Zuko glared at the window decal of Ronald McDonald and his friends dressed in Halloween garb, silently willing it to burst into flames. As a small child pointed at it and grinned, Zuko felt his eye twitch with hate. With a sigh he took a sip of his chocolate milkshake as Jet slammed his tray down as he sat at their tiny table.
"God Damn It! They don't have the dollar menu! I am going to kill someone!" The boy complained loudly as he roughly opened his bag and started digging through its fatty contents.
"How?" Zuko questioned, leaning back into his chair.
Jet placed a French fry into his mouth thoughtfully, "Umm... I'm not sure, boiling in oil's probably most fitting."
His coworker chuckled, "Ok that comment was evil enough to have been my sister's, I meant how can just one McDonald's not have the dollar menu."
Jet shrugged "I mean points for individualism I guess." There was a pause before he continued, "This is weird."
Zuko raised an eyebrow, "How so?"
"Isn't it a little disingenuous that we work at a health food store and yet get junk food every lunch break?"
"I hadn't thought about it. Then again my uncle's on the plump side and owns the place, so what does that say?"
Jet laughed, gesticulating with his chicken wing, "Another thing, you have a sister?"
He nodded, "Of the younger, sadistic persuasion."
"I'm going to have to meet these people sometime." Jet chuckled.
Zuko thought for a second, "How's tonight? We've never really just hung out before."
"Why? Are you guys doing something to celebrate?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Dude, It's Halloween!"
Instantaneously Zuko sucked in enough chocolate shake to give himself a skull shattering brain freeze.
Mai found herself transfixed by her friend's latest position. Ty Lee lay on Azula's couch upside down, her torso hanging off the couch, watching what appeared to be reality television while tossing candy corn into the air and catching it in her mouth.
At once confused and slightly unnerved by Ty Lee's flexibility and accuracy, Mai took the knife she'd been carving her pumpkin with and pointed it at her friend. "Okay you're going to get sick and/or die that way. Regardless I am not cleaning it up."
Ty Lee giggled but didn't turn away from the screen. "Says you Ms.-I-Only-Eat-The-White-Parts!"
"Well," Mai punctuated her speech with a "schlop" of pumpkin guts hitting the table, "Do we have to watch this mind numbing crap?"
Ty Lee frowned, and then realizing that upside down the facial expression was rather ineffective she sighed. Using her knees she shifted the bowl of candy corn off her lap and rolled off the couch in a backwards somersault. Landing on her feet she picked up the bowl and sat beside Mai at the kitchen counter. "I didn't think you were watching. What are you carving anyway?"
"A jack-o-lantern," Mai said, the tiniest of blushes creeping onto her cheeks.
"But you already have one, remember?" Ty lee said, pointing toward the expertly carved demonic jack-o-lantern beside her. "Nice use of Azula as a model by the way."
"I'm sensing mutiny..." Azula smirked, walking into the room. She pointed a finger at Mai, "And spare me the "speak of the devil" joke you're thinking."
"What's up Azula?" Mai grinned.
"Just this," she said, pulling out a pistol.
Zuko had just reached the landing outside his apartment door when several loud bangs ripped through the silence. At first frozen in place by his shock, he rushed through the door.
"Guys! Is everyone okay? I thought I heard-" Zuko managed, before hearing a splash under his foot. He looked down and found himself standing at the center of a large crimson puddle. "...Gunshots." He finished weakly, his mind racing.
His eyes followed the blood back to its source. His eyes widened as he saw Ty Lee bent more unnaturally than usual, thrown over the kitchen counter like a rag doll with blood flowing from multiple wounds.
His heart stopped entirely when he saw a pale hand with long black fingernails resting in the scarlet pool next to the counter. Rushing to the other side of the counter, he stood horrified over his girlfriend's prone form. He knelt next to her, his hand stroking her hair and getting no response.
He felt his eyes starting to sting as his vision blurred.
"Azula!" He screamed as he launched himself to his feet. "Help!"
His cries were answered only by a clicking sound from behind him. Something cold pressed against the back of his head and he stiffened instantly.
"I loved them very much Zuzu..." Came his sister's weak voice. He looked behind him and into Azula's golden eyes, red from crying and mascara running down her face. "But they couldn't just love me back..."
"What are you talking about?" Zuko said, his voice cracking.
