Disclaimer: Here it comes.
Blake emerged in front of the mansion, unable to penetrate the shadows within thanks to Adam's interference. He was either waiting for her or trying to keep her out; either way, the Black Cat wasn't about to bend to his whims. She could feel the presence within trying to rebel, as if the Shades long past were aware that whatever was going on was far beyond what could be forgiven, but the current Shade held dominion over them. Weiss was somewhere within and this little scare had crossed far over the line, which was in keeping with his malicious intentions. It didn't matter if he was only trying to spook her worse than the others would've originally, she was not letting this slide.
The moment she crossed the threshold, forcing back the presences unfortunately bending to Adam's will, the Queen of Halloween heard the one sound that she never realized she didn't want to ever hear.
Weiss crying out in agony and terror, coupled with Adam's laugh.
"ADAM!" Any attempt at subtlety was lost as Blake charged into the mansion, the very darkness retreating before her. She broke into the main room to find the Snow Spirit laying on the ground, curled into a ball as she held a hand to the side of her face where black ooze poured from a freshly inflicted wound. Whether or not it would be enough to break the Snow Spirit and coax her into Slumber was beyond Blake's knowledge, and the very possibility terrified her. The rage that had prompted her transformation earlier evaporated and she reverted to her normal form, except smaller, somehow reflecting the very real fear that was threatening to tear her apart. "Weiss!"
A single blue eye landed on her, its twin lost beneath the slime. "MOVE!"
Before she could take a step towards the wounded Snow Spirit, a sharp edge cut into her side, marking the first time she'd ever felt agonizing pain in her existence. She stumbled away and turned, eyes wide as Adam loomed over her. It was centuries past since the Shade was this tall, this imposing, a dark shadow with red veins that made her feel like she was nothing.
"Look who's just a big scaredy cat." He laughed, fangs glinting in the low light. "All this time holding the crown and what have you done with it?"
"Blake!"
She backed up but felt her foot snag on one of the rugs, robbing her of her balance as she stumbled, unable to take her eyes off the Shade. The moment she did, he would disappear, then come at her from another angle, and the wound in her side nearly guaranteed she wouldn't be able to match him. When had he become so powerful? How had she not noticed? How long had he planned on overpowering her?
"I believed you." That was perhaps the cruelest part of this. She was so willing to put her faith in him, she hadn't questioned the things she should've, avoided thinking about them to try and preserve a hope that was never meant to exist. "I had my doubts and I still believed you."
"You've always been a fool." He sneered, melting into the shadows draping the edges of the room, his presence seeming much larger than it truly was. "Why would I ever lower myself to your level? I am the pinnacle of fear, it's purest form; you're just a sad excuse for a Black Cat, not even worthy of the title."
"He's wrong." Against her better judgment, Blake looked away to see the Snow Spirit struggling to sit up, one hand still pressing to the side of her face as the black ooze stained her clothing and her skin. Regardless, Weiss tilted her chin up defiantly, as if the wound was nothing of concern. "You're the Queen of Halloween and you've never been anything less."
"She's never been anything, period," Adam said, stalking towards the wounded woman.
"Don't you even think about it." Blake's brows furrowed, a snarl claiming her features as she got control of herself once more. Her fangs and claws were returning, the shock of seeing Weiss hurt being overridden by her anger and a nigh blind panic she'd never felt before. "Don't you touch her!"
"You think you can stand up to me?" The Shade rounded on her, his claws digging into her throat as he lifted Blake clear off the ground and slammed her against the bookcase behind her. He shouldn't have this much power, she realized, but the horror was still fresh in her mind, the terror that gripped her the moment she realized that the Snow Spirit was in trouble, and he was feeding off of it. She'd underestimated him and now she was paying the price, sharp pinpricks digging into her skin and threatening to rip her throat out. The Black Cat tried reaching up and prying him off her but, in a strange reversal of their roles, she couldn't get a solid grip on the shadows comprising his arm, every handhold evaporating into smoke without lessening the pressure against her throat. "You're nothing compared to me; you're nothing compared to her." She stopped struggling then, golden eyes flicking to the injured woman behind him. "Has it hit you yet, Darling? She wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you." His laugh was cruel and grating against her ears, her eyes widening in horror as the weight of his accusation hit her full force. "You might as well have done it yourself. At least then you could claim to have a little self respect-"
"That's enough." Weiss made it to her feet, unsteady and woozy but glaring with all her might using her one good eye at the Shade's back. "Blake, listen to me. This is your domain; he got in a cheap shot but that's it."
