Disclaimer: I own nothing. I've been working on this for a few weeks; current update schedule is every Monday. Unless things change.

A group of children huddled around the big bay window, eyes wide as the first flurries of a strong winter storm began to fall, the harsh wind rattling the glass. Various cries of dismay left their lips, one of their number feeling tears well up in his eyes at the prospect of being forced to remain inside. It was Halloween, one of the best holidays of the year, and all the kids were decked out in their chosen costumes, very few of which would offer much protection against the early appearance of winter.

"Does this mean Halloween's cancelled?" he asked, turning watery brown eyes upon the others. They were bigger than him, older, and had gone trick-or-treating for several years now. This was to be his first time participating in the ritual, though now he worried he'd have to wait for another year yet.

"Oh ho ho, my little one, no one can stop this night's fun!" He turned, craning his neck back to look up at their chaperone's smiling face, the black dress billowing around her as she came to a stop behind the group of children. She leaned forward, blue eyes scanning the sky beyond. "Perhaps a small delay will make the night sweeter; after all, friends huddle close whenever cold lingers."

"But, it's not s'pposed to snow in October!" His pout deepened, the eye patch obscuring one eye shifting as his cheeks bunched up.

"This much is true; it's not the right season." The woman allowed, turning her gaze upon her charges. "But I wonder if you'd be upset if you knew the real reason."

Suddenly, the kids were buzzing, but not in disappointed commiseration regarding the change in weather. Instead, each of them were turning wide, eager eyes onto their caretaker for the night, ignoring the spiders affixed to silver strands in favor of hearing one of the woman's nigh famous stories. As she moved away from the window, the children followed her, all but the smallest one, looking back out to frown at the falling snow.

"Come little Pip, and children, gather round," she said, reaching up to pull down a well worn tome from her bookcase, spreading her fingers across the intricate designs detailed along its spine. "For within these pages, a story is found."

With practiced ease, she cracked open the book, flipping right to the page she desired, smile spreading wider as she took a seat in an old rocking chair by the bookcase, still in view of the storm outside. Although reluctant, Pip turned away and joined his fellow prospective trick-or-treaters as they sat down in a semi-circle around her, leaning forward to get a look at the picture she offered them when she turned the book around. Across the two pages was a single, moonlit scene, with jagged and crooked buildings silhouetted, the odd window lit yellow by candlelight, and a myriad of colorful characters spread out across the landscape.

Pip frowned, scanning the picture again before the page was turned to reveal yet another portrait. "But there's no words?"

"Ah, that's because this is a story I know quite well." She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes in a way that made her costume look admittedly a little spooky, even if none of the children arranged around her had reason to fear. "And it's also one that I love to tell." She tapped a long fingernail against the left page, just beneath a tall woman in a suit. "It starts in a town- a very far off place- where dwells all the things this day celebrates." She tapped against the right side of the page, where the characters from before were shown in greater detail, drawing a few gasps and quick denials of fear from the assembled children. "Monsters and ghouls and creatures of the night, and all those others intended to spread fright. This is their home, their town of Halloween." She tapped once again at the left side. "And this, right here, this is their Queen."

The children appropriately awed over the pictures, a few whispering over which of the detailed monsters their own costumes most closely resembled. Pip was only slightly disappointed to not see a pirate among them.

"So come together, children, listen close, and whisper low- for this is the tale of the Halloween Queen and the Spirit of Snow."

Yowls and howls and screams filled the night air as the denizens of Halloween Town gave one last hurrah before the end of their special night. Only once out of every three hundred and sixty five days- sixty six on the long years- were they given to cross into the realm of the mortals, sharing the terror of their homeland with the easily frightened humans who thought of them as nightmares and tales best saved for whispering in the dead of night. They made the most of it, as they did every year, always under the careful and terrifying guidance of the town's Mayor and their beloved Black Cat Queen.

The Mayor- although he had serious duties to attend to that were sometimes handled by his other half- was mostly in charge of the tedious parts of their special celebration. Things like ensuring there were enough cobwebs to drop onto unsuspecting humans, procuring the strange ingredients the Witches Malachite would request, making sure the skeletons had all their bones, or at least knew where they were if they opted to try a new style- that sort of stuff.

Truly, when it came to the fear, the scares, and the terror that the people of Halloween Town would share with the Human world, it was the Black Cat who reigned supreme, a constant symbol of ill omens, of bad luck, of fate most foul. Not that Blake was anything but friendly, when she could be motivated to interact with her fellow monsters outside of their terrifying roles. But during the hours of Halloween night, Blake Belladonna- the current Black Cat, the Queen of Halloween- was fear personified. She could slip through the shadows to pounce on her victims or leave behind ghastly images of herself that would dissipate on contact, two of the special tricks she'd honed over her centuries as the reigning Queen. There was also her other forms- towering cat monsters with razor sharp fangs and flesh rending claws- like the ones who came before her.

But... well, one can only subsist on the horror of mortals for so long.

