A Clover Halloween
Wooper and I find ourselves in front of the mission boards early in the morning. I wanted to sleep in, but Wooper insisted on tackling a request today. As I gaze at the listings, a flyer nearby catches my eyes. “Huh?” I walk over to the notice, with Wooper following behind me. It has drawings of pumpkins and cartoon ghosts all over it, along with a short blurb.
“In one week's time, Halloween is coming! Get your costumes ready and prepare for festive treats, spooky stories, and much more!”
“Hallo... ween?” Wooper asks curiously.
“... What?” It's not cold outside, but maybe it's just a date the Guildmaster decided on due to lack of a calendar?
“Oh yeah, Halloween! It's a pretty fun day, Arthur!”
Wooper's response takes me by surprise. “Wait, Halloween's a normal thing in this world too?”
“You betcha! What's it like in the human world?”
“It's a day full of candy, dressing up in costumes, telling stories, scaring others, and watching all kinds of horror movies.”
Wooper tilts his head a little. “We got most of that here, but... What's a movie?”
“It's ah... Have you ever seen a group put on a stageplay? It's a bit like that, but longer and recorded so that you can watch it anytime you want. It's just one of those human world things.”
“That sounds pretty amazing! I wish I could watch something like that someday! So... Got a costume idea, Arthur?”
“I might...” I let one of my vines out, holding it in my hand as an image comes to mind. I fling it forward, much like how one would swing a whip, the idea clicking. “Yeah, I got the perfect costume to go with.”
“What about me? Got an idea for me? I wanna look like something from one of those movies from your world!” Wooper looks awfully excited at the idea of Halloween.
“I got you covered, don't you worry.”
Halloween finally arrives, and Wooper and I find ourselves in front of a mirror in the storeroom, making sure our costumes are right. I wear a blue coat, with sections that hang down longer than the rest of it on the front and back. I let out a vine, coiling it up as I hold it in my hand. “Been a long time since I've actually worn a shirt, feels all kinds of weird now...”
Wooper's body is painted in various shades of green, with metal “bolts” affixed to either side of his neck. He also has cracks and stitches drawn onto him as well. To me it looks like an incredibly stereotypical monster getup for Halloween, but Wooper looks thrilled to see his costume reflected back at him. “I love it! What're you again, Arthur?”
“I'm a monster hunter, like from this one... story back in the human world. He's a guy who fights evil with a whip, kinda like what I do now actually. Only he fought vampires instead of chillers.”
“What's a vampire?”
Oh right, he wouldn't know. “It's kinda like a cursed human, one that drinks blood and turns into a bat. They usually have fangs and look all discolored. No doubt at least a couple of the others are dressed as one today.” Opening the door out of the storeroom, a sweet smell wafts through the air. It doesn't take me long to realize what it is. “Oh yeah, pumpkin pie! C'mon, let's get some before they run out!” Leading the way, Wooper and I make for the dining hall.
In the dining hall, several other guildmates are eating, all the former humans dressed as some manner of videogame or movie character. Their native partners all seem to take on common costumes such as werewolves or vampires. Looking around, the odd one out is the cook, who stands next to a table that hosts pumpkin-shaped cookies, punch, and pies. He merely wears his normal apron, with the only change being a small patch in the shape of a ghost affixed to it.
“Hey Beast,” I say, walking up to him. “Not the festive sort?”
“Nope. Never was one for dressing up in costumes.”
I load up a couple of plates with some goodies, pouring a couple glasses of punch as well. Grasping the cups in my vines, I say, “It's a pretty fun day back in the old world, you know. Tons of stuff you can't do here!”
Beast takes a bite out of a cookie. “Yeah yeah, hopefully that means I can get some peace and quiet later.”
Turning around, I look for a spot for us to sit. Noticing Toge glancing in our direction, I take a seat across from him, Wooper following behind. He wears a blue and white striped cape and a flat-topped straw hat, along with a red tunic with blue hems.
“Y-you must be here t-to vanquish the uncozy n-night,” he says, nibbling at a cookie.
“That was the first thing I did after arriving here, y'know.” Taking a sip of the punch, I say, “I can't believe so many in this world don't realize the EVILS of hay.”
“Y-yeah...I-I like Wooper's costume t-too...”
Wooper smiles at the compliment. “Thanks!” Pretty neato, huh? Chespin says this makes me look just like a monster from his world's stories!”
