This month’s mystery egg Patreon reward. It’s up to Snowheart to become a magical child and save Halloween.
Candy Fiend Showdown
By CalexTheNeko
Snowheart had just been out for a walk on Halloween night. The pink kitsune enjoyed seeing all the kids running around in their costumes, especially the more creative ones. She regretted she had been unable to wear a costume herself. It wasn’t because she was an adult, that wouldn’t stop her. She had just been so busy this month that Halloween had gotten here before she even had time to think about what she’d have to go as. But, she could live vicariously through the children and have fun seeing the ideas they had come up with. At least that had been the plan.
But as she rounded the street corner what she saw was less a night of fun and costumes and more pure chaos. There were kids standing in the street crying holding bags or buckets. Many of them had parents trying to calm them, but not succeeding as the children kept trying to tell them something that the adults clearly wouldn’t believe. Some kids were getting angry at others, looking ready to start a fight. And others just looked dejected. The only thing they all had in common was that rather they had a bucket or a bag it was completely devoid of candy.
“What’s going on?” The pink kitsune asked with genuine concern in her voice.
“The Candy Fiend.” A voice spoke up near her ankles. As Snowheart looked down she saw there was just a silver colored cat. And it wasn’t a walking and talking animal like her, just a normal cat. And yet she had heard her speak.
“Did… You just talk?” Snowheart looked at the cat.
“Did you just hear me?” The cat looked up at Snowheart with curious gold eyes. “That’s… Very unusual.”
“Is it?” Snowheart had a lot of experiences in her life. A talking animal was far from the weirdest. She had even been one more than a few times herself.
“Normally only kids can hear me.” The cat explained. “Name’s Sammie. And what you are witnessing here is a tragedy. It’s all been stolen away.”
“Stolen?” Snowheart looked at all the empty bag and buckets. “Someone took the candy?”
“Yes, and is devouring it right in front of the children.” Sammie replied. “It’s no wonder they’re upset.” She looked up at Snowheart. “You can hear me, but you can’t see the Candy Fiend. That is interesting.”
“Should I be able to see this fiend?” Snowheart saw no reason to doubt the talking cat. But she had no idea what she was talking about either.
“No, and you shouldn’t be able to hear me either.” Sammie replied. “Only kids can hear me, and only kids can see the Candy Fiend.” The cat paused and smirked. “Ah. I see. You have a very innocent soul. Child-like in nature. It’s enough that you to still perceive positive spirits like me… But as you’ve grown up you’ve lost perception and forgotten the bad ones.”
“Could you explain that a little better?” Snowheart asked.
“There are spirits in this world that only children can see.” Sammie explained. “I’m one of them. We take many forms. Positive spirits like me might be an imaginary friend, an animal that a kid believes can talk, or a friendly ghost that only they can see. We exist off positive emotions. As long as we continue to make children happy we continue to sustain ourselves and exist. The negative spirits… They’re the opposite. They require negative emotions, fear, anger and sorrow to survive. So they take the forms of monsters under the bed, boogeymen, and now the Candy Fiend.”
“I remember thinking there was a monster under my bed as a kid.” Snow heart looked thoughtful. “But I realized it was just my imagination getting away from me as I got older.”
“Oh it was very much real.” Sammie explained. “As was any positive magical experience.” The cat looked thoughtful. “This fiend… He’s gone overboard. This is simply beyond generating enough fear to sustain itself, it’s causing chaos and ruining the night.”
“I see…” Snowheart replied. “Well, I don’t see… You’re saying, I can only see positive spirits?”
“Adults usually can’t see us spirits at all.” Sammie explained. “But particularly pure or wicked adults can sometimes see the spirits that align with their own hearts.”
“Huh.” This was quite the revelation to Snowheart. How many imaginary things had she experienced as a kid that were actually real? “Well… Isn’t there some way to stop it? Is there a way I can help?”
“If you can’t see it, he doesn’t exist to you. You wouldn’t be able to interact with him.” Sammie explained. “But… If we had a kid brave enough to stand up to him.” The cat looked thoughtful. “Actually, I think you can fight him. Tell me, do you have the courage to stand up to monsters even if they’re bigger than you?”
“I think so.” Snowheart nodded.