"Blakey!" She stifled a sigh, turning her golden eyed gaze to watch as Yang came noisily bounding up the cobblestone path behind her, both of them on their way to return, triumphant, to Halloween Town. "How's the Black Cat doing this fine Hallow's Eve?"

She did her best not to roll her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. Her flat black suit clung to her like a second skin, at once flattering on her slim figure while also allowing her to blend into the inky darkness of the night, the only splash of color aside from her vibrant eyes being a purple ascot tied around her neck. Although she had once nurtured a profound enthusiasm for her role as the Master of Scares, the attire felt more stifling now than it had for the past five centuries.

"As well as ever," she replied, a sour note hidden beneath a quiet grin. "And yourself?"

"Awesome!" Unlike the Queen of Halloween, the blonde sported a colorful countenance that was only matched by her exuberance, or her rage. Bright yellow pants that couldn't hope to match the shine in her bountiful hair clashed horribly with the bright red top, brown suspenders doing nothing to tie her ensemble together, and Blake had half a mind to question if the woman intentionally chose such a garish outfit or if she somehow found it funny in the way only a Twisted Clown could. Just like the squeakers that let out high pitched squeals with every step. "I got some kids real bad this year. I didn't even have to get mad!"

"I suppose mortals are easier to scare nowadays." The Black Cat mused, the ears atop her head that were as good as a crown flicking towards the sound of feet quickly pattering across the pavement. Her lips twitched into a slightly bigger grin as she turned her gaze to the left at the last moment, catching her would be assailant in the act.

"Aw!" Ruby pouted, the Reaper's smile dropping as she skidded to a halt, the great scythe resting against her shoulder catching the moonlight. "I thought I'd be fast enough this time!"

"C'mon, Rubes." The blonde threw an arm around the little girl's shoulders, not even bothering to mind the scythe's edge. "You can't be fast enough to catch a Black Cat off guard! You gotta be quiet."

"She has a point, but not even Neo is quiet enough." Affectionately pushing back Ruby's cowl and ruffling her hair, Blake continued walking with her companions in tow. "I'd hardly be a Black Cat if I could be startled so easily."

"You're not just a Black Cat, Blakey." The blonde chuckled, rushing ahead to barrel through the town's gates, jumping up onto a low wall that framed the walkway to call out above the crowd that had already gathered. "Three cheers for the Black Cat Queen!"

"The Master of Fright!" The Witches Malachite, bedecked in their customary white and red robes, and their cleaver wielding friend shouted.

"The Demon of Night!" Jaune, the Living Scarecrow, led the next round of yells, with Pyrrha and Nora joining him.

"The Queen of Halloween!" Ruby, apparently being the last of the town's residents to return from their night of celebration, led the last cheer, the whole group exploding into whoops and howls and growls of congratulations.

Although she wasn't entirely in the mood for it, Blake tilted her chin up proudly, accepting the hand Yang held out to step up onto the low wall and going beyond, never faltering as she jumped up onto the spires of an iron wrought gate, the soles of her boots easily bearing her weight. From there, she put a little dramatic flare in her movements, flipping into the air and landing on the fountain in the town square. A smile claimed her lips as her fellow monsters crowded around, all excitedly chattering among themselves, exchanging stories of a busy night of scares and screams.

"Alright, alright, settle down," the Mayor said, pushing his way through the crowd before hoping up onto the wall surrounding the fountain's heart, nodding respectfully to Blake before he turned and addressed the crowd. Although she was still considered the night's Master of Ceremonies, this was one duty she felt more than happy to delegate to someone who possessed a true talent for it the way Ozpin did. "Tonight we celebrate another successful Halloween!"

Everyone cheered, Mercury unable to resist letting out a howl as the Werewolf's enthusiasm overtook him, his ever present companion cuffing him between the ears and shaking her head. Emerald was never much a fan of his more canine habits, just as he wasn't fond of getting the Mummy's ever present sand in his fur. Blake idly wondered why the two seemed to be such good friends when they spent half their time complaining about the other's most natural traits.

As it became clear the noise wouldn't abate on its own, the Mayor raised a hand for silence. When that didn't work, he frowned momentarily before pivoting, allowing his other half to come out. Darkness swirled around him, turning his dark green suit into a black dress to rival the ebony of Blake's hair, and the face of a man fell away to the softer curves of a woman far more vicious than he. The cracking of bones aligning was enough to cow some of the lesser monsters, but most didn't notice the change until it was far too late.

"Silence!" Her voice boomed out, Salem's beady red eyes scanning over the monsters as they quieted themselves down, cowering slightly under the Mayor's stare. Only Blake remained nonplussed by the display, though she could admire the trick for what it was. "Very good." Another pivot, and the severity of Salem retreated so Ozpin could turn a smile on those spread before him. "Now, as excited as we all are for the conclusion of yet another excellent foray into the mortal plane, there's the matter of recognizing all those who contributed to such an auspicious success."