Azula's focus faltered and the gun lowered. "I can't live with this," She said, her tone becoming a scream, "I CAN'T LIVE WITH THIS!"
She turned the gun back on herself, placing the barrel in her mouth with a howl.
Zuko reached for her as she pulled the trigger.
Click.
Zuko blinked. Azula's hair covered her eyes as the gun slid from her mouth, revealing a small flag reading, "BANG!" sticking from the barrel. The corpses behind the siblings began to chuckle and stir.
Zuko felt a pair of lips against his own that he'd been certain he'd lost forever. Looking a stage blood covered Mai in the face he frowned.
"See, this is why I freaking hate this holiday."
Sokka and Aang sat on their own couch watching a horror movie and sitting amongst the littered battlefield of a candy slaughter. Every surface was littered with wrappers, actually burying the couch beneath the mess. Walking was an adventure through a cellophane minefield Katara realized as she trudged into the room.
"You guys DO know that the point of Halloween is to earn the candy right? Where's your holiday spirit?"
Without looking away from Se7en, Sokka scratched his head and he poured a pixie stick down his throat. "See once you have the ability to go out and buy all of it you want, its just good business to cut out the middle man."
Katara rolled her eyes. "Well, can you two at least tell me how my costume looks?"
The boys turned around and both had to admit she'd done a good job. Blue and black striped stockings ran up her legs to a not too short black dress. Her hair, worn down for once, fell over both her shoulders and her head was topped with a slightly bent witches hat. Katara smiled awaiting their approval.
"Looking good Sis," Sokka admitted turning back to the film "Though I'm surprised you're still interested in the whole trick or treating deal."
"I'm not, the girls upstairs are throwing a party," She said.
"What? When did that happen?!" Her brother sputtered.
"Earlier this week. Why do you sound so surprised? You're rather "friendly" with a few of them." Katara joked.
"Don't remind me of the plural aspect of that comment." Her brother frowned.
"Your man whoring will catch up with you, mark my words." She teased.
"Sooner than I thought apparently," Sokka growled as he left the room to find something to change into, shutting off the TV as he exited.
"Wait!" Aang called after his departing friend, "We were about to find out what was in the box!!!"
"Trust me," Sokka groaned from the next room, "You don't want to know…"
Katara smiled as she turned her attention to Aang. She turned to give him a profile view, and tilted her hat to the side. "And what do you think?" She grinned.
"You look great…" Aang frowned, looking for the right words, "Though isn't it traditional to be wearing less fabric?"
A couch pillow smacked him in the face in response.
Azula stood on top of a stool and finished taping the last orange and black streamer into place. The apartment looked very seasonal, covered in cobwebs, carved pumpkins and flickering candles. She smiled at her work before a munching noise caught her attention.
"TY LEE!" She shouted, "What is the point of putting out a cauldron of candy corn if you're just going to eat it all before the party starts?"
Ty Lee sat on the floor, mouth sticky with sugary residue and fingers orange with melted color. "I can't help it any more Azula, this stuff is like crack!" Another fistful of the little candy flew to her mouth. "Seriously," she struggled between chews, "I couldn't stop if I wanted to; I am a slave to my desires."
Azula rolled her eyes, "For you, that's not much of a change."
Ty Lee nodded with her head inside the cauldron, "True that."
As the sun began to set and the night settled in, like bats out of hiding they came in droves, and there was nothing to stop them. Except for the front door.
A zombie rapped at the building's main door and finding it locked looked over the various doorbells to ring. Pressing at random, there was a pause followed by the sound of a voice over the intercom.
"Hello?" Aang inquired.
A young boy's voice responded with a shrill cry of "Trick or Treat!"
Remembering what Katara had said about the spirit of the season, he felt his heart warm as he buzzed the children into the building.
"Happy Halloween." He said, before leaving to put on his costume, not realizing the depth of his transgression.
Zuko looked at himself in the mirror, unsure of what he saw.
Capped with a tri-corner hat and a bandana to tie back some of his shaggy hair, he was wearing full on pirate regalia complete with a sash, billowing shirt and high boots. What surprised him most of all however was that he hadn't picked any of this out.
"Mai, seriously!" He shouted through the bathroom door, "I mean I know this is your favorite holiday and everything, but I think putting together this whole costume for me was a little ridiculous."
"Please," Mai said as she pulled the door open, "I'm not that altruistic."