"Listen to her lie even as her very essence bleeds away." Adam clucked his tongue, turning to look over his shoulder at the woman. "She'll waste the last of her energy trying to ease your guilt, but it won't work. You did this, Blake."
"No, you didn't." She drew herself to her full height, pulling her hand away to reveal the source of the oozing blackness: a cut across her eye that looked awful and made the hold around Blake's throat feel tighter, her fear spiking at seeing the damage Adam had wrought. "He can't hurt me anymore now that you're here. You promised me I would come to no harm, Blake, and I've never doubted that. Now is not the time to start."
"Now would be the perfect time to start." With a flick of his wrist, a shadow with an edge as sharp as any blade lashed out towards Weiss, but she didn't even flinch as it attempted to pierce her chest. It did nothing, dissipating into harmless smoke the moment it made contact, and that bought the Black Cat a modicum of relief she sorely needed, the pressure against her receding slightly. "Ah, so the great Snow Spirit has got herself together." Adam's next laugh was borderline manic, the red of his eyes glinting maliciously. "Breaking you down again will be my pleasure."
"Hardly," Weiss replied, her gaze never shifting away from Blake. "He's nowhere near as strong as he claims and you know that, as do I. He's taking advantage of your fear for my safety, but he can't hurt me anymore, I assure you." Her expression softened slightly, raising the hand not covered in black mess to touch the pristine white cat around her neck. "Trust in me like I do in you."
The Black Cat closed her eyes for a moment, the memory of the two curled up in Weiss' room returning to her. Confessing that she could feel fear, recognizing the difference between the Snow Spirit being wary or cautious or afraid and truly scared, and standing together in the Christmas Town dawn after, when she jokingly asked to be reminded not to doubt the woman again.
Weiss was right; now was no time to start.
When she opened her eyes, she reached up, grabbing Adam's wrist like she'd been unable to do previously. The shadows receded from around her, the pressure nearly gone entirely while the Shade crumpled with a cry of agony as she jerked him around with ease, her features once more morphing into that of her most terrifying form. There was no reason to hold back- Weiss would never look upon her with fear so long as she held the woman's trust- and she suddenly became aware that she could only do what she needed to when she truly looked the part of the Queen of Halloween.
"I charged everyone with a single duty, Adam." Her voice was barely understandable beyond the rolling roar building up in her chest, other voices she recognized without ever hearing them adding to hers the longer she spoke. "Any transgression against Weiss would be considered against me as well. We are one in a way you and I were never meant to be." She released his arm to grab him by the throat, lifting him up high off the ground. The shadows refused to follow him, leaving the Shade to kick uselessly in the air as he tried to pry her massive paw away. A firm squeeze, she was sure, would be all it would take to separate his head from his shoulders, but that wouldn't do more than weaken him. Adam was intangible where she was solid; no mere wound would be enough to banish him. She understood this now, with an insight that seemed to unlock itself deep within her mind, always there but outside her reach until the right moment. "What you've done cannot be forgiven. I warned you that crossing the line again would be your end, and I gave you more leniency than I should have, but I will never abide such clear disrespect towards my guest, my companion, my love." She pulled him close, golden eyes boring into beady red as the Shade seemed to shrink even while firmly in her grasp. "I hope your successor won't be so foolish."
"No, no Blake- don't!" Adam twisted and thrashed, tried to claw at her face and her hand- he did everything he could, to no avail. "Don't!"
"I am the Queen of Halloween! I don't take orders from the likes of you!" Blake lifted him up, ears laying back flat against her skull as she bared her teeth at him, anger making her voice louder and causing the very walls to shake. "I banish you, Adam, to an existence as pitiful as you are, where not even your predecessors will be waiting to greet you." There were cracks and splinters from the mansion as it started to cave in on itself, the groaning of wood no longer able to bear its own weight adding to the noise as she finished the incantation. "Be gone from this plane!"
