"Ah, Merlin," Baba-Yaga said, once again in her guise as an old crone. "You try so hard to be a goodie-two-shoes, it's your duty, your desire, your responsibility. But you can't escape you're still the trickster owner of a shop of enchanted objects. Of course, what you have to do in such a position doesn't mix well with what you have to teach your customer that you chose to adopt.
"But 'rule are rules', an on All-Hollows-Eve, the trickster enchanted-item shop owners have an exceptional obligation that simply can't be ignored. Enchanted costumes are standard issue. Thankfully, your adopted child and her close friends couldn't be more distracted. I'll admit, it's nice to see Circe's new devoted actually mixing with the regular population instead of being a shut-in commune. So your duty can be carried out without this unfortunate side being seen.
"After all, dozens, if not hundreds of mythics on the other side of the veil owe their existence to you, either directly though the enchanted costume, or one of their ancestors was your customer. That one young unicorn on the other side of the veil has no idea their one of their parents used to be two people who bought a unicorn costume.
"Though... I'll admit. I didn't expect you to invite me watch the shop with you."
Merlin sighed. "You said it yourself Baba-Yaga, we all have our natures. And on this night where children go door to door asking for treats, I'd rather have YOU where I can keep an eye on you. Least you let your impulses get the better of you."
"How thoughtful of you dear."
++++
Mia was a witchling, as Rexie had explained, though Rexie'd been invited to a more 'grown up' party at the high school as Lexie, Rexie still had an obligation to help her master as much as she could. Though Mia, being Mia, had been surprisingly understanding for a child, and had allowed Lexie to go, and had nearly ordered her to, just to hang out with her friends.
While Merlin had taken command of Mia's magical training in general, the witchling finer points of black magic were of course still connected to Lilith's side.
For Mia, part of her lesson plan was to hex, curse, and otherwise jinx candies given out by her parent that Halloween. These jinxed candies wouldn't cause any long last harm: a random sneeze, tripping, getting raisin cookies or apples or tooth brushes for Halloween, the low level mischief that Rexie would coax Mia into. As much as she could under Merlin's watchful gaze.
Though Mia's grade school friends were all surprised when Mia had chosen to go as a witch for THEIR Halloween party (though Mia admitted she was cheating since for her this wasn't a costume), they figured Mia would go as one of the super popular colorful animals or magical girls owned by the giant corporations that ruled the world.
Mia's friends were also surprised at the addition of Zack to the guest list, most of them still in the 'boys are icky' phase, but as Mia explained, "Zack is special. He's one of the nice ones."
Mia had also made a strange stipulation, that none of her friends could have costumes they were 'owned by the cartoon studios', saying 'I want you to still be you deep down', whatever that meant, but Mia had bribed them with extra (uncursed) candy, and they'd gone along with it.
And there had been a store in the mall selling really good costumes for cheap. And each girl had found a costume that had practically screamed out to them as being perfect, even if they WEREN'T costumes of famous fictional characters. This did lead to some odd stares by other kids who were confused at so many 'classics'. Though strangely, there were no vampire or zombie costumes for sale.
The real reason of course, was that vampires and zombies were soulless corpses reanimated by the curse, and were no longer that person. Some had even ENCOUNTERED their own souls on occasion. And as far as Merlin was concerned, they were already too tragically many vampire and zombie little girls in the world (thank goodness all of them kept to themselves, even on the other side of the veil where most of them resided).
Not all of them were close friends of Mia's, but they were classmates, and they had all accepted her offer of coming in costumes that weren't owned by any corporation (though they would if they could), and in costumes they chosen and bought with their meager savings of their own free will.
Mia's parents were very impressed Mia had managed to get so many guests for her Halloween party!
Each transformation would trigger in turn, and reality with it.
After arriving, most of the guests ignored their host, the real focus being the candy, and the classic Halloween specials, thought to be fair they were children, selfishness was something the overwhelming majority of humans had to be taught out of.
Zack was likewise ignored by the girls, and being the only boy at the party, this left him increasingly awkward. Making him wish he'd brought his goblin along so they could socialize together at least, or that Ayami had been there to look after him.
"Nice wolf costume," said one of the girls, wearing a wolf costume of her own.
"Uh, thanks! I'm Zack!"
"Welcome! And I know silly, Mia introduced you to all of us. My name is Winry! Nice to meet you!" Winry stuck out a cloth paw. Her costume being the cliche of the mouth serving as the opening for the wearer to see through. Zack had personally always found those costumes scary since it made it look like you were being eaten.
"Nice to meet you too," Zack said sticking out a paw of his own, unless Winry, he could actually feel her shake his hand though the glove.
A spark went off. The wolf head's mouth closed, nostrils flared, wet eyes blinked, ears twitched, and muscles moved underneath the furry skin of the silver-gray-white wolf girl. and reality rippled out from her. The first human she had spread the Gift to was her mother while breast feeding, and her mother had spread to Winry's father in the middle of love making. Since then, they had subtly expanded their numbers, being careful never to draw attention to themselves least the police come banging down their doors with silver bullets.
The wolf girl's fur did a perfect job of hiding anything private, but tonight was a special night, and as reality finished changing, a pink dress and shepherd staff appeared on her. The wolf girl frowned slightly.
"Zack," she whispered like she'd known him for years, in this new reality, they had. "You're cheating, you're not wearing a costume, and neither is Mia." Said the little werewolf dressed a Little Bo Peep.
Zack wanted to protest, but the look in Winry's eyes finally made him relent, and five minutes later, he was a literal wolf in sheep's clothing. (The mundane unmagical costumes being a bonus).
