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haveanotherkpopblog · 1 year ago

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This is Halloween

Night 3 of 13 Nights of Kpop

Pairing: Seo Taiji x You (Platonic)

Genre: Angst, Horror, Movie!AU

Word Count: ~3.2K

Warnings: Mature Themes

Summary: As the end of Halloween draws near, you reminisce of your youthful adventure with the Pumpkin King, but not every adventure ends with a happily ever after.

Video: Christmalo.win

“T’was a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place you’ve only seen in your dreams. For the story you are about to be told, took place in the holiday worlds of old. Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven’t, it’s about time you begun.”

“Congratulations everyone!” The Pumpkin King stood at his podium, waving over the crowd. Different creatures of the night cheered loudly, pointing and clapping. “This Halloween was our most terrifying to date. You should feel proud of your accomplishments. Now enjoy the rest of your night, for tomorrow, we begin preparing for next year.” There were more cheers as he exited the stage.

Around me everyone began talking about their favorite thing from Halloween. I made my way through the crowd, offering a smile to those I passed. They didn’t bother to stop me, they hadn’t done that for years now.

The air outside was brisk. I let out a shaky sigh, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. My hands were shaking slightly as I ran them through my hair. I paused, feeling a pair of eyes on me.

“You should know better than to sneak up on a witch,” I said, turning around.

Mother Superior stood behind me, her hands clasped in front of her black robes. Her hat rested upon her head, tilted forward slightly. Her face was covered in wrinkles and her once black hair had faded into a light grey. Her eyes were still a dark brown that seemed to know more than she let on.

“I came to check on you,” she said. I shook my head.

“No. You didn’t.” She gave me a soft smile, stepping forward. “I told you. I can’t do it.”

“Not being able to do something, and refusing to do something, are two very different things,” she said. “Your training is complete, Y/N—it has been for years. You cannot run from your destiny forever.” I let out a sigh, shaking my head.

I said nothing more as I made my way back to my cottage. It sat in the woods outside of Halloween Town, far enough to keep unwelcome visitors away. I closed the door with enough force to shake the herbs hanging from my ceiling. I moved to collapse into my chair by the fire, waving a half-hearted hand to light the flames.

As the fire crackled, I summoned a cup and started the kettle without literally lifting a finger. I let my eyes focus on the flames as the cup found its way to my side. Despite having lived in this town my whole life, there was a disconnect. Even from a young age, the town hadn’t truly felt like home. Not since the incident.

I had been a young girl, no more than ten. My powers weren’t what they are now. I was barely showing signs of having magic at all, but the line of witches I came from meant I had the divine powers of the earth whether I wanted them or not.

Mother Superior was the kindest teacher a group of young witches and warlocks could ask for. She was patient and understanding. To a young child, she was the perfect embodiment of what the Mother Superior should be. She wasn’t young by any means, but she had the spirit of someone half her age. She was effortless in her practice and every witch wanted to be just like her.

Halloween had once again come to pass. The entire town had held a big celebration, giving out awards and partying their hearts out. Little did I know that would be the last Halloween party I would attend. I ran around the town with the other children, laughing to my heart’s content. It had been such a fun night, Mother Superior had granted us permission to sleep in the next day.

I always came to class early to help set up, and despite that party, the next day was no exception. I knocked on the door, rocking on my heels as I waited for her to open the door. When she didn’t answer right away, I knocked again, pressing my ear to the door. It was dead silent.

Frowning, I stood on my tiptoes, trying to peek into her windows. It was dark inside and I couldn’t see anything. Pulling back the mat, I pulled out her spare key that I had found while cleaning one day. I put the key into the lock and opened the door. I stopped in the doorway, eyes going wide.

Her cottage, which was in the middle of town, was completely torn apart. Bookshelves were tipped over, her herbs trampled, and everything else thrown into absolute chaos. I slowly entered her cottage, looking around at the mayhem. I called out for her, but I was met with silence.

I quickly ran out of the cottage and went to anyone I saw in town. Not one creature I talked to knew where Mother Superior was or why her cottage was a mess. They gathered around the main square, hurriedly whispering to themselves about what to do.

I went back to the cottage to try and piece together what I could. Walking in hit me with another wave of emotions. Tears welled in my eyes as I thought of the last time I saw her.

Shouting outside drew me from my memories as everyone in town gathered around a flyer. They were pointing and shouting and shaking their fists.

“It’s an outrage!” shouted the werewolf, Brix. I squeezed through the different bodies to try and steal a glance at the flyer he was holding.

Paige, the shapeshifter, plucked it from his hands before I could see what was on it. “It’s a scandal!” he cried. “To think people would comply with this. Children above all else.”

“Children?!” Aeri exclaimed. She was another witch in our coven. She took the flyer from Paige, showing it to the other witches. They grabbed their children, words mingling in with shouts from the other citizens.