“In that case, form a contract with me.” Sammie flashed what Snowheart was sure was a smirk. “I’ll turn you into a kid again so you can see the fiend, and in exchange for becoming a child will grant you magical powers so you can fight him. If you can defeat him, he’ll be forced to return the candy and Halloween will be saved. So, are you willing to become a chil-“
“Yes.” Snowheart said without hesitation.
“Wow.” Sammie was taken aback. “I thought you’d need time to deliberate, weight the pros and cons, deciding if fighting a monster was worth the risk, or if you could take being a kid again…”
“It’s not really an abnormal experience for me.” Snowheart shrugged.
“Okay, wow, I have a lot of questions there. But, we have a contract.” Samme was not used to others being stranger than her. “You’ll experience some other physical changes aside from your age since I’m the spirit you made the pact with. But, once you’re ready to fight, all you need to do is speak my name and say ‘Magic Hour.’ After that the change will begin and-”
“And I can teach that mean monster a lesson for picking on the kids.” Snowheart pumped one fist into her other hand. She was not a violent person. But she could not abide bullies. “Alright let’s do this. Sammie, Magic Hour!”
“Wait, we haven’t had time to explain the plan or what your powers will even be!” Sammie protested but it was too late. The silver cat floated into the air and eyes became glowing white orbs. Rays of light shot out from the orbs striking Snowheart.
As soon as Snowheart was struck she began to shrink and get younger. Her clothes were becoming loser, but that was hardly a problem. Snowheart held out her arms and suddenly a black and silver top with a cape appeared on her. Next she kicked up each leg and the same black and silver fabric appeared covering the lower half of her body stopping at her paws. Her paws, which now had retractable claws. Snowheart spun around as her three tails merged into one thinner one and bell appeared tied to the end of it. She moved a hand across the top of her head, as her fox ears became more triangular shaped. Then she wiped her hand across her face as silver domino mask appeared on it. With that, the changes were complete, and she struck a pose, balanced on one leg arms held up ready to fight. She was now an eight-year-old kitten, dressed in some kind of black and silver outfit that reminded her of superheroes.
“Gah!” Sammie fell to the ground after Snowheart had finished changing. “You could have let me finish.” However, Snowheart didn’t hear this. It wasn’t because she was deliberately ignoring the cat. It was because she could now see the fiend.
He was at least ten feet tall, an ugly monster with green skin, a considerable girth, and tiny wings that looked too small to actually function. It had tusks that stretched out past the end of its head. Then its only clothing was a belt which had several large bags stuffed with candy. The monster was greedily scooping up handfuls at a time and throwing them into its giant maw, not even bothering to unwrap them.
“Hey!” Snowheart ran forward towards the monster trying to get its attention. She got a lot of people’s attentions. The adults on the street were watching her as if she was crazy. The kids saw someone finally standing up to the monster. And the monster…
“What’s this? Another kid in a costume?” He laughed in a growling voice. “Sorry kid, dressing up as a hero doesn’t make you a real hero.”
“This is no dress up.” Snowheart grinned and ran for the monster. It swung a heavy fist at her as she jumped around it and kicked it, doing absolutely nothing.
“Hmph, fast little thing, but weak like all children.” The Candy Fiend grinned.
“Uhhhh, how do I hurt it?” Snowheart asked in a nervous voice.
“If you had let me finish explaining.” Sammie ran up to Snowheart’s side. “Once transformed, you can summon a magic spear. It’ll act as both a spear allowing you to damage spirits, and a wand to purify them once they’re defeated.”
“What’s purifying do?” Sammie asked.
“Changes them back to their most basic and least powerful of forms.” Sammie explained. “Like I would become well, a normal cat.” Sammie shook her head. “But you should be focused on the fight! Hold your hand above your head and focus on the image of a spear in your mind!”
“Right!” Snowheart threw her hand up and as told. At that exact moment a great light appeared as a spear with a silver pole and a golden point formed in her hand. There was also a gem that seemed to keep shifting colors on the base of the spear. Snowheart thought she had an idea of how it worked.
“Wait… How’d you get that! What spirit is foolish enough to earn my ire and forge a contract with a puny kid like you?” The Candy Fiend demanded.
“Seriously?” Sammie asked. “I’m right here.”
“Oh, a puny spirit like you is going to make a champion to fight me?” The fiend billowed. “This will be good.”