“Y-yeah, but that m-monster i-isn't as cute as y-” Toge gasps at his own slip of the tongue.” “I-I-I mean th-the monster i-is much t-taller?” He nervously looks around, clearly embarrassed at his mistake.
I adjust my costume's shirt. “Halloween's certainly gonna be a lot different this year. I remember dressing up like a Pokemon for Halloween when I was little, but well... can't exactly use that idea when I AM one now, can I? In a way it's like every day's been its own little Halloween.”
“Y-yeah... I-I can't wait to see everybody's c-costumes today... d-did you grab some candy yet?”
I pause at the word 'candy', my eyes growing wide. “Wait, did you say candy? Where are the sweets? It's been so long since I've had any!”
Toge points to a large sack near Beast's stand. “W-we have a lot of it, h-help yourselves.”
“How did I miss that?” Picking Wooper up with my vines, I say, “C'mon, let's raid that thing!”
Rushing over, I dig my hands into the enormous bag of candy. This thing's bigger than I am! Hundreds, if not thousands of individually wrapped pieces of candy fill it. As I search through it for the perfect sweet, I wonder aloud. “Please tell me there's chocolate hidden in here...” Then my hand brushes against a distinctly rectangular candy deep in the bag. Grabbing it, I pull it out, quickly unwrapping it.
Brown, a sweet smell, sectioned into easy to break off squares... “This is it! It's been so long since I've had some! Here, have a bite.”
I break off a square, tossing it into Wooper's mouth. He chews on it, smiling. “Hey, I've had this before, but it was a long time ago. Dad and I had gone through a deep dungeon and we found chocolate in a treasure chest!”
“People put this in treasure che-oh nevermind.” As I go to take a bite, I recall something important, something serious. Isn't chocolate poisonous to a lot of things, at least back in the human world? … Oh well, nothing ventured!
I pop a square into my mouth, letting it melt as the flavor washes over my tongue. It is intensely sweet, with a taste richer than that of any chocolate back in the old world. Oh yeah, this is the good stuff! “This is even better than the kind I could get back home! If the chocolate is this good, what's the rest of the candy like?”
“Only one way to find out, Chespin!”
Lost in the sweets, the two of us lose track of time trying out a little bit of everything we find in the treasure trove of candy. I'm only snapped out of my sugar-induced daze by Toge flying up to tap me on the shoulder. “Y-You t-two aren't g-g-going to b-b-be very cozy i-if you cr-cr-crash f-from a s-sugar r-r-rush..."
“Aw, what could go wrong?” I say, trying out another piece.
"Y-You m-might upset y-y-your st-stomachs!"
“Oh, that's just a bunch of nonsense parents would tell kids back in the old wo-” As if on cue, I feel a twinge of pain from my stomach. “Ugh... or maybe not...” Shaking my head, I say, “Well... Sunlight and water usually fixes things for the two of us... hopefully”
Picking up Wooper, I head outside to the garden. Placing him in the pond, I lie in the sunlight. My stomachache slowly begins to fade away as I let out a sigh of relief. “Good thing it's not rainy today...” Maybe a little nap wouldn't be a bad idea before the festivities tonight.
But before I can actually doze off, I hear a faint, unfamiliar voice coming from near the guild's entrance. “Oh dear, I hope somebody here can take my request...”
Pretending not to hear, I roll over, trying to get cozy. Maybe if I pretend I don't hear them, it can be another guild member's problem. It's Halloween, surely I can relax for today...
Turns out, it is another guild member's problem. “Arthur! Someone needs our help!” Without waiting for a response, Wooper leaps out of the pond, rushing over to shake me awake.
I let out a groan. “Can't someone else do it, Wooper? It's Halloween, can't they wait a day?”
“We gotta help those in need, no matter what day it is. Now get up!”
Wooper nudges me until I force myself to stand up. Slowly and painfully, I leave my little paradise to see who it is that's decided to bother us today.
The two of us are faced with a floating purple ghost, its body looking as though it wears a robe and witch's hat. The moment it sees us, it starts speaking rapidly. “Guild members! Quick, I need your help. My house, it's haunted. I need someone to get to the bottom of it, please!”
I silently chuckle to myself upon hearing her problem. She's a ghost and she says her house is haunted? Isn't that just the norm? Trying not to comment on the irony, I say, “You say it's haunted? What happened to make you think that?”
The Mismagius starts rattling off problems. “Doors shut without warning, the piano in the library plays a haunting melody all on its own, furniture is in a different spot every time I enter the room, I've even heard a frightening laugh from deep within the house!”
