"I can't believe you actually volunteered for this Buffy," Xander commented for the fifth time that afternoon.
The blonde protector of humanity known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer just shrugged and grinned at her friend. "Honestly guys, I didn't think that Snyder would draft you like that. But it is so worth it after seeing the look on Snyder's face when I showed him I had already volunteered for the Trick or Treat program."
"Yeah, even I have to admit, that was cool," Willow agreed.
They were all at the new costume shop, "Ethan's", looking for costumes to wear for when they would be escorting a lot of costumed kids around town for Trick or Treating. Xander, who had been planning to dress up purely for the novelty factor beforehand, was much disappointed when his costume idea for a soldier fell through when the fatigues he had searched for all afternoon had mysteriously disappeared, before he found out his mother had donated the box they had been in to the Salvation Army.
Buffy, almost as soon as she was in the store, had noticed a beautiful medieval style noble woman's dress, which was pretty, but she didn't really have any reason to spend money on something like that. Besides, there were so many other, much cooler costume selection.
Most of it, unfortunately, were demon costumes, and ever since the Nightmare made real adventure, where Buffy had been turned into a vampire, not a real one thankfully, but she was definitely not going to invest in anything even remotely demonic.
"Hey guys," Willow suddenly bounced in front of them, holding a packaged costume, "Ya gotta love the classics!" She was holding a ghost costume, with a 'Boo!' printed on the front.
"Willow, Willow, Willow," Xander 'tsked', "You're missing the whole point of Halloween."
"Free candy?" she offered a guess.
"No, it's getting to dress up, be somebody you aren't," Buffy picked up the argument while taking the ghost costume out of Willow's hands, "It's come as you aren't night, and if I have to beat you bloody and dress you up myself, we're going to dress you up for Halloween as the most un-Willow-like thing we can imagine."
Gulping, Willow's brain spoke before her mouth could shut itself, "A, uh, a frog?"
"No," Buffy scrunched her face up in confusion, then remembered Willow was actually afraid of frogs.
"Hey guys, check this out," Xander called them over to a section that was right in between the Adult costumes, and the kiddie costume, which was where most of the crowd was.
"What's up Xan?" Buffy asked as she dragged Willow over, making sure she left the ghost costume behind.
"You ever watch Saturday morning cartoons?" he asked, sounding very serious as he eyed several items on a shelf before them.
"Yeah, just cause I'm the Slayer doesn't mean I'm not still a teenager," Buffy guffawed at him.
"Ever watch Pokemon," he pointed at the plastic toy "Poke'balls" which just happened to be next to several black, brown, and red haired wigs, as well as a familiar red and white hat. The actual costumes however were much too small for the nearly adult teens.
"Uh-uh, no way, not gonna happen Xander, I absolutely refuse," Buffy made her voice sound very firm. Even though, thanks mostly to her sister, she had seen all the movies so far and could actually name a large number of the nearly 400 species of Pokemon.
"Oh good, that means I can go and get the ghost costume. . . " Willow started to walk away, when Buffy grabbed her by the collar, keeping her from going anywhere, the blonde's eyes never leaving Xander, and his proposition.
"Only if Willow goes as Misty," she said with finality.
Xander's grin almost outshone the sun, until Buffy continued, this time with an evil grin, "And you go as either Brock or Tracy."
Grumbling, Xander challenged, "So who will you be going as? Nurse Joy? Officer Jenny?" One, if they had ears, could hear the anticipation in Xander's voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Buffy snorted and rolled her eyes while grabbing several key items, namely a dozen and a half of the Poke'balls, thankfully they were going at 50� a piece, a Poke'Dex, the red and white hat, and a black, boyishly short wig. "I'm going as the star of the show. The one time my height deficiency comes in handy. Here are your Poke'Balls. Oh, and Willow, Dawn has a Togepei doll that I don't think she'll mind you borrowing for the night."
"Uh, Buff, hate to break this to you, but Ash Ketchum is a guy," the teen reminded her, even as he was taking a green vest off the rack along with some convenient packs that matched exactly with the ones on the show. Together with the items Buffy had gotten the total would come to around $25. Well within their combined price range.