The floorboards suddenly fell away beneath him, a red, glowing, pulsing energy appearing and leaping up, tendrils of something Blake didn't bother to name snaking up to latch onto the soon-to-be former Shade's legs. He screamed as they touched him, trying valiantly to kick them away, but no move he made dislodged whatever was crawling up to wrap around his hips and torso. When the Black Cat finally let him go, he was pulled down, into the glowing red that winked out a moment later, no hint of what it was or where it had gone remaining. That seemed to be the last straw as the mansion began to come down around them, pulled apart by the previous Shades as they tore away everything Adam had represented during his time bearing the title.
Without hesitation, Blake took two long strides to reach the Snow Spirit, who stumbled into her over sized arms and allowed herself to be picked up. Though there were no true shadows to speak of- nothing aside from the past Shades' presence remaining as the building tore itself apart- the Black Cat didn't need them in that moment, transporting the two outside in the blink of an eye. She didn't go far, just fifty yards down the path leading to the mansion, but the moment they were out, the entire structure collapsed to the ground, barely audible shrieks and wails of rage, sadness, and relief rising up from the broken wood as Adam's predecessors lamented how far he'd fallen. It would take time for the next Shade to assume the title, months for the mansion to reconstitute itself and give rise to Adam's successor, but the position would be filled by the next Halloween. This time, Blake would be able to teach the Shade instead of the other way around, and perhaps this time she could keep him from straying. If not, she at least wouldn't hesitate to do her duty this time around.
A flick of her ears at the sound of shuffling feet nearly had the Queen of Halloween baring her teeth, but a quick glance confirmed she hadn't somehow failed to banish Adam. Apparently, news had traveled quickly through Halloween Town that the Shade had done something terrible, prompting every denizen to pour out from their homes and assemble on the path leading to the Shade's mansion. They'd come to a stop, sensing how dangerous it would be to approach at that moment, but their worry and concern was palpable. Deeming them no threat, she ignored them for the moment, but that didn't stop some from pushing to the forefront of the crowd and calling out to her.
"Blake? Blakey?" Yang frowned, brows knitting together in worry as her lilac eyes scanned over the Queen of Halloween. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Just say the word and we'll do it." Ruby offered, standing beside the Twisted Clown, scythe tucked away for the moment. A chorus of agreements came from those assembled, the skeletons from the catacombs clacking alongside the Grimms' growl and the bats' screeching as the nonverbal inhabitants of the plane joined in the effort.
She hadn't even noticed the colony circling overhead, or Cecil flapping lower than the rest worriedly, and it would likely only be a matter of time before the spiders caught wind of the news as well.
But none of them could help, she thought dejectedly. Whatever Adam had wrought, it went far beyond her knowledge, and it wasn't something that could be scared away. Even with the Shade banished, it remained, a dark reminder of the pain her paramour had suffered because of her negligence.
"Weiss?" The Black Cat knelt down, still cradling the woman in her arms. Despite retaining her terrifying form, her voice was just as gentle as ever, golden eyes meeting a single blue orb as worry began to rise up within her once more. "Weiss, I'm so sorry. This should never have happened; if I'd only-"
"Hush, you." With a weak smile the Snow Spirit reached up, lightly cupping one fur covered cheek as if she wasn't transformed, a sigh passing through lips that were becoming paler by the second. "What's done is done. It was his decision to take advantage of your mercy and he's paid the price for that. You needn't dwell on this."
She squeezed her eyes shut against a sudden, foreign pressure that she couldn't hold back. It wasn't until she felt Weiss' unoccupied hand come up to cup the other cheek that Blake realized what she was doing; she was crying. Her, the Queen of Halloween, brought to such a mortal emotion by the combination of fear and relief suffusing her being. The ghost of the terror she'd felt throughout her mad dash through town still haunted her, but the reality of holding the Snow Spirit in her arms seemed to offset it just enough for her to need more contact, burying her feline features in the woman's chest and holding tighter, fearing what would happen if she let go.