“I ain't afraid of no ghost, but... I dunno what we can do about a haunting.”
“Please try, at least!”
Before I can object to doing the mission without knowing the reward, Wooper chimes in. “Have no fear, Team Cozy is here! We'll set that house straight, don't you worry!”
“Thank you, Team Cozy! Follow me, it's a bit of a trek to the woods.”
Wooper and I follow the Mismagius out of town, across the plains, and into the forest. What strikes me as odd is, while the trees back in Capim are normal, every single tree in this forest has autumn leaves. Amber and maroon stretch out as far as the eye can see. I stop and look around, taking in the beauty of it all. As I take it all in, a thought comes to mind. The green “armor” I have, will it begin to change color someday as well? Wait, it won't just... fall off when winter arrives, will it?!
“Chespin, c'mon! What's gotten into you?” Wooper runs back to me as I snap out of it. “You looked a little worried just now, everything fine?” Lowering his voice, he whispers, “You're not scared, are you?”
I shake my head. “... No, it's just a dumb little thought I had. Let's fix up this ghost's ghost problem.”
It isn't much longer before we come upon an old, large manor. It looks dark and gloomy, and the trees surrounding it are completely devoid of leaves. “Does it always look so... glum?”
The Mismagius is taken aback by my comment. “How rude! I'll have you know that this is just how I want the house to look. Why, dark and creepy, that's the bes-.”
Mismagius is cut off by a creepy laugh from within the manor, causing her to jump. “Ah! D-did you hear it! That's the ghost!”
I stare at her, saying, “But I thought you liked it dark and creepy?”
“Only when I'm the one doing it. Now um... I'll wait out here while you two kiddos go and take care of my little problem. Go on, get in there.”
Wooper and I share a look. Shrugging, I lead the way into the house.
The floorboards creak, breaking the unnerving silence as we slowly step into the main hall. There are old paintings on the wall, the paint is chipping, and there is a layer of dust on everything. As we enter deeper, the front door slams shut behind us! I jump a little at the noise, looking back but seeing nothing but darkness. A ghostly voice calls out from the distance, speaking to us. “This house will be your tomb... Are you brave enough to venture into my devilish den?”
That voice, it sounds a bit familiar... “Wooper, you wanna light things up?”
Wooper begins to glow, saying, “Don't worry, I got it taken care of. Hey, what're ghosts like in the human world?”
Calming down a bit, I say, “They're just something you see in stories. They don't actually exist back home. Sounds like this is the real deal though. Now, how're we gonna deal with a ghost?”
“The same way we always deal with baddies. By beating them up!”
I can't help but chuckle at Wooper's comment. “Well, it'll take more than a slamming door to scare me away. I've already seen some of the most frightening things possible, that's nothing!” Opening a nearby door, the two of us check out a nearby room.
The kitchen has a small dining table with chairs, and a fireplace in the far wall. Not far from that is a large water-filled cauldron with a large stirring stick nearby. As I walk up to examine it, the water begins to splash me! As I quickly back away and dry my face with my scarf, I hear the laugh once more.
“Ohohoho... Looks like you're all... WASHED UP! Ahahahaha...”
I can't help but roll my eyes at the lame pun. “Oh, for the love of... Wooper, looks like we've got a bit of a prankster on our hands. Watch out.”
“Chespin? I think I've heard that voice somewhere before, but I don't know where.”
“Yeah... I could swear it sounded a bit familiar earlier.” Turning my attention back to the matter at hand, I shout, “GHOST! SHOW YOURSELF!”
“Ehehehe! Adventurers beware, you're in for a scare...”
Looking back at Wooper, I spot him looking a little annoyed as well. “This guy sounds small time, probably just trying to have fun at someone's expense. C'mon Arthur, he'll probably get bored if we keep going.”
We check multiple doors in the main hall, finding a library at the way back. Large, impressive looking bookshelves stretch from wall to wall, with a set of comfy looking chairs to sit in nearby. In the center of it all sits a piano. As I walk up to the piano, it begins to play a cheesy tune.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=X0WKMAnJApY
“... Man, this haunting thing really loses a lot of its punch when a ghost breaks out that song.” As the melody clicks in my mind, I realize something. “Hang on... How does a ghost in this world know this song?”
The voice echoes throughout the library. “It will be a funeral dirge for the likes of you... unless you leave this place... NOW!” Small, purple flames begin to float around the piano.
That's when it hits me. The familiar voice, the cheap jokes and scares, the piano song? “Elm, cut it out, it ain't working on us.”