“HAAAAAAAAA!” Snowheart didn’t like being underhanded, but the guy was a big bully. While he was insulting Sammie she launched a surprise attack and struck forward with her spear striking into his side. Snowheart was relieved to see there was no blood when she struck the creature. Instead it was like striking a shadow and somehow tearing away a piece of it.
“Arrrgh!” The fiend shouted. “Ok, seriously, no manners on this one.”
“She is a little rash.” Sammie quickly put some distance between herself and the battlefield as she was not a fighter herself. “But she has pure heart, making her a nightmare for well… nightmares like you.”
“I’ll show you who’s a nightmare!” The fiend held up his own hand causing his own magical weapon to appear. Although it appeared to be just a giant wooden club. But he swung it at Snowheart with blinding speed.
“Ugh!” Snowheart managed to hold her spear up to block it. She was pushed backwards a few feet but was surprised she hadn’t been blown away. But wait… A magical transformation, weapons. Of course! She was a real hero with real powers! Meaning she was way stronger and faster than a normal kid. And against someone like this… Speed was going to help more than raw strength. “Going to make sorry for every kid you stole from tonight.” Snowheart ran in a circle around the fiend striking out with her spear where she could ripping away more shadowy wisps.
“I ain’t apologizing for nothing!” The Candy Fiend declared. “And when I beat ya down gonna steal that pretty spear and use it on your cat friend.” As dimwitted as he seemed, he had enough foresight to swing his weapon where Snowheart was going instead of where she was at. He brought it down vertically aiming to crush her.
“Gah!” Snowheart did a backflip barely dodging the club as it destroyed part of the street. This got a reaction from the adults who couldn’t see what had caused a hole to suddenly open up. Then there was a lot of murmur about sink holes, but Snowheart couldn’t focus on that right now. “You really shouldn’t have threatened my friend.” She paused. “Hey Sammie, I know we just met but I can call you my friend now right?”
“Uh sure.” Sammie shouted back from where she was hidden in safety. “I mean I like you too I guess.”
“Right!” Snowheart turned back to the Candy Fiend. “You shouldn’t have threatened my friend.
“And you shouldn’t talk so much!” The Candy Fiend did a sweeping blow with his cub. This time, Snowheart jumped and landed atop his club, running straight up his arm and stabbing the spear into the top of his head before jumping down his back dragging the blade of the spear through it. This was something she never would have done against a biological creature. But, a shadowy nightmare monster that terrified children? That got no mercy.
“Arrgggh!” Light erupted from the large wound as the Candy Fiend fell forward onto all fours.
“Now’s your chance!” Sammie shouted. “You can purify him.”
“I think I know how this works.” Snowheart spun her spear in the air above her as the gem began to glow. “Time to purify!” She slammed the spear into the ground blade first as the crystal on the end emitted an enormous wave of rainbow light that covered the monster completely. He let out a scream and slowly shrunk down in size, disappearing as the candy that was in his bags magically flew back to its proper owners. As for the fiend himself… His club disappeared and where he had been was a grumpy looking toad. It gave Snowheart a mean look before hopping away.
At this point all the children began to cheer. The parents were completely clueless, but the candy was back and the kids were happy so they chose not to question it. Whatever this nightmare was over.
“Good job.” Sammie ran up to him. “Back to his basic form it’ll take a long time for him to build up enough power to try something like that again. And I think he’ll think twice after the beating you gave him.”
“I’m just happy to help all the kids.” Snowheart grinned and held her spear up as it disappeared. She was getting a good feel for how her powers worked. “So… Now that he’s taken care of. What magic words do I say to change back to normal?”
“I never said you could do that.” Sammie replied.
“Wait… You mean, I’m stuck as an eight-year-old kitten?” Snowheart gave the cat a blank stare.
“Yes, I wanted to explain that but you kind of rushed-“
“So that means I can go trick or treating tonight!” Snowheart spoke gleefully as she picked up one of the empty bags left behind by the fiend and began to head for the nearest house.
“Strange girl.” Sammie gave a sheepish grin. “But… Maybe just what the world needs right now. Plenty of other negative spirits that overdue it.” Sammie watched how happy Snowheart looked as she ran to her first house. “But, I think I can wait to tell her about that till tomorrow. She’s earned a night of fun.”