Standing in the doorway with a satisfied smirk, Mai wore a ragged Victorian era black dress torn to reveal just enough of her long smooth legs to catch his interest. On one arm she wore an elbow length black lace glove, its fingers cut off to show off her pointed black nails. Her eyes, Zuko's favorite detail, were adorned with liberal amounts of black and green eye make up. When she smiled, she revealed she was wearing fangs. Walking over to him she touched a hand to his cheek and kissed him, "I like having a date."
Grinning, Zuko put on his eye patch with a shrug, "Then again who am I to complain?"
The cape of his superman costume trailing behind him, Jet walked into the apartment to find the party in full swing. Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party" could be heard playing on the stereo as he scanned the room looking for his friend and noting the assortment of pretty girls around him. 'Must be one of the benefits of having a sister,' He mused before setting eyes on a brunette witch with blue stockings. He grinned. It seemed being Zuko's friend would have some perks.
"Jet!" Zuko called waving him over, "Glad you made it. I have some people I want you to meet." The boy walked into the group as Zuko pointed out the various individuals.
The gothic vampire was his girlfriend Mai, who he remembered from the occasional store visit. The she-devil next to her was the infamous Azula and… the fourth member of the circle, Ty Lee, appeared to be pretty girl in a skimpy nurse costume stuffing her face with candy corn.
"Well" Sokka said, holding back his Sherlock Holmes costume's sleeve as he fished out a soda from a nearby cooler, "The awkwardness isn't so bad. Its really fortunate Ty Lee's attention span is totally consumed by her pursuit of more candy."
"Funny," Katara smirked, "I'd have said that's something the two of you have in common."
Aang, dressed as a skeleton, looked over the party, realizing how few people he actually knew here. Glancing over at Katara his eyes met those of a boy in a superman costume. Their eyes met looking at Katara. As the stranger began to walk over, Aang stiffened as he feeling a tinge of territoriality kick in.
Sure, Katara had never really returned his subtle advances, but he wasn't about to let this guy come in and take her away. Walking into the boy's path Aang stood his ground and puffed his chest. Aang's heart sank as his rival waved over his head, completely oblivious to his attempt at defense.
"Hey," the newcomer smiled at the group, "I'm Jet. It's good to meet you."
Katara smiled at him and a conversation was started between them.
Aang sighed in defeat, "Man it sucks being tiny."
Zuko and Mai separated themselves from the group to sit out on the fire escape. Looking out over the cityscape, the flickering neon lights providing contrast to the night's darkness. Mai leaned her head against his shoulder as he rested his chin in his hand. A smile spread over his face.
"I've got a pretty nice life," he said quietly half to his girlfriend, half to himself, "Maybe not the most glamorous, but its interesting, I have people who care about me and in the end of the day I get moments like this: with you."
He turned to look at Mai in the face, "You know, I've spent so many years hating this holiday because it made me stand out. It felt like the one day everyone else wore a mask, my normal one became noticeable just like the zipper on a movie monster… Thanks for making Halloween fun again."
Mai grinned. Just as she opened her mouth to speak the sound of the doorbell being rung 10 times in rapid-fire succession shattered the moment.
"What the hell?"
Zuko opened the front door to find himself standing in front of a crowd of costumed children, each one thrusting a bag at him. "Trick or Treat!" they cheered in unison.
The teenager smiled sheepishly as one hand scratched his head. "Hey, I'm sorry kids but we don't really do that here."
The mass of children gave no indication of understanding.
"There's no candy, we're just throwing a party…"
Again he was met with the same response.
"Yeah…" Zuko said, backing up slowly, "I'm going to go now." He slammed the door shut and walked back into the party, unaware that the kids had caught a glimpse of Ty Lee's private stash.
Jet turned his attention from he and Katara's current discussion of world politics, to acknowledge Zuko as he walked back inside. "Hey, who was it?"
Zuko shook his head, "Trick-or-treaters. I'm almost positive that's against some building rule."
Katara moaned, "Aww, really? How could anyone ban something like that? Our landlords must have totally killed off their inner children."
Jet nodded, "Yeah, definitely. I'm kind of glad those kids got in. I'm a big supporter of civil disobedience. Unfair rules were meant to be broken."
Not to be outdone Aang felt the opportunity to impress come his way, "That's exactly why I let them into the building!"