"Do I have to repeat myself about how this is come as you aren't night?" Buffy growled.
"No," Xander said carefully, but still skeptical about this. "But if we're going for authenticity, shouldn't you grab a Pikachu doll too? Really, I don't mind going as Brock, he's at least smart and patient, and. . . "
That did it. Now Buffy was going to do this all just to spite Xander, and to get Willow in 'Misty' attire, which was as far from 'Willow' attire as Buffy could imagine.
"All right, fine!" Buffy snapped at her friend, "I'll prove exactly how wrong you are Mister Brock is the best! Besides, there's the party at the Bronze with a prize for the best costume, and just to prove to you how much I'm going to do this, I'm going to win that prize! And Willow and you are coming with me!"
"Ooookay," Xander looked at Willow who shrugged, not to clear on what Buffy was talking about either.
"OK. It's settled then," Buffy announced as she in quick order paid for all of their purchases and lead them out of the shop.
"Uh, what's settled?" Willow dared to ask as they walked along.
"I'm going as Ash Ketchum, Xander is going as Brock, and Willow is going as Misty," Buffy announced cheerfully as they walked along.
Xander and Willow shared one last, 'We're in trouble' look, as they followed Buffy.
The next afternoon, found Willow over at Buffy's house, getting ready for the Trick or Treating that night. /'Why oh why didn't I go back for that ghost costume?'/ Willow asked herself silently as she stared at herself in Buffy's full mirror.
She was wearing a very small, in her opinion, yellow tank top that hugged her older-than-13 curves as well as left her midriff completely bare, and a pair of short short shorts that Buffy had loaned her, and while her best female friend was decidedly more female and curvy than Willow herself was, the shorts were particularly tight on her slightly wider hips and waist. Red suspenders, which Willow had brought with her out of her father's drawer at home, were hooked to the shorts that didn't need them at all to be perfectly honest. And then she wore sneakers and socks. And that was it.
Well, of course she had on underwear, she wasn't stupid. She just didn't want people to see her underwear. Or what wasn't currently covered by her clothing. Why hadn't she gone back for that safe, comfortable full body sheet ghost costume?
Helplessly, Willow tried to pull the yellow shirt down further, as far as she could pull it. Didn't matter. Even pulling it and stretching it as far as it could go, it did not even reach half way to her navel. Whimpering, Willow just put her arms over her midriff, trying to hide her pale, smooth skin. And she had never worn shorts this short, or tight, before! Good thing she had been shaving every day since the day her mother had first taught her. The one time Sheila Rosenberg was not absent was during Willow's twelfth and thirteenth years of life.
Willow absently wondered, if because of her mother's strict, yet present guidance during those years of change had made her somewhat repressed.
One look at the cowering, yet undeniably beautiful girl in the mirror tended to answer the question with a yes.
"Hey, so, what do you think?" Buffy's voice came from behind her.
Still with her arms trying to cover herself, she turned to look, and her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. If it weren't for Buffy being 16 instead of 10, and the now extremely subtle clues that she was female, she looked exactly like a real life version of Ash Ketchum, the hero of the Pokemon cartoon.
"Wow," Willow whispered in awe, unconsciously dropping her arms as she stared in disbelief. Buffy had on a dark haired wig, which was barely being held in check by the red and white hat from the shop, but somehow, in a way Willow couldn't tell or understand, made the wig look like it was Buffy's natural hair, growing straight out of her head.
"Wow yourself," Buffy whistled at Willow in her 'Misty' costume.
Turning red, practically all over, Willow's arms immediately went back around her waist, wishing she had something to cover up with, even though only Buffy was seeing her. As she did, she took in the rest of Buffy's costume. A black t-shirt with a small blue jacket, with white short-sleeves, over it. Regular, but still form-fitting, one of the subtle things revealing Buffy's true identity, blue jeans and sneakers. On the bed beside them was the green and red packs Xander had grabbed from the shop, the green one for Buffy, the red sack-like pack for Willow.
