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Before they knew it, everyone was loaded onto the gummi ship and headed for Halloween Town. The whole time Hikari felt a little nervous, biting her lower lip and fidgeting as they traveled through space as they reached their destination. When they finally landed, she let the others go out first, wanting to be the last to emerge from the gummi ship. When she stepped out, the light that surrounded the others engulfed her as well, leaving her in an outfit that seemed to be a cross between a mummy, and a victorian dignitary, if that made any sense. Her long, frilly sleeves and dress was tattered and draped with linen strips as a mummy would. Her skin was even paler than it originally was and had a red streak run vertically through each eye, and her right eye was covered by a shock of silver hair. Looking over herself, she then saw Zero catch the attention of Sora and the rest of the group and quickly followed suit. Still unsure if it was a good idea for her to come, she followed them, soon leading them to Jack on Curvy Hill.

He had to admit, Axel was kinda glad that the trip was over. If he had to choose between using a corridor of darkness and using a gummi ship, he would use the corridor. The gummi ship didn't really seem like his thing. It was certainly a lot faster to use a corridor for sure, but Lakayna wanted to use the ship. so he didn't object to it. As he left the said ship, the light engulfed him, turning him what he thought himself to be a pimping vampire. He ran his tongue briefly over his new fangs and observed his dark and slightly tattered suit, the sleeves trimmed with flame print. There was also something else. He felt the top of his head, which he found none other than a matching top hat, complete with flame pattern along the base. "Nice," he said impressively. He could get used to wearing something like this. But now was not the time for looking around. There would be time for that later. Now was the time to pursue a rather ghastly looking canine that was leading them somewhere. After following the rest of the group, they discovered that Jack Skellington himself was there, apparently looking for something. Walking up next to Lakayna, he grinned, his fangs flashing. "Whatcha think?" he asked her, holding out his arms to show off his new threads.

As for Roxas, his costume almost mirrored his Other. with a mask covering his left eye, his clothes took on a spidery appearance, his vest sharper in looks and now wore white leather gauntlets on his hands. He saw Namine turn into what he assumed was a ghost and Riku became an..... incubus. How fitting he thought with a mental roll of his eyes. Then when they all reached Curvy Hill where Jack was, Roxas didn't miss Riku wrap his arms around Namine, which made his blood boil. He had to fight the urge to punch the silvernette's lights out at the sight of it. Somehow Roxas had a feeling that he wasn't going to enjoy this as long as Riku was here.... with Namine.

Thinking of you, wherever you are.

Kairi

Princess of Heart

Kairi laughed when Blink said what he'd do to the Heartless. The red head knew that with all of them there, the Heartless didn't stand a chance. When Sora heard Blink's question though he laughed, saying that Jack was interested in them since they're scary. The brunette then said something about Jack having the Heartless dancing for him. The Princess cocked her head. "Dancing?!" she thought to herself. She remembered Sora telling her that Jack had been interested in the Heartless, but he failed to mention anything about them dancing. The crimsonette laughed at the thought of it.

The group continued on, now making their way through town. Several ghouls and spooky creatures came up to greet Sora. They tried to scare the brunette by jumping out of the shadows, but Sora wasn't scared. The Princess however jumped and gasped. Not out of fear, but out of surprise. She wasn't expecting that, but it was Halloween Town after all so she better get used to things jumping out. A short round man with a very tall hat then came up to the Keyblade Master, and shook his hand vigorously. Kairi guessed he was the mayor of Halloween Town. He told Sora they were glad to have him here, and asked him if he could do them a favor. Kairi giggled a little when Sora joked about being in town for only two minutes, and was already working. But of course the Keybearer said yes. The red head listened as the mayor told him that Jack and Dr. Finkelstien had worked on a project for Halloween and it was now missing, asking Sora to keep an eye out for it. The crimsonette wondered what the project might look like and how big it was.

Kairi and her friends went through a few graveyards then came to a place called Curly Hill. And atop of the strangely shaped hill was a very tall skeleton who the red head knew must be Jack. Sora called to him, and he came down to meet them. Jack greeted Sora and the rest of them very merrily. The Princess smiled, then turned to look around at all her friends. She now noticed that Naminé, Axel, Roxas, and Hikari had joined them. Naminé was a glowing ghost which Kairi thought fit, since Naminé always seemed to have this brightness about her. Axel was vampire and matched Lakayna well. Roxas looked very similar to his Somebody. He had a mask covering his left eye, his clothes looked spidery, his vest was sharper in looks, and he now wore white leather gauntlets. Kairi found Hikari's appearance most interesting indeed. She looked like a mummy crossed with a victorian dignitary. She wore a tattered dress with long, frilly sleeves which were draped with linen strips. Her skin was very pale and she had a red streak run vertically through each eye, making the crimsonette think of the markings Axel had.

The Princess turned back towards the Pumpkin King and greeted him. "It's very nice to meet you Jack! Like Blink said, Sora has told us so much about you," Kairi smiled then paused before continuing on, "Umm you said you told Zero to look for the Transpooker. What's the Transpooker? Is that the project the mayor mentioned?"

We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.