Would it all be an illusion? Had Adam grown that powerful that she couldn't tell what was real and what was not?
"Come, Blake, I'm fine." A kiss was pressed against her temple lightly, nevermind the fur, and the Black Cat felt her terrifying form slip away like the tears leaking from her eyes, gradually returning her to her normal state. Still, she held Weiss through it, accepting the comforting touches of her paramour as the woman tried to assure her she was okay. Blinking through the tears, Blake pulled back enough to look into the Snow Spirit's face, the left side still caked by dried ooze as her features turned paler than usual. "See? I'm perfectly alright."
"You're hurt, Weiss." Although she was loathe to relinquish any contact between them, she lifted a hand to lightly cup the woman's jaw on her uninjured side. Weiss turned her head to press her lips against the palm, still wiping away the tears trailing down the Queen's cheeks. "I promised I'd keep you safe, that you wouldn't come to any harm, and I failed."
"You're immortal, not omnipotent."
A cold wind swirled around them, a murmur of surprise from the others hardly registering as Blake's world narrowed to just the woman in her arms. Her entire countenance was turning lighter- the warmer look to her skin and wardrobe was gone, making the black mess seem all the more vivid against her cheek.
"I need to get you back to Christmas Town," she said, fear creeping back as she worried over the change. "You'll heal there, right?"
"There's no need." Blake snapped her head up and bared her fangs, which returned as the interloper spoke. However, after taking a moment to actually look at the man, she recognized Old King Cold as he approached on another gust of wind, lightly landing a few feet away.
Winter was a step behind him, worry furrowing her brows as the temperature continued to drop. Something about seeing her sister, however, brought the woman some calm, relief showing plain on her features. "You're okay."
"She's fine." The King of Christmas confirmed, nodding his head even as he raised his arms. Suddenly, it was as cold as the other plane, wind blowing harshly through the trees as heavy clouds appeared from nowhere.
Typically, such a blatant invasion of Halloween Town would prompt a response from the Black Cat, but she couldn't find it within herself to begrudge the change as she felt Weiss become lighter in her arms. The woman looked exactly as she did standing among the snow of her home, blue eye shining brightly despite its twin remaining obscured, though tiny little lines of frost were appearing on the solid black mess.
"Blake." The Snow Spirit's voice was soft, fingers lightly brushing away the last of her tears as she tried to compose herself and tuck her fangs away. "Didn't you learn not to doubt me through all this?" The woman touched a finger to the hardened ooze, lips pulling into a frown. "This... is an inconvenience, yes, but nothing that threatens my existence. I promise, I'm fine."
Still, the guilt weighed heavily upon the Black Cat's heart, and she forced herself to reach up and touch the mess marring her paramour's face. The moment her thumb brushed against it, though, the frozen ooze cracked and fell away, revealing unblemished skin beneath. Hope stopped her tears as she continued brushing away the black mess, a tentative smile coming to her lips as she cleared the last of it off. Unfortunately, her expression fell as no amount of touching could persuade the long, black scar into sliding away like the rest of the slime had. It quite nearly bisected Weiss' left eye perfectly but didn't seem to inhibit her sight.
"Ah, that's much better." Weiss smiled up at her then, blue eyes sparkling like always as flurries drifted down from the heavy clouds overhead. "Thank you, Blake."
"How can you thank me?" Her voice was soft, ears and shoulders sagging as she watched the woman in her arms. "Adam was my responsibility, and I failed to take care of him. You got hurt because of me."
"It's simple, really." A hand on her chin drew her closer as the Snow Spirit rose up to meet her. "When I needed you most, you appeared. When fear tried to silence me, you listened still. And when you were forced to do the very thing you've avoided for centuries, you did it without hesitation, but only to protect me." She chuckled, eyes sliding shut as she closed the distance. "I believe any mortal would call this love."
When lips pressed against her own, the Black Cat allowed her inner turmoil to be silenced, eyes falling shut as she accepted the cool comfort of her paramour's embrace. Wind and snow swirled around them, along with some strange light that played across her eyelids, which she ignored in favor of the revelation striking towards the forefront of her mind.
