Eyes of sapphire gaze back at me as I stare into the mirror. With slender fingers I apply the rest of my makeup and add sparkles to the corners of my eyes to make my navy eye shadow glimmer. Picking up the brush I drag it over my short ebony hair that reaches to my jaw, my bangs angled across the right side of my face to where they dip just into my vision. I stand up from my stool, satisfied with the way I look, wanting to not disappoint my friends. My bedroom door creaks open and I glance over to it with a warm smile. A white cat walks into my room, the black pattern in his long-haired fur being a black mask around his eyes with the black continuing to wind back around his neck and down his body. I watch the feline walk over and look up at me with blue-green eyes.

"I won't be gone too long, Riku. It'll just be me, Axel, and Roxas."

Those menacing cat eyes narrow dangerously as Riku turns around, jumping up onto the purple duvet on my small bed. I run my palms over my costume making sure the witch costume is to par with what I wanted. The dress clings to my slender frame, my milky skin complimented by the ash-blue lace on the bodice and trim of the dress. Black stockings stretch down into my black high heels, the shoes trimmed in the same color of blue. I straighten he sleeves down my arms, the slot in them reaching all the way up to my elbows.

I glance back over to Riku only for him to look away, curling up on my pillow. I can't help but smile at him as I leave my purple polka-dot room and head downstairs. Since my parents already left for their party all I have to do is wait for Axel and Roxas to show up. I go into the kitchen and tap my deep blue nails against the counter as I pick up the mail. Flipping through it my ears perk up at the sound of the doorbell chiming throughout the house. I eagerly hurry over to the door and grab my witch hat from the table beside the door.

I open the door to reveal my two best friends in the whole world. Axel stands tall, taking up the doorway with his lean frame. His typical smirk is plastered on his face, showing the tips of faux fangs glued into his mouth. A cape hangs from his shoulders by a gold chain hanging at his collarbone. The suit on his body is just as black as his cape, tatters adorning them both and looking rather worn and old. His crimson spikes are slicked back and away from his face, bright emerald eyes gleaming down at me, taking the roll of a typical vampire.

Looking much livelier than the Axel, Roxas stands shorter than him with a slight from. His small smile flashes at me with excited cerulean orbs assessing my costume. A tri-corner brown hat sits atop his flaxen spikes with a fluffy white feather sticking out the side of it. Brown slacks hang on his hips and a billowed, white shirt with bell sleeves rests loosely on his shoulders. His pants fall into thick boots while a belt around his waist holds a slim rapier that looks to be nothing but a fake.

The vampire and pirate give me room to walk out so I can lock up the house. As I turn around Roxas nods, "I like your costume Xion."

Axel's arm falls over my shoulders as we walk down the driveway to the street filled with children dressed up to get free candy. "Yeah Xion, you look cute as a witch."

I can feel the warmth rising to my cheeks as I suddenly become acutely aware of the hem of my dress barely reaching to my knees and the neck line of my dress showing the smallest amount of the tops of my chest. "T-Thanks guys, you both look really good too."

As we begin down the walk I glance up at Axel, "Since it's your turn to decide what we do this year, what did you choose."

The maniacal grin that takes over Axel's features forces both Roxas and I to stop walking, the fangs certainly not helping the situation. "I think it's time we went to a haunted house."

I look over at Roxas to see his face more pale than it usually is. Axel spins around with his hands on his hips, "Oh come on Rox, don't be like that." His back meets our eyes once again with the flourish of the cape, "I know the perfect one! It's a new one this year and I can't wait to try it."

Roxas directs his gaze to the toes of his boots, "Why don't you-"

"Oh no! We're going as friends and we'll have a good time, you'll see."

I look at Roxas and he looks at me, neither of us really excited to get the guts scared out of us. But abiding by the rules I give Roxas a comfortable smile and he gives me one as well, both of us falling back beside Axel as he guides us to the haunted house.

~_~_~_~_~

Heavy doors shut behind our backs, my eyes squeezing shut as I try to adapt to the thick darkness. No light seeps in from the outside lights stationed around the haunted house. Trembling as the frigid night air whips around me, I immediately feel more comfortable when Roxas laces his fingers with mine. He walks ahead of me with his own hand gripping Axel's cape, the redhead already having planned for us not to get separated.

I hesitantly glance around myself as we walk, the walls making me feel like they're closing in on me. The heels of my shoes slip on something as I miss the up onto the next landing. Roxas' hand is almost snatched from my grip until his other hand wraps around mine as well. My eyes dart around me as I try to find what happened, what made me trip when I catch a glance of golden eyes. "Xion, are you okay?" Roxas' question breaks my concentration and I loose those eyes from my focused vision, turning it towards Roxas instead.

I give a small nod as Roxas steps off the landing to help me up. As he does my breath catches in my throat as I watch a partition completely seal off the way we had been going, separating us from Axel entirely. Roxas glances over his shoulder with a glower, "I hate haunted houses."

The darkness seems to get even darker to the point where I can see an arm length away. I reach out to grab onto Roxas the instant I hear another partition begin to shift, my mind reeling with what's going on, my best friends trying to be torn away from me. I grasp a smooth hand that leads me to the side, my heels clicking on hard wood as I'm slowly led through another corridor, the partition slowly shutting behind me, which is when Roxas yells at me, "Xion where are you?"

I yank my arm away from this person and struggle to make out some defining features. A smirk is held with arrogance in his voice as he simply stands in front of me, "You're just like all the others. Gonna scream for your boyfriend to save you? Will you start crying if I chase you?"

I can't let this guy control me, I might be afraid of him but I can't let that rule me right now.

My arms swing upward and my palms slam against his chest, shoving him against the wall. Without a second of hesitation I do just what Axel and Roxas would want me to do: Run. He doesn't even yell after me as the soles of my shoes slide on the floor and I turn another corner. My heart beats as fast as a hummingbird's, my breathing coming out in shallow pants. Surprisingly enough I keep my strides somewhat fast, until the heels of my shoes stock into the thick dirt, the flooring having abruptly ended. I pull one heel out of the dirt only for it get to get stuck again, the same pattern repeating, wearing me out.

"Figured I could take my time. You stupid girls and your fancy outfits. You shouldn't run in high heels, it's not productive." His fingers dart out to grasp at my arm and I flinch away, those fingers never even getting the chance to graze me.

"You okay Xion?" I smile over at Roxas and give a nod, even though he can barely see me. Axel towers in front of both of us, our much shorter frames grateful for his shielding us. Our fingers lace together and I reach forward to tangle my other hand against Axel's.

"I told you both to stay close. Just 'cause I'll always be there doesn't mean make my job harder, sheesh."

Axel sends one last glare at the shadowed guy and pushes against the wall of the cheaply made haunted house. The glowing jack-o-lanterns lead us to the road where we had entered the haunted house, silently vowing to not go back to that one. The second we're back into the bustling streets filled with children Axel spins around and points toward the houses, "Let's go get some candy instead!"

Roxas rolls his eyes and shoves Axel toward the first house, mumbling something I can't quite hear. But I slowly follow behind them, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth as I realize how lucky I am to be spending Halloween night with two friends that mean the world to me.

"Xi-on~! Candy waits for no one!" Axel calls out to me, begging me to hurry up so the person inside the decorated house will give us candy.

I hurry up and to the front door, only able to wonder what we'll do with the can't since we have no bags. But knowing them, there won't be any left by the time we get home and I couldn't be any more satisfied with that.