CinderAmity's mind raced with thoughts of the Princess's Halloween Ball since the day the invitations went out. She desperately wanted to go and hoped Belos would allow her to, but she hardly ever got the chance to ask him. With Boscha and Bria staying with them for the time being, CinderAmity was kept on her toes for most of the week. Two days before the ball, she finally decided to talk to Belos. She nervously knocked on the door to the study.

"Come in." His uninterested voice said from behind the door. She cautiously went in and he glanced in her direction as she walked over to him. "What is it?"

"Uh… um… I, um… I…" She tried to say what was on her mind, but for some reason, she couldn't form the words.

This annoyed Belos. "Are you trying to say something or are you just clearing your throat?"

"I'm trying to say something. I'm sorry." She quickly said before taking a deep breath and calming down. "Belos, sire… I wanted to talk to you… about the Halloween Ball."

He raised an eyebrow and set down the book he was reading. "…What about it?"

"Well, uh… it's two days away and you know as well as I do that practically everyone on the Boiling Isles is invited. And I just thought…"

"You still wish to go to this ball." He guessed.

"Well… yes. Bria and Boscha have been talking about it nonstop and they're really excited about it. And I am too, frankly. So I just wanted to officially ask… could I go to the Ball too? Please, it'll just be for that one night. I'll do anything. Please?" She inched closer to him with her hands clasped together, hoping he would say yes.

Belos paused and tapped his chin with his finger while furrowing his brow in thought. He remained silent for a few seconds before noticing the desperate look in her eyes. That gave him an idea.

"…You know what? You're right. I suppose it is just for one night." He said, taking her hand in his own. "And I see no reason why you can't go. I'll tell you what, my dear. If you can finish all of your chores and help Boscha, Bria, and myself get ready, provided you can find something suitable to wear, you can go."

CinderAmity instantly lit up. "Really? You mean it?!"

He nodded. "What do you say?"

"Of course! I'll get started on my chores right away! And I'm sure I can find something to wear!" She exclaimed happily, giving him a big hug. "Thank you so much, Belos! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" And with that, she excitedly ran out the door, leaving Belos alone once again.

Boscha and Bria suddenly stumbled through the door frame; they had been standing outside the door and listening to everything. They stared at Belos in shock.

"Lord Belos, have you lost it?!" Boscha exclaimed.

"Do you even realize what you just said?!" Bria added.

"…Why of course I do." He said with an evil smirk; he carefully brushed any soot and dust off his cape. "I said if."

The two young witches looked at each other in surprise, catching on to what Belos really had in mind. They giggled amongst themselves as Belos chuckled to himself. Unbeknownst to them, Ghost was hiding outside the door and heard everything they said and she was fuming. Even though she was just a palisman, she decided to take matters into her own paws and help give her mistress the chance to go to the ball. The day of the Halloween Ball finally came and CinderAmity's happiness faded when she realized the amount of chores she still needed to complete. Every moment she got closer to finishing, Bria and Boscha demanded her attention in helping them prepare for the ball. Even Belos had a few demands that had to be met. The closer the time came, the less cheerful CinderAmity became. During that time, Ghost had been searching high and low for something for CinderAmity to wear and eventually, her efforts had proved to be very fruitful.

By early evening, CinderAmity had lost all hope of going to the ball. Even though her chores had been completed and everyone else was all ready to go, she knew that she didn't have time to modify anything from her wardrobe. She noticed a carriage parked outside the house; it was meant to take Belos, Boscha, and Bria to the Human Realm. She solemnly knocked on the door of Belos' room. He opened the door and poked his head out; he had his long hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Yes?" He asked.

"The carriage is here." CinderAmity replied before she started to walk away.

"Oh. But CinderAmity, you're not ready."

"…I'm not going." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Not going?" He asked in faux surprise. "Oh, what a shame. But I'm sure there will be other times."

"Yes. Goodnight." She held back her tears as best as she could as she made her way down the hall and towards the basement where she slept. Belos watched her with a triumphant smirk.

When she made it to the basement, CinderAmity practically collapsed onto the thin mattress on the floor that was meant to be her bed. She buried her face into the pillow when she felt something gently tap her head. She looked to see Ghost with an excited look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ghost." CinderAmity sighed as she sat up; she pulled her knees into her chest. "I'm not in the mood to play right now."

