There was a prolonged squeak as a little white shape rocketed past the witch.

Marvela stared at Asra's raised hand, no longer seeing a tuft of the spirit's fur.

Asra, too, gawked. "Wait—" she said, wincing at her hand, now empty of any black fur.

"Looking for this?" squeaked a voice.

All eyes went to the white rat standing at Asra's feet. Curious panted from exhaustion, but, like Marvela, he wasn't about to give in. He waved the tuft of fur he clutched in his forepaws teasingly.

"Give me that, you thieving little—!"

The witch reached out to snatch the tuft away from the rat, but Curious was too nimble for her. "Whoops!" he yelped, giggling and ducking another swipe from her as he scurried around her. "Too slow!"

Marvela turned away from the rat and the witch back to the spirit. She placed her paws firmly against the black tethers and summoned her magic. "Hang in there, Slight. I'll get you free."

The spirit only groaned in response as the coils continued to grow and writhe around him. Marvela clamped her eyes shut. She let her magic seep into the tendrils she dug her claws into. The writhing coils receded slightly, and their grip slackened. But only for a moment.

Marvela needed to concentrate. She bared her fangs and sank her claws deeper into the tar-like tendrils. She searched deep within herself, summoning every single ounce of magic left lingering inside her.

She was deaf to the sounds of Asra and Curious chasing each other. Deaf to the sounds of Slight's pained breathing. All she heard was a pounding in her ears and the fizzling of the sparks that emanated from her.

The tendrils continued to smother the spirit. She felt them reach and entangle themselves around her too.

But she kept her eyes shut. She kept spilling her magic into the black wisps—willing it to overpower Asra's.

The coils that snaked around her weighed her down, almost suffocating her as they continued to grow.

No.

Slight slumped to the ground under the weight of the tar.

I can do this.

The kitten's legs began to buckle under the weight too.

I am strong.

The kitten collapsed beside the spirit.

I am a witch!

The last traces of her magic flared. Beneath her paws, the inky black lengths of tar ignited from the inside with orange light. There was the smell of smoke in the air. A pained squealing erupted from the tendrils as they began to spasm.

Marvela opened her eyes and sucked in a greedy gulp of air as she felt the tendrils release her and recede and slink back into the ground.

She panted. "Almost..."

There was an abrupt squeak. In the corner of Marvela's eyes, she saw a white shape go flying into the woods. She craned her head around to see Asra, also panting and standing tall behind her. In her white-knuckled fist, she clutched a tuft of black fur.

"Time's up, Marvela," sneered the witch. She again raised her hand high. The wind picked up, stirring the dust around her, and though the starlit sky was clear of any clouds, there came a roll of thunder. "Slight of the spirits, from this night forward, I promise to be your master and you will be my forever subservient—"

Before the witch could finish her vow to complete the ceremony, a dark feathered shape dove from the sky like an arrow shot from a bow. With a screech, Branwenn tore at the tuft in Asra's hand with her beak.

"Branwenn!" Marvela mewed with a gasp.

"Branwenn? Why?" exclaimed Asra as she attempted to swat away the pesky bird. "You're my familiar! Don't you dare disobey me!"

"You can take your magic back!" cawed Branwenn, aglow with green light. "I will no longer serve you! I thought you cared about me! I thought I was your friend! Well, now you have no friends here, Asra! And I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Still pecking at her former witch with her wings flapping about, the crow's beady eyes met Marvela's. "Kitty! Free Slight! Don't worry about me!"

The kitten nodded and turned her attention back to the spirit. In her moment of distraction, the tendrils had strengthened again. She returned to concentrating on directing her magic. Hissing under her breath, the kitten gripped the tentacles tighter as her supply of magic drained. As the last few flecks of it left her, she saw Sable's face in the back of her mind. She felt the memory of Curious' paw patting her star-spot. She remembered the joy of seeing her new friends agree to help her take down Asra.

Heart filling with love, Marvela hoped to return to them.

Her magic swelled, overpowering Asra's with a wave of golden light.

The writhing coils began to glow a blazing orange. There came a chorus of splattering pops as strands of the snaking tendrils burst and slumped to the ground, lifeless.

The spirit stirred beneath her paws. Underneath the slackening strands, his blue flames flickered to life. With a bellow, the spirit reared up, snapping the last of his restraints.

A sudden cyclone enveloped the spirit and tossed Marvela aside. She lay in the dirt, laughing victoriously up at the freed spirit.