I, Jack {Skellington}
The Pumpkin King
&
Sora
The Keyblade Master

Sora watched as his friends introduced themselves to the King of Halloween. Jack seemed very honored to hear so many people say they'd heard about him. He guessed he'd made a good impression with the Keyblade Master for all of his friends to claim to hear about him so much. The skeleton bowed gracefully to the crowd, before turning his attention to the sudden barrage of questions.
"They're right, Jack," Sora interjected. "The mayor said you were looking for something, so we came to help."
"Well, you're all quite right," Jack admitted. "I have... misplaced something very crucial to this year's Halloween. Here, let me explain."

Sora found a comfortable spot on a pumpkin for a moment, beginning to settle as he listened to Jack's explanation. However, the brunette thought he smelt smoke, so he stood to see that the pumpkin was... burning? He suddenly remembered how some pumpkins at Curly Hill had a nasty tendency to explode when touched. Now, this was just a mild scare to anyone who was dead, but to the living it was practically lethal. In a flash of light and a flick of the boy's wrist, Sora's Keyblade knocked the self-destructing pumpkin away from the group. It exploded upon contact with the ground.
"Ah, Sora, that reminds me..." Jack mused. "Be careful not to sit on the pumpkins, all of you! The result could be rather shocking, hee hee hee!"

"Now, where was I? Oh yes, just the beginning," the skeleton began. "Listen, everyone! The doctor and I had just come up with a new brilliant plan for this year's Halloween. It was a device called the Transpooker, and it did as its name implies. One could merely activate the device, transport behind whomever they chose, and spook the living -- or not so living -- daylights out of them! Hee hee! But... tonight as the celebration was beginning, I went to get the Transpooker from Dr. Finkelstein's lab. It wasn't there, and neither was the doctor. I haven't been able to find Sally either. So..."
"One of two things could have happened, right?" Sora interrupted. "Either Dr. Finkelstein tried to use the Transpooker and it worked, or someone stole it, the doctor, and Sally!" The brunette turned to his friends. "I guess the first place we should check is the doctor's lab, right?"

((Sorry for the heavy dialogue, but expect that from me until we get out of Halloween Town...))

Thinking of you, wherever you are.

Kairi

Princess of Heart

The crimsonette turned a little when she heard Lakayna say that often times when someone loses something it turns up in a place they'd least expect it to be. Kairi nodded in agreement. She then looked back towards Sora and Jack. The brunette told the Pumpkin King that they were here to help, and Jack began to explain things. Sora sat down on a pumpkin, and Kairi was about to do the same when she saw Sora's was burning. The Keybearer quickly summoned his Keyblade, and knocked it away from the group. When it touched the ground again it exploded. That was when Jack warned them not to sit on the pumpkins. Kairi decided to kneel on the ground instead.

After that little surprise the skeleton continued on. He told the group that he and the doctor had come up with a new plan for this year's Halloween, a device called the Transpooker. With that someone only need to activate it, transport behind whomever they wanted, and spook them. The red head thought that it sounded like a very good scare invention, and could just imagine Sora trying to use it on her. Jack then said as the celebrations were beginning, he went to go get the Transpooker from Dr. Finkelstein's lab. However it, the doctor, and even Sally weren't there. The Keyblade Master then interrupted saying that either the doctor tried it and it worked, or someone stole it, the doctor, and Sally.

Sora turned to his friends and suggested that the check out Dr. Finkelstein's lab first. Naminé agreed that was where they should look first, and seemed excited about a mystery on Halloween. Kairi agreed too that the lab would be the best place to look first. She then voiced some of her thoughts saying, "I can see why someone or something may want to steal the Transpooker, but why would they steal Dr. Finkelstein and Sally? Maybe someone did steal it, and the doctor and Sally chased after the culprit? Wow this really is a mystery."

We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.

Hikari looked uneasily between Jack, Sora and Riku. So she had been seen at least at one point in time during her frequent visits to Halloween Town. "You don't understand!" she started. How was she supposed to explain this? She looked at Sora and Riku. "I didn't have a choice. Xehenort became affiliated with Maleficent while he was experimenting so he had me help her so I could control the Heartless. She would send me out to help Oogie because his heart wasn't strong enough to manipulate the Heartless," she explained, but suddenly stopped herself. She just told Jack that she was the reason the Heartless appeared in Halloween Town in the first place! She looked down as her hair covered both her eyes. "I was never supposed to be seen. I was the actions behind Oogie's words. Then Sora defeated him and I had to retreat to Hollow Bastion," she admitted.

Axel grinned when Lakayna expressed her approval of his appearance. It was like they were a pair, the both of them being vampires As Jack spoke about the Transpooker and Kairi guessing what could've happened with the device, Sally and Dr. Finklestein, he paused when Jack suddenly shot an accusing finger at Hikari, accusing her of helping Oogie Boogie, which she admitted. Usually he'd be able to speak up and pull someone out of a situation, but he couldn't think of anything to say without at least getting himself into trouble. If it weren't for her, the Organization wouldn't have been able to collect hearts for Kingdom Hearts in the first place. Boy, Hikari's really in a pickle this time.