At exactly that moment the door flew open and a torrent of children flooded into the apartment screaming and running and looking for anything that might continue their sugar rush. A lamp broke as it was thrown against the wall, eggs flew overhead and the crowd only grew larger as the invasion pressed on.
"Come on everyone, on to the fire escape!" Zuko yelled, sounding the retreat. He glared at Aang, "Great call by the way."
Aang blushed and pulled his skull mask over his face.
Once safe, Sokka looked back on the destruction inside the apartment through the glass door leading to the fire escape. "Who would have thought rules existed for a reason?" he mused, blowing bubbles out of his costume's pipe.
Aang sank into a crouch completely ashamed. Depressed, he made his way past his distracted friends unnoticed. He reached the ladder and climbed his way down to his apartment level, hoping he never had to see anyone from the party ever again.
It took the combined strength of Zuko, Azula and Mai to restrain Ty Lee as she attempted to run back into the apartment. "No!!" The girl shouted, "I don't matter! I need to rescue my candy!"
"Ty Lee," Sokka said, trying his best to sooth her rage, "Calm down, there will be other candy."
"Not this time ponytail guy!" She shouted. Her hand flew Azula's waistband and produced the same pistol they'd tortured Zuko with. "This is a job for action!!"
Sokka blinked horrified, "Man I'm glad that's fake."
Zuko's eyes widened. "Sokka, as much as it pains me to admit it, you're a genius."
Sokka grinned, and indicated his deerstalker hat, "Hey, this isn't just a clever costume, right Katara?"
He was met with silence. He turned around and found both his sister and Aang absent. His eyes met Jet's. Both boys shrugged and returned to the matter at hand.
Aang sighed as he stared off at the city lights from his solitary perch. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around and came face to face with Katara. Cheeks scarlet he averted his eyes from hers and stared off in another direction.
"What are you doing?" She asked concernedly.
"Waiting for the great pumpkin." Aang groaned defeated. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I screwed up big time," he moaned.
"Hey, come on its not such a big deal." Katara said comfortingly, "If I know Zuko and Azula they'll clear those kids out in no time."
"I guess that's true." Aang said in a monotone.
She continued, "And, for what its worth, I know why you let them in." His heart stopped.
"Y-you do?"
"Yeah", Katara said, "You wanted to make sure I got the traditional sort of Halloween you knew I wanted." He blushed and his head drooped into his chest. "And I guess I just want to say thank you…"
"For?"
"Caring," Katara said, kissing him on the cheek. Remaining there for a moment she whispered in his ear, "Also it gave me an excuse to get away from that arrogant Jet guy. It's like he doesn't even hear you speak, just keeps going on about his ideas."
Aang couldn't be sure which made him smile more.
A loud bang ripped through the room as the children headed toward the cauldron of candy corn. Startled, they looked around as a boy in a superman suit was thrown into the center of the living room, bleeding from a gunshot wound.
Zuko ran in, gun out yelling, "Who's next?!"
Screams echoed through the apartment as the children turned tail and ran, leaving behind the victim's body.
When the last kid left Jet extended a hand to be helped up. As Azula lifted him to his feet, he couldn't help but smile at the way her sequined red costume offset her black hair and gold eyes. Using his thumb to point back at Zuko he laughed, "So the sadism's a family trait?"
Azula grinned, "I see my reputation precedes me."
The night ended rather peacefully. Sokka eventually went back to his apartment to catch up with his friends. Azula and Jet spent sometime talking, before he headed out saying thanks and that he'd see Zuko the next morning. Azula had gone to bed soon afterwards, after the apartment had been restored to at least some of its former glory, and Ty Lee had gone into diabetic shock.
Mai leaned against the broom she'd been using for sweeping. "You know Zuko I never did get to say what I wanted to earlier…"
"Oh?" He said, tired but intrigued.
"Well," She admitted, moving into the kitchen, "It's really more of a show." She returned in a moment with the Jack-o-lantern she'd carved earlier in the day.
A heart was carved stylistically into the pumpkin shell, curling in places to emulate old style gothic calligraphy. Zuko struck a match with which to light the candle, as Mai met his eyes.
"Happy Halloween."
THE END
A/N- I genuinely like this story so far which for me reading my own writing is an accomplishment. Feel free to tell me what you're thinking of it so far, it's a pipe dream of mine to move into the double digits (review wise) this chapter.