Little Witch Xenia

      This shadow Wocky was a bit of a rebel even where SHE lived, which was the Haunted Woods - I mean, she dyes her collar purple! Can you get more rebel than that? Well... probably... yeah.

      Halloween was coming up and she had some delicious plans brewing in her brain; naturally they involved pumpkin bombs and Spyders~

      “Xenia! Where are you going!?” the Wocky’s mother called after her. She was a pretty, purple Shoyru, dressed in black witch’s robes. She stood over a pot, stirring something green and bubbly. “What about your breakfast?”

      “I’m not hungry, Mom!” Xenia yelled back, exiting the house.

      Outside was a perfect Halloween morning: chilly and a bit gloomy.

      “Xenia, hey!” A girl Kacheek waved, running up to her.

      “Morning, Spice,” Xenia greeted her friend. “Is Cocoa coming?”

      “She’ll be here,” Spice said. “So, hey, hey, what’s this idea you have planned for tonight? Huh? Huh?” Both Spice and Cocoa were witches, yet neither of them were as magically talented as Xenia.

      “Nope. We have to wait until Cocoa gets here,” Xenia said.

      “Aww~” Spice plopped down on the side of the street.

      Xenia put her paws on her hips. “Don’t be like that. Come on, let’s see if we can meet Cocoa halfway.” She helped her friend up.

      ***

      The town of Hollow Pines was a surprisingly pleasant village, snug between Neovia and the Haunted Fairgrounds. Its streets were lined with Gothic houses and gnarled trees; apple lanterns were lit when night fell.

      “There she is!” Spice cried. She ran up to meet a brown Uni.

      “I wasn’t THAT late, was I?” Cocoa asked. “I had to make sure I was presentable.”

      Xenia shook her head. “You Unis, always preening yourselves.”

      Cocoa grinned and flipped a strand of her shiny mane. “Too true. So! What’s this FANTASTIC plan you have for tonight, Xenia?”

      “Yeah? Yeah?” Spice hopped up and down.

      “Well--” Xenia smiled mischievously. “I created these special pumpkin bombs, that when they explode an image pops out - like Count Von Roo, Sloth, and evilly cute Meepits! I also have a few that spill out fake Spyders - they crawl around thanks to MY magic. Eek! This Halloween will be so fun! I am going to scare so many Neopets - you two will come along, right?”

      “Hmm... can’t,” Cocoa said. “I’m attending a costume party, at Jack’s place.”

      “Jack’s place? But he’s such a mean warlock!” Spice said.

      “His sister isn’t, and she invited me,” Cocoa said. “I’m going as the lovely Princess Amira.” She looked from Spice’s orange witch robes to Xenia’s tattered blue witch robes. “You two ARE going to wear something nice as well, right?”

      “Um... I thought about being Bree, the Fire-Key Quest faerie,” Spice said.

      “Turned to stone or normal?” Xenia joked. “I could get you a Relic Paint Brush.”

      “Er, no; normal, of course.”

      “Hee, hee. You’ll be a wonderful Bree, Spice,” Xenia said. “ME? I’m just gonna be myself - a witch.”

      “You ARE going to wear a new outfit, right?” Cocoa asked.

      Xenia shook her head. “What for?” The young Wocky liked her blue witch’s robe and pointy hat, they had been a gift from her departed grandmother. Xenia wore them so much that they had patches everywhere, and frayed edges that magic could no longer mend.

      “Oh, Xenia, you are hopeless,” Cocoa said. “You’re supposed to dress up for Halloween, not dress DOWN. Oh, well...”

      Xenia only shrugged. She was never bothered by Cocoa’s vain remarks; her friend was a Uni, after all. “So, Spice, will you be accompanying me this Hollow’s Eve?”

      “I’ll try, but my parents might make me go trick or treating with my little brother. They’re hosting a BIG party tonight; a bunch of important witches and warlocks will be attending.”

      “Ooh, like Edna and Sophie?” Xenia asked. “I may just have to drop by.”

      Spice laughed. “Just as long as you don’t DROP a pumpkin bomb!”

      “Aww~ why do you hafta ruin my fun?” Xenia said.