The feline palisman shook her head and walked to another corner of the room. When she came back, she was using all of her strength to drag something along the floor. She stopped in front of CinderAmity and she saw that it was a middle-sized chest. The young witch stared at the chest, then at her palisman.

"W-what is this?" She asked, opening the chest. She gasped when she saw that it was full of clothes. Most of them were for men, but there were also a few pieces for girls. "…Where did you find this?"

Ghost perched on her mistress's shoulder and meowed something into her ear; she said she found it in a closet upstairs. It hadn't been touched in a long time and she believed Belos thought it was junk. CinderAmity looked through the clothes in the chest and got an idea. She smiled and held her palisman close.

"Ghost… you are a genius."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Lord Belos, Boscha, and Bria were finally ready. Belos wore a black button-up shirt, a golden yellow cravat, a dark gray jacket with golden buttons and accents, matching gray pants, a white leather belt with a gold buckle, and a pair of brand new dress shoes that seemed to be made from black snake skin. Boscha wore what appeared to be a red, orange, and black Asian styled outfit with long sleeves and poofy knee-length pants while Bria wore an outfit that resembled pirate garb with a brown vest, black gloves, and a bandana wrapped around her head. The trio made their way downstairs towards the front door.

"Oooh, it's finally happening!" Boscha exclaimed as she grabbed her crab palisman.

"I know, I can't wait!" Bria added, picking up her rhinoceros palisman.

"Girls, please." Belos said as he draped a white and gold cape over his shoulders. He picked up three personalized masks from a nearby drawer and handed one to each girl; he kept the third. "This is meant to be a formal occasion. I understand your excitement, but you must remember to—"

"Hey, wait! Wait for me!" CinderAmity's voice called out.

They all turned their heads to see CinderAmity running towards them with a big grin on her face. She was now wearing a medium-length magenta dress with long sleeves, lacey accents, a white vest, matching white gloves, pale pink leggings, and a pair of orchid colored shoes. She had used the clothes in the chest to create something new. Ghost was watching from behind the staircase. Boscha, Bria, and Belos stared unblinking at CinderAmity's outfit before Boscha broke the silence with an appreciative whistle.

"Whoa." Bria commented with wide eyes.

CinderAmity blushed and shyly smiled. "So… what do you think?"

"Where did you…?" Belos started.

"It didn't cost you anything, sire." CinderAmity said, stepping forward. "This is just something I… put together last minute."

He furrowed his brow and scoffed. "I can see that." He walked closer to his stepdaughter, which made her quite nervous. "…I'm sorry to have to tell you this, my dear… but this is a rather questionable choice, even for you." He stopped a few inches from her and looked her in the eye. "I mean, this thing is so mixed up and old fashioned… it's practically falling to pieces."

"W-what do you mea—?" CinderAmity started before Belos suddenly ripped the left sleeve of her dress. She gasped in shock.

"Oh dear, the shoulder's fraying." He said before violently tearing the vest open, causing the buttons to fall. "What did I tell you? It's falling to bits."

"What?! No! No, Belos! Stop, don't!" CinderAmity cried as Belos proceeded to rip more and more parts of her outfit.

Boscha and Bria eventually joined in, but all they did was spill things on her like a flower vase of old water and even some abomination goo and pretended it was an accident. When they were through, CinderAmity looked at her ruined outfit in shock. She glanced back up at Belos with tears welling up in her eyes.

"…How could you?" She asked.

He sneered at her as his eyes flashed blue. "…How could I otherwise? I refuse to associate myself with a ragged little thing like you, especially not on a night like this. Did you believe I would actually let you go to this party?"

"But you promised me…"

"Don't be so naïve. We may have had a deal, but look at you now. You're a mess… Now mark my words. You are not going, and that is final."

"But—"

He cut her off. "Not another word."

He turned and opened the door and Boscha and Bria ran out to the carriage with their masks and palismen in tow. He was about to follow them, but he stopped and looked back at her. He gave her a cruel smile.

"Don't wait up." And with that, he exited the house and closed the door, leaving a broken-hearted CinderAmity behind.