Snow began falling as they continued their shouting. I slowly crept backwards towards Mother Superior’s cottage as Aeri and the other witches grabbed the nearby children. If Mother Superior was going to be found, it appeared as if I’d have to do it myself.

At the cottage, I began to tidy everything up. I knew Mother Superior would like to come back to a nice, clean place to teach. I swept and stacked the books and placed everything where it belonged. I sat in her chair, waving my finger around like she did her wand.

Behind me, the television turned on. Santa Clause from Christmas Town was on the tv. Promising to fulfill everyone’s Christmas list. I shook my head. Christmas was overrated. What was so fun about having to act a certain way just to get some push gifts that wouldn’t matter in a year or two?

I moved to sit in front of the tv as it began showing children. I squinted my eyes, tilting my head. Those children seemed vaguely familiar to me. The camera pulled back and Santa Clause looked directly into the camera. His face was round and he had rosy cheeks and a big white beard. He gave the camera a big smile, and something bad settled into the pit of my stomach.

I looked back at the cottage. Everyone had hidden themselves away in their homes. Outside was once again quiet. I stood on my feet, brushing my dress down. There was no other option. Mother Superior’s only hope was me, but I knew I needed help.

On the outskirts of town was a giant tower that stretched towards the stars and moon. There was a single window that sat at the top of the tower. Light illuminated it against the dark night sky. Bats circled around the roof, calling out to each other.

I swallowed thickly as I made my way up the steps. The door towered over me as I stood on my tiptoes to ring the bell. It gave a loud shriek that echoed around me. I stepped back slightly, looking up towards the window. A shadow moved across the window.

The door swung open slowly, giving a loud groan as the shadow stepped into the threshold. The shadow was a man with light brown hair that fell over his glasses. He wore all black and was very pale. He cocked his head to the side, squinting his eyes as he stared at me.

I gave a quick bow.

“Hello, your highness,” I greeted. He swung his long coat backwards, crouching down to look me in the eyes. He folded his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Hello there. How can I help you?” he asked. My heart began beating rapidly as I looked down. I took a deep, shaky breath, glancing back up at him.

“I need your help,” I said. “Mother Superior is missing. And I think she’s in Christmas Town.” He jerked his head back, blinking several times.

“Now why do you think that?” he asked. I twiddled with my thumbs, drawing my mouth into a thin line.

“It’s just—a hunch. Please, you and I are her only hope.” He stood up straight, brushing his pants. He looked back up his tower before stepping out and shutting the door.

“Okay. If you’re sure that’s where she is, then that’s our best lead,” he told me. He offered his arm and helped me down his stairs. “I’m Seo Taiji, by the way. What’s your name?”

“I’m Y/N.”

The Pumpkin King, then Prince, and I made our way through Halloween Town. Everyone was locked away in their homes. Their curtains drawn and their lights out. Seo Taiji swooped down to pick up one of the flyers lying trampled in the snow. He frowned as we continued towards the woods.

The snow was thicker in the woods than in town. The trees stretched and tangled with each other. Owls hooted and shook the branches. Seo Taiji kept a tight grip on my hand as he led me through the winding forest. Brix and his pack were prowling the forest, letting out howls to the moon.

At the edge of a particular clearing, I could make out the bright lights of Christmas Town and Santa’s reindeer flying overhead. Seo Taiji tugged me on, bringing us to the edge of the forest where a small shop sat.

“What’s a wine shop doing at the edge of the woods?” Taiji inquired, peeking from behind a tree. Two men stood behind a table, handing out goblets filled with a red liquid. Fancy-dressed men and women surrounded the table, laughing and drinking the liquid.

I darted out from behind the tree, making my way to the table. He tried to grab me, but I slipped from his grasp, scowling as everyone stared at me. The men behind the counter tried to shoo me away, but I ignored them, looking at the wine in front of me. They turned to each other before pouring me a glass. I took the goblet and brought it to my lips.

The liquid was thick--uncomfortably so. It was also warm and bitter. I pretended to need to throw up and ran to the door that was away from them. As I slipped in, I made sure to shut the door behind me.

Inside the building was illuminated by a red light and was covered in big, metal tubes. I let out a gasp as I saw familiar faces chained to one of the metal contraptions. They were witches who had gone missing before Mother Superior. The one in the very front was Maeve.

Her bronze skin was now an ashy grey and her thick curls had lost their volume. I took hesitant steps towards her, reaching my hand up. Her head rolled to the side, her eyes staring at me. The other witches remained motionless as I tugged at their skirts.

A door opening scared me away from her. I blinked away my tears as I quickly ran away from them. Someone was following me, so I hid until one of the men from earlier passed me. I quickly left the way I came, running past a car.

A hand snatched me and pulled me back. The hand came to rest upon my mouth as I looked up to see Taiji. He held a finger to his mouth, looking about as footsteps ran past us. He quickly ushered me to hide in the car with him.