"Oh, hey, almost forgot," Buffy quickly disappeared down the hall a moment before reappearing, carrying two stuffed dolls with her. "My sister is like a total Pokemon fanatic. She has at least two of these, so I'm taking the one I know she won't miss," holding up a yellow and orange stuffed animal. It had two pointed ears, with black fur on the tips, as well as a wide expression-filled face with black jewels as eyes, two big orange colored cheeks, which matched the orange stripes on it's back, and it's lightning jagged edge tail, also tipped in black fur. It had four feet, and was as cute as any stuffed animal could be. The Pikachu doll was in pristine condition, as far as Willow could tell.
"The other Pikachu doll is like the first one she ever got, and it's kinda ratty, but I know she would never forgive me if I took that one, so I'll just take the nicer one," Buffy said with a bright, 'got-the-best-of-sister' smile.
"Oh, and can't forget Togepei," Buffy handed Willow the other, white, blue and red egg-shaped doll.
Willow almost smiled as she took the doll, for once forgetting that she was practically half-naked. But only for a moment.
"Now, quick, before Xander gets here, let's do your hair," Buffy said as she quietly forced Willow to sit down in front of her bureau.
"Couldn't I just wear a wig, like you are?" Willow begged.
"No. And why would you besides? You've already got red hair, now we've just got to style it in that on-the-side ponytail thing. And Xander's not wearing a wig," she pointed out as she began brushing Willow's long auburn hair.
"Xander is going as Brock," Willow pointed out with a pout, still trying to cover herself up, "and on top of that, he doesn't have to have anime hair to pull it off! Couldn't I just leave my hair down and tell people I'm Misty on a bad hair day? And come to think of it, I wouldn't mind being Nurse Joy even. At least she gets a whole dress."
Buffy stopped and looked at Willow in the mirror.
"Wills, stop it," she snapped. "You are a beautiful young lady and you have nothing, I repeat nothing to be ashamed about. Hey, you got it, flaunt it, I always say. Actually, come to think of it, Cordelia always says that, doesn't she? Ah well, good advice in this case. Besides, imagine Cordy's face when she checks out the hotness that is Willow Rosenberg tonight."
Willow's eyes went wide and she paled several degrees further. Buffy leaned down and whispered into the natural redhead's ear, "Don't worry about it. You are beautiful, and you're going to be the fiery-tempered Misty of the Cereulean Gym for tonight at least. Start acting like it. This is going to be fun. I promise."
Willow, detecting the earnestness in Buffy's voice, actually relaxed a little, but didn't say anything further as Buffy worked her hair, almost expertly as she watched, into a very close, albeit real approximation of the character's hairstyle.
"There, all done," Buffy announced. A moment later, the front doorbell rang. "And just in time too. C'mon. Dawn's probably already gotten the door and is now drooling over her major crush looking actually decent. Although orange and green, what kind of color scheme is that really?"
"Buffy?" Willow called.
"Yeah?" the Slayer turned to look at her friend.
"I'm not the only one that needs to get into character," she glumly announced, causing 'Ash' to falter for a bit, obviously thinking it over.
When Willow saw the broad grin on her friend's face however, she immediately regretted saying anything at all.
"Gosh! You're right! C'mon Misty, let's go!" the young lady shouted over-exuberantly, tugging Willow along helplessly.
'Why didn't I get that ghost costume?!' she mentally shouted a final time.
Xander waited patiently at the door, dreading, and yet knowing without any doubt, who would be the first one at the door. Finally he gathered up enough courage and rung the doorbell. Three seconds later, there was a loud pounding on the other side, which got steadily closer, until the door was flung open by a very excited, and widely grinning, and short, Little Red Riding Hood.
"XANDER!" 9-year-old Dawn Summers shouted before leaping herself into Xander's surprised arms. He barely managed to catch her, and then had to quickly adjust his hold so as to keep from dropping her.
Grinning at the child crush behavior he knew oh so well, Xander greeted with equal happiness, "Dawn Patrol! And how's my favorite little bedtime story character? Seen any Big Bad Wolves around? If so, you just tell Brock the Pokemon Breeder about it and I'll chase'em away to defend your honor."