This was the answer to the Snow Spirit's question.
This was why the mortals needed her.
This was exactly her purpose for existing in the first place.
"Blake?" Weiss worriedly pulled away the moment the Black Cat went still, brushing a cool thumb against her cheek. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... great," she said, surprised at her own words but not finding them untrue in the slightest as her lips pulled into a wide smile. "Weiss, this- this is it. This is why I exist."
"I... don't follow."
"Ever since we met, you've been asking me why it's so important for mortals to feel fear, and I finally remember. I am everything mortals fear given physical form but I had to actually feel it myself to truly understand that it's not the fear we inspire that's important." Golden met blue as she stood, still cradling the woman in her arms. "It's what comes next." Blake turned, sweeping her gaze over the denizens of Halloween Town. Some were watching her curiously- the younger ones, still testing the boundaries of their powers, still coming into their own- while others were smiling- the older ones, who remembered her predecessor, who existed for centuries before the previous Black Cat even thought about entering her slumber. "Mortals fear what they can't understand, what they can't see, what they can't change, and what they can't stop, and often these things happen regardless of that fear. What we teach the mortals is that it's okay to be scared sometimes. Fear can be overcome; it can be faced and championed. It might not be done easily or without its lingering effects and it might come back, and be stronger, but all it takes to overcome is courage." Her gaze fell to the Snow Spirit, whom she gently set on her feet that they could face each other properly. "And courage isn't born from never feeling fear. It comes from recognizing fear and realizing there's something more important; knowing it can be pushed aside for someone else's benefit. For their safety." She leaned forward until her forehead rested against Weiss', following the woman's arms until she could clasp both hands in hers. "It's our job to teach the mortals what I just learned for myself. That protecting those you care about most- the one you love- is more important than any fear. Thank you, Weiss, for reminding me of that."
"Well, I'm glad it didn't take anything drastic," the woman said, just enough of a smile on her lips for Blake to know she was being teased. Her ears still flattened at the reminder, but she perked up at the Snow Spirit's laugh. "I trust this isn't a lesson you'll soon forget."
"Never." Looking at the scar marring her features was still painful but it would serve as a constant reminder to attend to her duties as the Queen of Halloween. She would never let such a thing happen again. "I'm sorry it took this long."
"You can stop apologizing now." Weiss released her hands only so she could wrap her arms around the Black Cat's waist, a gesture which was quickly returned. "But if you truly feel it necessary, I suppose you'll find a way to make it up to me, won't you?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay, so, now that you two are back to being weird as usual, can we take a moment to talk about something real quick?" Blake nearly groaned as her friend's voice cut in, though the slight thread of panic beneath the Clown's usual cheer made her turn to regard the woman without escaping Weiss' embrace. "Like, what even is this stuff that's falling from the sky because that's not normal and it's kinda freaking me out a little over here so could someone please explain, yeah, that would be great."
"That is snow, Yang," the Black Cat said with a smirk, reluctantly letting go so her paramour could properly manipulate the powder falling all around them, allowing the flakes to swirl in the palm of her hand for the rest of Halloween Town to see. Many were curious or surprised while only a few remained wary of the stuff, most notably Cinder who was faintly smoking and hissing with each snowflake that fell upon her.
"And it's running in short supply." King Cold spoke gravely, though he shook his head the moment attention was focused on him. "But that's another matter and it can wait a few moments more." He looked up then, watching the snow fall from the clouds before redirecting his gaze towards the woman responsible for it. "Weiss... I owe you an apology as well."
Looking towards her father, the Snow Spirit frowned slightly, keeping her voice even if just barely. "I was a bit curious as to how you appeared so quickly... and so suddenly."
"There are easier ways to traverse the planes than those portals and I've discovered a few of them during my time, yes." He sighed, his gaze lowering. "It's not something I could teach to you, though; only my presence allows it. However, there were other ways I could have opened, had I taken the time to do so- ways that wouldn't have left you so vulnerable here, where snow doesn't normally fall." He shook his head slowly. "For too long have I ignored your claims that the Holiday Season is just as much about family and joy as it is about turning the mortal plane to a barren waste so all can begin anew. Both of these sides to our purpose are of equal importance and it wasn't until the snow turned black that I realized how gravely I was mistaken."