"Yes!" howled Slight. He towered over the kitten that had freed him in a protective stance. Those two flames in his head swiveled to the witch dueling with the crow. The full moon splashed his shadow across her.

Asra forced the screaming crow to the ground with a backhanded flurry of green sparks. Slight's fur was clamped in the bird's motionless beak. Asra's haughty grin evaporated as she spun around to find the snarling carved skull of Slight inches from her face. Her skin paled. The corner of her lip spasmed. "Now, now... old friend..." she said, hands raised with palms facing the spirit. "Let's not get hasty—"

The enormous spirit snorted, breathing out a cloud of moths that flapped and fluttered in Asra's face, stirring up her hair. "'Friend?'" hissed Slight. "Like the crow said... You have no friends, Asra."

Marvela watched as the witch's expression contorted. First, her brows went up as she let out a gasp of disbelief. Then they furrowed together, creasing the bridge of her nose. She bared her teeth in a snarl like a feral cat. "I don't need anyone! Not when I have magic! Not when I have power! Not when I have—"

Marvela clapped her paws together with a roll of her eyes. A deluge of bubbling orange goo rained down from the sky, splattering all over the witch.

Asra blinked and sputtered. Heaps of orange goo dribbled down from her hair and face and the length of her dress and congealed in a puddle at her feet. Marvela could already see the potion hardening into a solid mass, holding Asra in place. "What... what is this?" stammered the witch. "Why am I orange?"

The black kitten looked up at Sable's old cauldron suspended in the air above her. With a wave of her tail, the floating cauldron drifted back into the woods where Marvela had hidden it. She padded over to stand beside the spirit challenging Asra. "That's our plan B," said Marvela, feeling her magic reform within her. She scratched at her ear dismissively with a back paw. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

A white shape sauntered from out of the shadows. "Orange is a good color on you," said Curious, chuckling despite his disheveled fur. "Very flattering. Really brings out the rage in your eyes."

The orange witch snarled venomously as she pulled against the stretchy threads of goop that restrained her. "You little monsters!"

Marvela thought back to her old spellbook tucked away in the woods, waiting for her. Orange splatters forever stained its leather cover. No matter how much Asra struggled, Marvela knew for a fact that she would never be free of the orange muck. Marvela imbued it with her replenishing magic that she had received in the Spirit Realm, further enhancing its sticky properties. It was now as solid as diamond.

Curious stiffened. "Oops. Forgot the finishing touch!" He leaped into the air and with a flourish of his long tail, he conjured a puff of orange glitter that settled on the fuming witch, coating her in a layer of glitter atop the muck. "Sparkles!"

"It's over, Asra!" yelled Marvela.

Slight stood to his full height before Asra. The moonlight reflected off his white antlers. The flames atop every tine flickered nefariously. "Now... No more tricks, witch. It's time to go."

This time Asra had nothing left to say. Even Marvela could tell that she was no longer a match for the spirit without the element of surprise. And she was no match for Marvela. Asra had lost her one chance.

The spirit swiveled his skull to stare down at the tiny kitten in his shadow. Gingerly, he reached down to scratch her behind an ear with one hooked talon. Marvela purred and leaned into his hand. "Thank you, witch-cat," he whispered. "You have earned a spirit's favor."

Marvela stopped purring. She craned her head up at Slight. "A favor?" She swallowed. "Could you... Could you take back all the magic she's stolen? And... And return the witches she's destroyed?"

Spiritkind were so very intertwined with magic. They knew its workings better than she ever could. If anyone could reverse the damage and pain Asra had inflected, it would be a spirit.

But the spirit slowly shook his head. "Ah... I am sorry. But I am not that strong."

The kitten's heart sank like a stone in a pond. She sat on the ground, staring at her paws. All this... For nothing...

Then a massive black-furred hand lowered and waited in front of her, palm up. The kitten startled and looked up to see Slight's blue fiery eyes twinkling. One of the flames briefly went dark in a playful wink. "But... With your help, I will be."

Marvela's breath hitched. She stepped up into Slight's hand. He raised her so that they were eye level. "Now, together..." the spirit whispered to her.

Asra quivered as the spirit and the cat turned to her. Her face only grew paler. The whites of her eyes reflected in the moonlight as her eyes were stretched wide. "No! No, you can't! Please! I've worked so hard for this! Please don't take my magic!"