Dawn giggled, and was still doing so when Buffy, with a very reluctant Willow behind her, came down the stairs.
"Wow," Xander stopped everything and just stared at his two best friends. If it weren't for the fact that Brock was 18 and Misty 13 on the TV show, Xander had the distinct feeling that Brock most definitely wouldn't mind getting pulled back by the ear so much. Good thing both he and Willow were 17.
Buffy however, was practically a completely different person. From the male clothing, to the goofy, overenthusiastic grin on her face. But for Xander, there was just something so darn sexy about a beautiful girl in men's clothing. He didn't know why.
Willow's entire face easily matched her hair, if not turning a few degrees redder at Xander's reaction, while Buffy's grin got even wider and became much less forced. Dawn however took one look at the two older girls and then at Xander's reaction and glared at her sister and friend, almost growling.
"Not bad," Buffy commented looking Xander up and down. "Lookin' good Brock-o," she added in a rather cheap imitation of her character.
"Well thanks Ash," Xander said in a monotone while trying to gruff up his voice a little. To everyone's surprise it easily matched with the voice from the TV show and made them all do double takes at the costumed Slayerette. "Ready to go and check out all the costumed ladies?" he added in his normal voice, again, sounding more like the character than anyone thought possible.
Buffy chuckled and nodded, grabbing Willow by the arm to keep her from running back up the stairs and hiding beneath a sheet. "Sure am. Oh! Almost forgot our packs. Be right back," she turned around and began leaping the stairs four at a time, much easier in jeans than when she tried it with a skirt.
"Xander!" she shouted once she was at the top of the stairs, "Make sure Wills doesn't run away screaming like she saw a bug!"
Xander laughed and then gave his longest friend a stern look as she made signs of making a run for it. After that, she just sighed and stayed where she was, looking miserable, and awkwardly trying to cover her stomach.
"You all right Misty? "Xander asked, still a laugh in his voice. "Did you eat something to make you sick?"
"Very funny Xander," Willow growled, sounding much like her own character in that moment.
Xander indulged in one last laugh and then went over to his friend and patted her gently on the shoulder, supporting her. "Hey, believe it or not Wills, you look good. And I love what you did with your hair. How much mousse did Buffy have to use anyway?"
Willow's eyebrows went up in wonderment herself as she answered, "A lot. Should have gotten a wig. At least artificial hair can stiffen out and look like anime hair. And how the hell does that girl get her hair to do that anyway? I mean, I've seen her with her hair down, it's almost as long as mine, and she puts the pony tail on the side!! Who does that?"
"Apparently she does," Xander replied easily with a broad grin.
At that moment, Buffy came back down with her own green pack and Willow's red bag. "I put six of those plastic Poke'balls in each of the bags, and Xander, here are yours," she said handing the items to her friends. She slipped her pack on and then pulled a belt practically out of nowhere, all with six of the plastic Poke'balls attached.
Dawn, for whatever reason, found this exciting, and clapped happily.
"Yay! You're going to wear it!" she exclaimed.
Buffy nodded, and then frowned as she took off one of the balls. "Gotta be accurate," she said as she pulled out the Pikachu doll from her pack. At the looks she was getting from her friends however, she was forced to explain. "When I told Dawn and Mom about my costume, Dawn insisted I get a Trainer's belt. We had a small argument over it, so Mom made me work with Dawn in making one, or do a month's worth of chores. I chose wear the belt for one night."
"Good choice," Xander agreed. "Well, shall we go?"
"Yeah lets go! Gotta get out into the world if I'm going to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master!" Buffy exclaimed. Everyone, even Dawn just stared at her, causing her to sigh and lose a lot of the fake bluster, "Yeah, it sounded lame to me too," she admitted before leading the way out the door, the Pikachu doll tucked securely under her arm.
Willow, reluctantly, and half dragged by her two friends, came out last, using the Togepei doll to mostly cover up her exposed abdomen. She followed along, not at all looking forward to leading children around without the support of her friends. Maybe she could just make her group follow theirs around all night?