"The snow- it couldn't be saved?" Weiss' displeasure with the King of Christmas slid to worry as he shook his head again.
"Whatever was used against you turned it to sludge." He narrowed his eyes briefly. "The elves have cleared most of it away, but I'm afraid your work for the past week is gone."
The woman's shoulders slumped, eyes widening as fear once again permeated the air. "But... the peak of the season is only a day away. I'm not sure if I can-"
"I know," he said, confirming her fears in those two words alone. "It would take all of us working together to boost your powers enough, and we'd have to work through the peak to spread it across the plane. That would mean trading the joy of presents on Christmas morning for the joy of snow, and both of which are needed this year."
"This isn't your fault, Weiss." Winter quickly supplied, shooting their father a not-so-subtle look. "Any other year, we could work together, but without Nicholas-"
Blake's ears perked up, recognizing the name from one of the stories Weiss had read her. "Wait, you mean Sandy Claws?"
"Santa Clause." The Snow Spirit gently corrected.
"Right- the one who brings presents to children."
"Yes; he's usually quite reliable but, for whatever reason, he's run off on a fool's errand this year." King cold sighed again, running a hand through his white hair. "It's not too dissimilar from Weiss visiting you in Halloween Town, so I allowed it. I didn't think I would regret it, though."
"Perhaps I can help." She offered, gesturing towards the snow falling around them. "I don't think I can help with the snow part, but perhaps I can deliver the presents for you."
The Old King jerked slightly, obviously taken aback by her offer. "You?"
Blake raised a brow. "Who would be better suited to sneaking into the homes of mortals and leaving them surprises?"
"She... does present a valid point." The North Wind nodded slowly, becoming more enthusiastic as her blue eyes lit up. "And there's still time."
"Then we can't waste another moment." He nodded towards Blake and Weiss. "Both of you, come. If we hurry back to Christmas Town, we might be able to create a storm strong enough to bring the necessary snow and show you what you need to do to deliver the presents."
The Black Cat nodded, stepping forward in tandem with her paramour as the wind began to swirl around them, the cold intensifying as the King of Christmas prepared to transport them.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Blake paused, turning her head to catch sight of Gambol Shroud emerging from the ground in front of the rubble that was once the Shade's mansion. It looked more vibrant than usual and there was a somber note to its voice that was new. "You aren't the only one who possesses the skills to assist."
While that was true, Blake had volunteered her assistance out of a desire to support the Snow Spirit as much as she possibly could and perhaps lingering guilt over her role in the debacle. She didn't expect any of her fellow monsters to be equally invested in helping out with Christmas Town's plight, seeing as none of them had even seen the plane before, but a quick glance at the rest of Halloween Town confirmed that they wanted very badly to offer their assistance, but remained silent out of respect. If she had to guess, they were probably wary about interfering with anything that involved the Snow Spirit, lest they invite their Queen's wrath as Adam had.
"Would anyone else be willing to help out?" Her ears flicked back as the entire town roared back their affirmations, louder than their usual exuberance when returning from the mortal realm. She started to turn towards Weiss- to confirm their help would be welcomed- but stopped, to ensure she was being clear. "There will be no scaring of anyone- mortal or not- if you come along, is that clear?" Another chorus met her declaration and she smiled, looking towards the Snow Spirit. "We'll need all the help we can get, right?"
Weiss looked at her father, who seemed a tad bit reluctant before acquiescing. "Very well, but I can't bring the lot of them with us." He nodded towards the dark forest. "Have them use the portal; that should buy us time to prepare."
"Gambol?"
"As you wish." The spectral projection began sauntering towards the forest, a quick word from Blake all that was needed before the denizens of Halloween Town began following, promising to hurry and help their Queen as much as possible.
While they began their trek, helped along by the more mobile members of town, the Black Cat stepped up beside Weiss, their hands clasping together as Old King Cold began taking them to Christmas Town. It was strange, at first, but she felt no fear as a flurry of snowflakes surrounded her, feeling so very much like her love's arms that it was difficult to feel anything but warm.