“Why did you run in there?” he asked, his face slightly pink and his brows furrowed. I bent my head, biting my lip to stop it from quivering. His expression softened. “I’m sorry. I was just worried. What was in there?” I wrapped my arms around myself, pulling my knees to my chin. “Y/N?”

“I—I found Maeve. And to some of the other missing witches,” I mumbled.

“Well that’s good, right?” I shook my head, tightening my grip on myself.

“They—they were—they were in chains and—and—they weren’t—weren’t moving—” He wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on my head.

Someone opened one of the car doors, sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the car. It roared to life before it took off towards the heart of Christmas Town.

Ever so slowly we sat up, looking out the window. Bright lights blinded us as we took in the passing trees fading in favor of what was Christmas Town. It had expanded more than we thought, and his jaw remained clenched for almost the entire ride.

I thought back to my lessons with Mother Superior. She’d always been more than just a teacher to me. She was the mother I had lost. I needed to be brave for her. If what was happening to the other witches was happening to her, I needed to be the bravest I’d ever been.

When the car finally stopped, we were in front of an almost all white building. Even the people were dressed in white, yet the ground was barren of any snow. Slowly we slipped out of the car, and he took my hand. We were the only two dressed in all black.

Two guards approached us, grabbing us by the arms. They dragged us past the long line of people. Above the table where children were signing a piece of paper read a sign that said, “From Cradle to Grave”. A man started shouting about the paper and two people put a cloth over his mouth and dragged him away.

Taiji and I were separated, and I was brought to a room where a few other children were standing, matching lids to boxes. A scary man yelled at me and quickly set to work. The other children were covered in soot and weren’t wearing the happy color clothes of Christmas Town. I wondered where they had taken Taiji, but I was too afraid to ask.

Some time passed before another little came in. She wore a fancy looking dress and had her hair in a tight bun on the top of her head. The scary guard bent down, and she whispered into his ear, pointing at me and a couple other children. More guards came in and dragged us away as she stood smirking.

I was given a white dress and told to change. I did so, but the lacey fabric scratched at my skin, and I fought myself not to tear the dress off. I was led to a room and told to sit on a chair. It was cold and hard, and I still didn’t know where Taiji was. The other children had been cleaned up and were also dressed in white. Each of our outfits was unique, yet they seemed to blend together in a sea of white lace.

The man from earlier, who had been sitting at the table handing out papers, came in. He had grey hair and a black handlebar mustache that didn’t match. He bent down and inspected us, yelling at one of the adults. He pursed his lips before jerking his head. He stormed away, shouting at people as he did so.

The adult he yelled out brought out a can and went to one of the nearby children, forcing her to smile and spraying the can. An unnatural smile stuck onto her face. They repeated the process with the other children, but when they got to me, the little girl from earlier stopped her. She had an almost evil presence to her, yet she had stopped the woman. It was something I never understood.

The little girl held my hand as Santa Clause came into the room. He led us all out to the front room, taking a seat on his big, red chair. Most of the children crowded around his feet, their fake smiles plastered onto their faces. The little girl left me to the side of the chair, taking a seat on Santa’s lap. She whispered something into his ear, pointing back at me. He laughed and motioned for the handlebar man to step aside.

Guards from earlier came in, grasping onto chains like the ones from the wine shop. A gasp left my mouth as both Mother Superior and Taiji were brought out, shackles wrapped around them. Mother Superior had aged significantly since I saw her two days ago. Her hair had lost its shine and luster, and her skin was an ashy grey as Maeve’s had been. Taiji seemed okay, just mad.

Mother Superior fought against her chains to reach me, and I fought my to get to her, but we remained out of each other’s grasps. Taiji was forced to his knees in front of Santa Clause. I had never seen so much hatred in someone’s eyes as he had staring at Santa Clause.

The adults of Christmas Town began chanting, louder and louder their voices grew, drowning out my own cries. Mother Superior had tears in her eyes as she summoned what little magic she had. A white ball of energy sat in her hand, and as best she could while being chained, she forced the ball down.

The children, Taiji, and I disappeared from Christmas Town. Taiji and I landed back in Mother Superior’s hut. I quickly rid him of his shackles, but we were both slightly disoriented from the magic. He took a seat, bringing his hand to his temple.

I felt something hard in my hand, and looked down to see a key. Glancing up, I found a chest. I unlocked it to find Mother Superior’s witch items from when she had been my age. Her spell book, her broom, her hat, everything was there. I turned back to him and I knew what I had to do.

“This is no time for tears!” Taiji stood in the town square, monsters gathered around him. “Mother Superior, along with everyone here, is in danger. Now it’s time to show them Halloween Town will not be treated this way. You attack one of us, you attack all of us! We are monsters! We are proud!” The townsfolk cheered and prepped themselves to march into Christmas Town. The fight had only begun.

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