A ghost with a skeleton 'mask' and a glowing red orb behind it comes into view. “You two are no fun. You shoulda seen the look on that girl's face though. Spooking her was a whole barrel of fun!”
“You might have gotten away with it if you didn't play that song on piano. What do you have to say for yourself?” I ask.
“Chespin, it's Halloween, I found an old worn-out house, and I'm a real deal ghost! How could you NOT want to do this if you were me?” Elm chuckles once more.
Well, he's got me there. “At least you had the sense to leave your scarf and badge at home. But we gotta prove we've taken care of you.”
“How're we gonna do that?” Wooper asks.
An idea begins to form in my mind. “We just gotta put on a little show for her. Our client doesn't seem to know anything about ghosts despite being one, so she probably won't realize we're just making stuff up.” I turn to Elm. “You just gotta play along and we'll split the earnings with you, alright? Just wait for our signal.” Elm gives me a quick salute, descending through the floor. Nodding to Wooper, we walk back outside.
“You say you've got him cornered?!” The Mismagius looks a little unnerved, yet excited.
I nod. “Yep, and I know just how to seal his uh... spirit. But all three of us need to recite the chant.”
She takes a deep, nervous breath, preparing herself. “Okay, I'm ready. Lead the way.”
The three of us walk back into the manor. As we do, the purple flames flicker to life all around us. “Foolish mortals... Do you truly wish to visit the underworld so eagerly?”
“Show yourself, demon!” Using my vines, I whip off a curtain from a nearby window, yanking it towards me.
“Very well...” The flames close in, and from thin air, Elm materializes, shouting “BOO!” Wooper and I are unaffected, but the Mismagius lets out a shrill scream, making my ears ring.
“Vile spirit, I banish you!” Wait, I never thought up an exorcism chant. “Uh... The power of cozy compels you?”
Elm lets out a loud laugh. “Ahaha! That's a cute magic spell you've got, too bad it's useless against my POWER!”
Nudging Wooper, I continue the chant as he joins in. “The power of cozy compels you!” One of the flames brushes against Mismagius, causing her to gasp as she huddles behind us. Looking back at her, I encourage her to join in with us.
With one unified shout, the three of us yell “THE POWER OF COZY COMPELS YOU!” as I throw the curtain over Elm. He lets out a loud, overly dramatic cry as he slumps to the floor, wrapped in the curtain.
“NOOO! BUT... HOW?!”
Still making it up as I go along, I say, “... All ghosts seek eternal rest. With this coziness, the slumber you so desperately seek will finally greet you.”
“I'll... come back... to haunt... you...” Elm vanishes into nothingness, leaving the curtain resting on the floor.
I clap my hands together in 'victory.' “The cozy snooze has vanquished the horrible demon!”
The Mismagius lets out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you Team Cozy! I can finally feel at ease in my own home again. Wait there, I'll be right back.” She travels up the stairs and into a door at the top, coming back with a small bag. Coins jingle around inside it as she hands the bag to me. “I believe this should cover things?”
I give the bag a little shake, thinking about the Gummi drinks I'll be able to grab with this later. “Yep, that oughta do it. Glad we could help. Now uh... the guild's got a little party going on so... we had better get back. Take care!” Not wanting to stick around long enough for her to begin questioning, I motion for Wooper to follow me.
Once we return to the guild, Elm makes himself visible once more. “Eheheh! You two put on a good show, she totally fell for it!”
I hand Elm a handful of coins, saying, “That she did, but... Isn't what we did technically collusion? Is... that a crime in this world?”
Elm gives me a shrug. “Beats me, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, the performance was probably enough to convince her. Happy Halloween, you two!” With that, Elm floats off up the stairs towards his room.
Wooper gives me a concerned look. “... We're not bad guys, are we?”
“Of course not! She needed help, and we gave it. How were we to know it was a fellow guild member causing issues? Anyhow, now that that's over, it's back to having some fu-”
I'm interrupted by a shrill scream, followed by a Pikachu with a ribbon on her head running towards us in a panic. “G-g-ghost!!”
I roll my eyes at her comment. “Bothered by Elm, huh?” I climb the stairs, knocking on Elm's door. “Elm, stop scaring the guildmates.”
Elm opens the door, saying, “But... I just got back, I haven't scared anybody. I haven't even had the time to do that yet, honest!”
“But if you didn't do it, then... Oh.” I slap my hand to my forehead, sighing at the realization.
This was going to be a long night.