanged nervous glances. Then, America started laughing. "Come on, dude, you can't trick us that easily! We're not idiots, you know!"

England rolled his eyes. "Some of us have more mental capacity than others, America."

It was America's turn to look confused. "What?"

"I rest my case."

Night, meanwhile, was looking worried. "But I really didn't invite anyone else. Is everyone down here?"

At her bewildered (another synonym of 'confused' down!) expression, the cast members were starting to get a little anxious, especially when it was confirmed that no one was missing.

"It's okay!" Italy cried brightly. "It was probably just something falli-" THUMP!

"GAH!"

Italy broke off mid sentence and hid behind Germany, white flag in hand. Everyone else sighed.

"Maybe one of your characters is upstairs," France suggested, but Maya shook her head.

"No, all of the other OCs are back in the imagination. They're having an every-man-for-himself nerf battle." She grinned. "I'm playing winner."

THUMP!

Everyone jumped slightly and glanced worriedly at the ceiling. Night gulped.

"Well, I guess we should go find out what it is, then."

Romano grabbed a tomato from a bowl on the coffee table and sat down. "Yeah, I'm staying here. You have fun with that, though."

"What?" Night looked horrified. "I can't go by myself! You know what happens in the horror movies; whoever goes off on their own gets eaten!"

Romano raised an eyebrow, expression clearly stating 'that's kinda the point.'

Night ignored him. "Come on, you guys are all coming too!" She headed towards the door, then stopped when she realized that no one was following her. Her eyes narrowed, and she held the Magic Book up threateningly.

"It's upstairs, or the dungeon. Your choice!"

There was a split second pause, then a literal stampede as everyone rushed towards the door. Night smirked.

"Let's go."

.

The all slunk down the upstairs hallway, trying to make as little sound as possible. They'd heard the THUMP! twice more on their way up, and were now trying to pin down its location.

Night froze, holding up a hand to stop everyone else. "Shh…"

A few moments later, the THUMP! was heard once again, coming from Russia's room. Russia smiled that happy, yet creepy as heck smile.

"We should go in and check, da?"

Everyone else was staring at his door with the same exact expression. The 'I would rather swim across the Atlantic with ten ton weights tied to my arms than do whatever it is you want me to do' expression. You know the one.

Germany was the first to move. "Let's just get this over with," he sighed and opened the door.

Russia's room was almost bare, containing only a bed, desk, nightstand, and a few chairs. Then again, all of their rooms were like that; they hadn't exactly had an opportunity to pack before they came here.

Russia glanced around, eyes alighting on the slightly open door to the bathroom, through which he could see a sliver of light. "I turned off that light before I joined you all."

Another loud THUMP! suddenly resonated from the bathroom, as if backing up his statement. Everyone stood frozen, each hoping someone else would take initiative. Finally, a sigh was heard from the back of the group, and Maya stepped forward.

"Geez, grow some backbones." She yanked open the door, Night and the cast members following closely behind her.

A cursory glance of the mid-sized bathroom revealed nothing of interest. If not for the THUMP!-s, one would think they'd all imagined it.

All at once, the door to the cupboard underneath the sink swung open, slamming closed once again with the now familiar THUMP!

Night screamed, jumping into Canada's arms only to be promptly dropped, and Hungary whipped out her frying pan. Russia stepped forward, yanking open the door to reveal…

…a teenage girl, sitting casually under the sink eating a peanut butter and cheese sandwich. She had golden brown hair and blue eyes, and a pair of glasses was perched on her freckled nose. She had Star Wars book sitting in her lap, and as she read, her lion tail flicked absentmindedly at the empty air where the door had once been.

At the lack of door, she looked up. Catching sight of the cast members, she grinned. "Hi!"

There was a beat of silence. "Uh… hi?" Night responded weakly, looking terribly confused and still lying on the floor at Canada's feet. She was saved from responding further when England bent over to glare at the girl still under the sink.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? You had us scared to death; we thought you were a ghost! And who are you, anyway?"

The girl blinked. "I'm Lizzie! And I didn't mean to scare all of you. Of course, I'm glad that I did, you should have seen your faces when you opened the door!" She started laughing, pointing at them with the hand that wasn't holding the sandwich.

"Anyway, I'm really only here for one reason," she continued once she calmed down. Romano, who was also looking more than a little pissed off, raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Lizzie grinned deviously. "BECOME ONE WITH ME!" She launched herself from the cupboard and into Russia's arms. A stunned silence fell over the room. Everyone, including Russia, was shocked that someone would actually be willing to become one with the slightly creepy nation. Well, besides Belarus, but who would want to become one with Belarus?

… *sudden sounds of screaming and door-splintering* GAH! What, no- Belarus, I didn't mean it! I'm sor- wait, put down the sword! No, sto-

{Scene censored due to copious amounts of blood. Please enjoy the rest of the chapter while the narrator/authoress is hacked into tiny pieces by a homicidal Belarus. Don't worry, she'll be fine… Probably.}...

Suddenly China facepalmed. "Oh, great, another fangirl, aru!"

This woke everyone up, and Russia started grinning (simultaneously, all of the young children in Night's town started sobbing uncontrollably). "You really wish to become one with me?"

Lizzie nodded enthusiastically. "Heck, yeah!"

Suddenly, Night stepped between them. "Oh, no you don't! There will be no taking advantage of the fangirls! Now, we'll just get Lizzie home, and-"

"I don't think so!" Before anyone could react, Lizzie hooked her tail around Night's ankle, tripping her up and leaving Lizzie free. She ran to the doorway, grinning almost as insanely as Night.

"I don't wanna go, it's too much fun here! You'll never take me alive!" With that, she took off down the hall, leaving a dumbfounded cast in her wake. Night blinked in shock as she got up from the floor for the second time in the course of three and a half minutes.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Night: *is lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood* Ow...

Maya: *rolls her eyes* Don't worry, she's fine. And Belarus left her fingers intact, so she should be able to type up the next chapter on schedule.

Night: I have a schedule?

Maya: *facepalm*