The rest of the speech- and the accolades handed out- fell into a dull buzz droning in the back of the Black Cat's mind. After all, this was at least her five hundredth such ceremony, and she'd honestly lost track early on in the century. She looked away from the teeming throng of celebration going on all around her and turned her gaze skyward, looking up at the full moon as it graced the blessedly dark Halloween Town with it's light.

For as long as the moon had hung in the sky, the Black Cats acted as Halloween Town's Queen and the avatar of terror for mortals. But, there was only ever one at a time, and the lineage was short. She was, what, fourth? Fifth? The night where whatever shroud that separated them from the mortal plane fell away was only a few millennia old, anyway...

How had she grown so bored, so quickly?

"And now, I turn it over to our feared Queen, Blake Belladonna."

Snapping back to her senses, she offered a bow as the applause grew into a dull roar, straightening with a smirk. "Congratulations, everyone. This concludes our most successful Halloween ever."

There was no stopping the deafening cheers that answered her, the cat ears atop her head flicking slightly at the sudden onslaught of sound. She'd grown used to it by now but it was still something she wasn't overly fond of, truth to tell, but she continued regardless once the noise began to die down.

"It also begins the countdown until next Halloween!"

In a flash of purple smoke, Blake slipped away, seeking refuge in the shadows as the denizens of Halloween Town erupted into a cry that far surpassed the first, and would've stunned her into falling off the fountain's centerpiece had she remained- not that it had ever happened, of course, no matter what Yang said. At any rate, it was only half the reason she always avoided the very end of Halloween Town's celebration; aside from everyone excitedly wanting her opinion on every scare tactic employed throughout that year's activities, certain... interesting characters often tried to corner her, eager to ask of her things she chose not to give.

Either way, when she emerged from the cool embrace of the shadows, Blake stood at the edge of the cemetery alone, the ten foot tall gates slowly opening with nothing more than a creaking groan. She wouldn't be so vain as to say everything in Halloween Town bent to her will, but mortals had grown immune to some of the creatures that once called the place home. Unable to continue with the merriment of their visit to the Human world, they entered a peaceful slumber, whispering along the night wind and keeping all the little things that made Halloween Town feel like a living being rather than just a place they all called home. Even in their not-quite-death, those who came before revered the Black Cat as much as they had while walking the streets of the town in their physical bodies, and never did she concern herself with mundane tasks.

Ironically, something as simple as opening a door might actually excite her, just for the novelty.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she passed through the cemetery's gates, following the winding path among the grave markers. Eventually, she came upon one of the newest additions, the telltale mark of the Black Cat- the belladonna flower- etched deep into the stone. Her fingers trailed along the top of it as she walked past, half expecting to be ignored. Part of being the Queen of Halloween was ruling alone, after all, even if the monsters of their fair town had a much different understanding of the concept of monarchy than mortals.

Much to her pleasant surprise, the translucent form of a cat appeared at her elbow, pouncing from one stone to the next. Blake came to a stop, waiting until the spectral projection abandoned its game of pretending the stones mattered, paws dancing across the air as it came to a stop in front of her. Its tail curled around its paws, the moonlight passing through its shimmering purple body.

Respectfully, Blake bowed her head. "Gambol Shroud."

It was nothing more than a place holder. One could never be sure which of her predecessors opted to awaken in such a state, seeing as there was no difference between them after they entered their slumber and passed on the crown. So, she called the apparition a simple moniker that captured the essence of what a Black Cat was without ceding her right as the current holder of the station.

In return, the cat turned and started walking, tail lifting proudly as it utterly ignored its descendant.

"As always, a riveting conversation." She sighed, once again crossing her arms over her chest as she looked up at the moon, winking at her as it was from behind the thin clouds.

It was the same thing every Halloween- lead the charge into the mortal realm, spend hours terrifying the Humans, and then usher everyone back to Halloween Town in time for celebrating a successful fright. After that, she invariably wound up in the graveyard, allowing the gentle whispers of voices not-quite-there to lull her to sleep while her predecessor played in the moonlight. She closed her eyes, leaning back against a broken marker, and wondered if she had reached the end of her time as the Queen of Halloween.

Something much colder than the usual chill that hung in the air nipped at her nose, and she suddenly found Gambol Shroud hovering just a few inches from her nose, one paw poised to strike again.

"What?" Her ears mimicked the spirit's, laying back slightly in annoyance. "What do you want?"

Turning around, Gambol Shroud started padding off, towards the boundaries of the graveyard and into the dark forest that lay beyond. At the treeline, it looked back at her, amethyst glinting at her from the shadows.

Well, this was certainly something new- the dark forest was immense and alive, the trees shifting without ever moving to guide anyone back to Halloween Town- and the prospect of having something different propelled her forward, never concerned about her footing even as the headstones parted before her, the very ground rising up to allow her easy passage over the spiked wall. In a few short strides, she was trailing behind her predecessor, allowing the moon to be obscured from view as the trees pressed all around her.

Author's Note: Yes, this is a Nightmare Before Christmas AU. It was originally meant to be a completed and posted by today, but that didn't happen, so it should be done by Christmas. Hope y'all enjoy. Also... be prepared for fluff.