Winry kept her 'sheep' from scratching behind his ear.
Paula meanwhile, thought of doing what her fearsome parents had always taught her, make sure everyone knows you're the alpha female in the room. Though she was actually happy to have a party that wasn't dominated by her parents' visions, and no carefully made schedule. And if she had to wrapped herself up in bandages and fake jewelry for that... then so be it.
Against her better judgement she told Mia, "This... isn't a bad party, Mia."
Mia took this completely at face value and said, "You're welcome Paula!"
And once again, a spark. Paula's skin became darker, living their entire life under a desert sun. Her cheap bandages became carefully made silk. Her body dried out, yet somehow still retained its innocent charm. The plastic jewelry became real gold and gems. Her shoes vanished, but she didn't need them. Her eyes became flickering lights in her sockets. She also smelled lovely, like a spice rack. Reality ripped out from her.
Her bed at home became her sarcophagus. She was technically thousands of years old, but having been laid to rest as a child, and still needed education about the modern world the old fashioned way. The Egyptian Princess whose dynasty had long since run its course, carried herself with a calm and poise expected of an immortal Queen. Her adopted parents always treating her with proper respect. She was not impressed with those who compared her with say, a lich, unlike most undead, her eternal unlife came with the blessing from the gods. And as this was a festival of masks, Princess Pyrrha wore a ritual mask of Anubis, to honor this tradition.
"As I am always welcome in your home, you are always welcome my home witchling, you'd perhaps make a good court magician some day." Princess Pyrrha made a slight bow.
"Thanks Princess!" Mia said without any change in her tone or attitude towards the eternal mummy at all.
"But seriously Mia, actually wear a costume," Princess Pyrrha added in a whisper.
Mia thought for a minute, and then took out a pair of utterly non-magical and mundane bunny ears and replaced it with her witch hat. "Ta-da!"
"Most clever."
A little blond girl Fayth, fluttered from one table to the next, dressed in a fairy costume just different enough to keep from getting sued. Her family was moving soon, and this would be her last chance to see any of these girls, or any of these places, as her young mind thought of it. Her big sister by one year, Tiffany had come dressed as what Tiffany insisted was a magic animal she'd seen in a cartoon, but to Fayth looked like just a raccoon. Tiffany for her part, was stuffing her costume's pockets with as much candy as she could.
As the spark happened, Tiffany changed the least from the old reality. She just continued to subtly stuff candy into pockets she formed in her body, the tanuki shifting her form so continued to have new opening to claim more treats. Even if Mia's parents didn't like it, Terumi figured she'd get in no real trouble as her foster family would be moving soon anyway.
"Are Pyrrha, Diedrika, and me the only ones who remembered to come in costume?" Winry asked seeing the Tanuki in nothing but her fur.
Terumi gave the signature Tanuki grin, and her fur changed into dark black cloth, weapons forming out of her own body, even though all she was still wearing was her own skin, she now looked like a Tanuki ninja! (Well, technically a tanuki Kabuki-theater stage-hand with weapons, but few knew that). "Better?!" She giggled.
"Better," Winry admitted.
Terumi had become the adopted sister of Fayth in this new reality in a rather surprising way, her adopted parents had a desperate run in with some Tanuki... The Tanuki, made a gamble for the desperate family, their first born child against their own. But the Tanuki hadn't expected something, the humans actually WINNING the card game... and so the infant Terumi had become Fayth's sister in that day in stead of the other way around.
With the spark Fayth's body got smaller and smaller, her wings growing larger in comparison to her body. Her eyes became solid blue like faceted gems, her blond hair became wild, and two insect feelers grew from her forehead, her fingers becoming longer and her arms and legs skinner. her skin turning a pale blue. Her body lost anything resembling a sex. The word 'it' was not considered an offensive term among fairies. Normally fairies have no shame, but for this day, she wore a doll sized dress of a fairy tale princess. She continued to examine the room without missing a beat, taking in everything, her curiosity only grander now. Plus Rexie wasn't around to tell the fairy to buzz off!
Fayth took pride in the many small miracles she'd been able to help her family is, and being Terumi conscience when she needed it, like right now. Like right now. The fairy gave the Tanuki a slap on the wrist.
"Ow!"
"Have some, don't horde some."
"Fine."
The last spark was for the girl Diedrika, dressed as a bright purple dragon. She'd hated Mia's condition that they go as "characters that weren't interesting" as Diedrika had thought of it, so in her imagination, she pretended she was a particular dragon from a video game she liked, if only very similar to mock Mia's condition. But lots of free candy was free candy. And she was friends with most of the other girls here.
The ripple in reality came and went. A little Drake became far more relaxed as he curled up on the couch. He was wearing the top half a Tuxedo and glasses, claiming he was dressed up as a secret agent.
The baby dragon stretching himself and his wings out like a cat, ready to take a quick nap... until Terumi sat on him him. "OW! HEY!" And he set the raccoon-dog's tail on fire in surprise.
"EEEHHH!" The tanuki panicked.
"Hold on!" Mia made a quick gesture, making dark clouds to ruin sunny days was a witchling 101, and now she used it to quickly produce a storm cloud that instantly put out Terumi.
"... Thank you Mia!"
"Drake! That was mean!" Fayth said.
"She sat on me!"
"Terumi!"
"I didn't see 'em! Honest!"
Drake accepted the apology after a minute more, then decided to impress his friends with how easy it was for a dragon to make S'mores.
Mia the witchling could very much say he had a good Halloween party with her friends.