Roxas barely caught what Namine said about his costume. His mind was too consumed with ideas on how to get rid of Riku. Blinking, he turned his blue tinted face towards the ghost/witch Nobody. "Oh um, thanks. You look cool too," he said with a mild smile and then followed the rest of the group into town, where Jack accused Hikari of helping Oogie Boogie. He, however, didn't even stop to think about where the heartless actually came from while he was in the Organization, and when he came to this world for heart collection missions, he stayed out of sight. Too bad Xehenort or Maleficent didn't teach Hikari much about stealth in that case.

The silvernette gave a smirk as Naminé and he walked and she cooed about a Halloween mystery. He was about to return the kiss he'd been given but before he could she was gone and beside Roxas. Riku shared a glare the with blonde befofre turning to listen to Sora and Jack and Hikari.

"Listen," Riku final growled. He turned to Jack. "Jack, Hikari's my sister. She's all right and she's not the bad guy," he explained. He then turned to Hikari and glanced down at her from the few inches that differed in their heights. "That's the past. Move on," he whispered. "It's not as hard as you think, Hikari." Riku new from experience that it seemed hard, but it wasn't. She had been given a new chance, a new beginning and throwing it away wasn't an option.

Roxas barely seemed to have paid her any attention. He'd looked at her and responded and gave her a mild smile, but that was all. He was distant. Naminé's face fell and she gave a small sigh, tagging along behind the group. The girl was worried about Roxas. He seemed so out of it lately. She remained silent, wanting desperately to ask him if anything was wrong but not doing so. The group went into town but the inhabitents kept bothering Jack so much that he moved to the back of the group and let Sora lead the way. Just as Sora was about to push open the door, he stopped as Jack had let out an outburst. The rest of the group stopped as well and the petite blonde looked to Hikari as she heard what Jack said.

Hikari immidietely spoke up in her defense and Lakayna spoke up for her as well. Riku told Jack who Hikari was and assured him that she wasn't the bad guy. Jack let it pass though, but was paronoid that she may have been the one to snatch the Transpooker. Naminé simply sighed and gave a small shake of her head then Sora had pushed his way to the front of the group and opened the door to Dr. Finklestein's lab. They walked up the steps and into the lab, where everyone seemed to be looking around. However, there wasn't any signs of anybody nor were there signs of what could have happened.

Naminé looked about the lab but when she noticed things in jars and an array of instruments on the table, books open to diagrams of creatures, she shrunk back, visions of Vexen's lab flashing through her mind. This place had the same eerie feeling. The petite blonde stood back by the door, having half a mind to walk out but she stayed where she was as the others looked about.

Thinking of you, wherever you are.

Kairi

Princess of Heart

Kairi followed along with the others as Sora lead the way to Dr. Finkelstein's lab. On the way there she was surprised when Jack suddenly pointed accusingly at Hikari. He questioned why she was there, saying that the mayor had banned her for once helping Oogie Boogie. The brunette went to calm the Pumpkin King down, but he himself couldn't stop himself from asking if she had. Hikari explained that she didn't have a choice. Xehenort had been affiliated with Maleficent, and had the silvernette help the witch so she could control the Heartless. Maleficent had sent Hikari out to help Oogie because his heart wasn't strong enough to manipulate the Heartless.

The crimsonette knew those things were wrong, but what could Hikari have done otherwise. Lakayna took a few steps forward and told Jack that Hikari wasn't a bad person, and that everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance. The Princess stood next to the lavender haired girl, and spoke up in agreement. "Lakayna's right. Hikari isn't a bad person, she was forced to do all those things. And like Lakayna said she's made mistakes like we all have, but she's changed. And like everyone else she deserves a second chance." Riku also let Jack know that his sister wasn't the bad guy.

After a moment the Pumpkin King finally said he'd let it pass, but it seemed like he was still paranoid about the possibility that maybe Hikari had taken the Transpooker. Once that was settled Sora went back to the front and continued leading the way to the lab. Once there the Keybearer pulled open the doors and the group entered the lab. As Kairi walked up the steps and through the door she got the erie feeling that she and the others were being watched. The red head shook her head. They were in Halloween Town so she was probably just letting the creepy atmosphere get to her. Still, the Princess took a few steps closer to Sora, feeling safer by his side.

Once inside Dr. Finkelstein's lab everyone began looking around. It didn't look like anyone had been in the lab recently. The Keyblade Master asked Jack who the doctor whould scare if he was testing the Transpooker, and Jack answered Sally. So the brunette figured that if they found Sally, they'd find the Transpooker. The two of them then began going through books and stuff. The red looked around at the shelves and tables where she saw things in jars, diagrams of creatures, and instruments that she didn't even want to think of what they might be used for. Feeling that the books might be less frightening, the crimsonette joined the Pumpking King and Keybearer in going through them. She picked up an old book and began to flip through it. Next to her Sora read a line from the book in his hands. "Roses are red, Violets are blue... Goblins are slimy, And so are you..." He glanced up at Kairi and shrugged. Kairi shrugged back and said, "Yeah... Very pleasant... Not something I'd tell my loved one, but I guess here that's a compliment?"

We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.