      ***

      Halloween Night descended, the apple lanterns were lit and children stepped out in glittery and gruesome costumes to parade the streets; asking for tricks or treats.

      Xenia was happy to give them tricks. She hopped onto her broom and flew up.

      “It’s too bad Spice couldn’t come along, but that’s not going to hinder me. Unsuspecting Neopia Central, here I come!”

      Hollow Pines wasn’t exactly the best place to scare folks; they lived in the Haunted Woods, they were used to all kinds of ghosts and villains.

      “Ah, my first victims,” Xenia chuckled to herself. She tossed a pumpkin bomb down at a Poogle and her child trick-or-treating.

      The bomb exploded in midair, before the Neopets’ faces, and Count Von Roo appeared.

      “Aah! I-it’s Von Roo!” the mother screamed.

      “Kya!!” the child - dressed as Ylana - cowered.

      Count Von Roo leaned in on them.

      “Eek!!”

      Then the apparition vanished, leaving the cackling of laughter.

      Xenia moved on to a group of kids - all dressed in Ghostkerchief costumes. The little witch snickered. “How original,” she scoffed. The pumpkin bomb she dropped exploded into an illusion of The Drenched. The kids scrambled away, leaving their pails of candy. Xenia snatched a few up. “Heh, heh, who’s next?”

      “Mew, mew...!”

      “Huh? What was that?” Xenia cocked an ear.

      “...mew, mew...”

      “Over there!” The witch dove and landed by a bramble patch. “It sounds so urgent...” She picked her way through the prickly bushes. “Gasp! It’s... a white Meowclops! The poor thing.” She pulled a cloth off that was tied over the petpet’s single eye. “Someone covered up her magic eye... she must have stumbled in here, not being able to see.”

      The Meowclops was badly scratched and needed healing quick.

      “Don’t worry, Meowclops, I’ll get you some help. But who and where could I go...?”

      “Ah-ha!” Xenia had a brilliant idea - or so she hoped. On her broom she headed back to the Haunted Woods.

      ***

      KNOCK, KNOCK.

      “Who’s there!?” a cranky woman asked Xenia.

      The Wocky stood before a swamp hut, known to be the home to the witch, Sophie.

      “Er... I-I need your help.”

      “What for!? I’m busy!”

      “B-but...”

      “Mew~” the Meowclops protested.

      A second later Xenia heard a chair clattering to the floor and Sophie was answering the door. “By Ilere! What have you done to that Meowclops!?”

      “I-I didn’t do anything,” Xenia said. “I found her like this.”

      “Horrible! Bring her in!”

      “Y-yes. And, uh, thank you. I was really afraid you wouldn’t be home tonight.”

      “I’m ALWAYS here, on Hallow’s Eve,” Sophie said, “getting bugged by annoying Neopets - like you.”

      “S-sorry.”

      “Stop stuttering.”

      Xenia remained quiet as Sophie worked her magic, healing the petpet with a strange concoction.

      “Um, is she YOUR Meowclops?” Xenia asked. “I heard you like them.”

      Sophie examined the Meowclops. “Nope. She’s yours if you want her - and if you DON’T, then she WILL be mine.”

      Xenia’s face lit up. “Really? I DO want her, thank you! I promise I’ll take real good care of her. Come on, Skullberry, let’s go home.”

      “Mew!”

      “Skullberry?” Sophie shook her head. “I suppose it’s not a bad name...”

      ***

      Skullberry sat snug in a treat pail Xenia placed on the end of her broom. “Ah! I forgot about my wonderful tricks!” She turned around, back to Neopia Central. As she reached the town, Xenia began to have second thoughts. “It was a mean trick someone pulled that got Skullberry hurt...” She took the Spyder trick out, contained in an orb. “Sigh... this would have made the best prank. Oh, well.” The little witch waved a hand over the orb, then tossed it in the air.

      Over the town the magic exploded, fake Spyders turned into Korbat-shaped cookies.

      “Hey! Orpheus!” a green Acara yelled to a blue Shoyru down below. “It’s raining bat cookies!”

      Xenia smiled. “Happy Halloween!!”

      “Mew!”

The End