The Vampire hesitated as everyone else surged around him, following the path leading out to the dark forest eagerly. They didn't understand what they were about to experience but he did... and that presented a bit of a problem all its own. By all accounts, he should stay right where he was, but there was enough guilt lingering within to propel him forwards, bringing up the rear of the group with Neo trailing just behind him. A glance over his shoulder confirmed the woman was just as apprehensive about the whole mess, lightly worrying her lip with her teeth, but marching on resolutely regardless. While they both might've vowed to never return to that terrifying place, the duo also felt a keen sense of responsibility not only for the Snow Spirit's pain but the situation overall.
They weren't the only ones who should, though, and the moment he was within earshot of the Flame, he decided to remind her of that.
"Are you pleased that your little trick went over so well?" There was a hard, accusatory edge to his voice, eyes narrowed slightly at the little smile playing over her lips. "If you'd told us all the plan at the start, none of this would've happened."
"Oh, I'm well aware." Her smirk grew a little wider, burning eyes flicking back towards the shattered remnants of the Shade's mansion. "But that would've defeated the purpose, now wouldn't it?"
The Vampire jerked in surprise, his steps stuttering beside her smooth stroll. "What?"
"To be honest, I didn't expect Adam to take things this far. Injuring the Snow Spirit certainly wasn't my intention, but unfortunately not all things can be controlled." Her lips curled down momentarily before the expression passed. "I did think he would try to displace Blake as our ruler though and, with the Snow Spirit involved, things were bound to escalate from there."
"This was part of your plan?" He very nearly reached out to choke the woman, gritting his fangs and growling. "You do realize that we quite nearly lost the Queen of Halloween to that brat's trick, don't you?"
"I trusted in Blake's ability, as you should've." Cinder brushed off his concern with a cluck of her tongue, laughing lightly. "Really, what did you expect to happen?" She looked at him then, the sincerity in her voice sending a shiver down his spine. "I was quite open with my intentions from the very beginning. I aimed to scare the Black Cat, to upset the balance of Halloween Town, and to ensure none of us would be on the receiving end of the Black Cat's wrath. All these things, I accomplished." She paused, shrugging slightly. "I never included Adam in that last one, of course."
"Your concept of the ends justifying the means will be the end of you someday, Cinder," he said, tapping her arm with his cane. "Mark my words. If Blake ever catches wind that you gambled with the Snow Spirit's existence like that, she'll be furious."
The Flame turned towards him, that same wicked smile on her lips. "Then I suppose we shouldn't tell her. After all, she might not take kindly to how willingly everyone went along with such a plan despite the propensity for something to go wrong. I'd loathe for you to suffer any ill repercussions for my miscalculation, especially after you objected so often throughout the whole ordeal." Roman came to a stop, barely containing his indignation at the subtle threat. That didn't stop the woman from throwing her head back and laughing, though. "I'm the Flame, old friend. Honestly, what did you expect? That you wouldn't get burned?"
The Vampire glared at her retreating form even as the throng pressed through the town, the bats overhead acting as trail markers for the slower monsters while the quicker ones raced ahead with Gambol's help. For the thousandth time since the whole ordeal began, Roman considered washing his hands of the whole thing- simply reveal to Blake every little detail since the Snow Spirit's initial arrival and let the Black Cat do her worst- but the tugging at his sleeve distracted him from mustering the courage to actually go through with it. To his mild surprise, he found Neo smiling beside him, mischief gleaming in her eyes.
It hit him quite suddenly what she was trying to convey, forcing a smile to his lips.
Cinder was the Flame, that much was true, and what was also true was the fact that she was about to voluntarily drop herself into waist deep snow.
Watching her panic would be a half decent way to mollify his indignation over the whole ordeal. Maybe someday far from then- after a century or two, at least- the Vampire would go through with divulging the information.
Until then, his first priority would be assisting the Snow Spirit in getting payback against Cinder, using her own twisted logic to do so.
Turnabout, after all, was fair play in Halloween Town.
Author's Note: To the surprise of absolutely no one, that turned out rather well. Happy Holidays, everyone.