Marvela stared down at the struggling witch from her perch. She shook her head at the person who had taken her witch from her. "Magic never leaves, Asra," the kitten said. "It just takes a new form."

The spirit carrying her began to emanate a blue glow as he called for his magic. Nestled in his hand, Marvela shut her eyes and did the same. She felt both of their auras, blue and orange, entangle with each other—lending each other their strength. The air sizzled with sparks and flashes of lightning. The woods pulsed with their growing power.

They directed that power in a beam at Asra.

From the forest, Lolly and Freckle padded over to stand beside Marvela and Slight. All eyes were on the restrained witch.

Marvela could feel the witch's magic drain as it returned to the spirit that held her, who would return it to its original source. Asra screamed and cursed the whole time. She cursed the spirit who had saved her centuries ago. She cursed the cat who she accused of being no more than a mere familiar.

Fur and whiskers billowing in the gales of wind, the kitten frowned. In the blinding light of the spell, she could just barely make out the silhouette of a crow in the treetops, watching as the last of Asra's magic was sucked away. Those beady eyes were as cold and callous as ever. Asra had had no appreciation for her familiar or familiars in general. With a sly smile, Marvela altered her spell. Her magic spiraled within her, almost like it was laughing in delight at her plan.

There was a crack of thunder, and then the clearing returned to darkness. A score of new figures blinked in confusion in the faint glowing flecks that gently fell to the ground around them.

Olive blinked behind her thick spectacles as she was conjured back into existence in a cloud of smoke. Then she grinned. "Ha! See I told you I had nothing to worry about, kitty!" she exclaimed. "I knew you'd stop Asra."

"I'm back?" said a perplexed Phoebe. "I'm back! Where's Freckle? Oh, there he is!"

"Agatha!" yowled a high voice, as Lolly raced from the woods to leap up into her newly returned witch's arms.

"Lolly, my sweet, beautiful kitty!" Agatha squealed, holding her puffy cat close.

And Marvela smiled at the sight, happy to know that Midnight had been wrong. Not all humans were bad.

The rest of the familiars hiding in the woods followed suit, descending into the hollow to rejoin their beloved witches. Bats swooped and somersaulted in the air in celebration. The rats clapped each other on the back and congratulated each other on a job well done before leaving to return to their subterranean home. Their dark eyes flashed when they whispered to each other that the pumpkin patch—Vigilance's trove of treasures—was now unguarded. The Rottweilers howled and ran off into the night, looking for things to bark at.

The woods reverberated with elated exclamations and tears of joy at the return of the witches.

But there were no tears of joy coming from one flame-colored cat sitting alone. She held her shaking paws up to her face. Her green eyes glistened with seething hatred directed at Marvela. "I'm ruined!" a now powerless Asra wailed. "I'm just an animal! An ugly, weak beast! What have you done to me?"

"If it's any consolation," Curious said to her from Marvela's side. "I think you look prettier now."

Marvela ignored the former witch's lamentations as she searched the crowd of reunited witches and familiars. Her heart lurched. There was no trace of her smiling, rosy-cheeked witch. "But, wait... I don't understand," she mewled to Slight. "Where's my witch?"

"Ah. Your witch..." With a sigh, the spirit knelt beside the kitten. "Your witch is still alive." He lightly pressed a pointing finger to the star on her chest. "In here. Can't you feel her?"

The kitten also held a paw to her chest. Inside, she could feel her magic swirl while it replenished. The increased power of it would take some getting used to, for sure. "Oh... That's right. I still have her magic." A lump rose in her throat. Her eyes stung.

"Don't be sad, witch-cat. She says she's proud of her little star."

Marvela balked at the spirit. "What? You can... You can hear her?"

The spirit nodded. "Yes. She wants you to hold on to her magic. She knows you'll do great things with it. She can't wait to watch you grow."

Marvela touched her paws to her one white spot. "Oh... Sable," she breathed. Tears no longer welled at the corners of her eyes. Instead, she smiled.

Slight stood with a groan. "And now, witch-cat and rat. I must take my leave. The Spirit Realm thanks you and we will make sure this cat will never harm your realm again."

"Bye, Slight," the kitten mewed, stifling a giggle knowing the chewing-out he'd receive from his spirit friends upon returning to his realm. "Try to avoid making any more deals with power-hungry humans in the near future."

Asra hissed and snarled at the spirit that grabbed her in one of his fists. She scratched uselessly at the hand that held her as another portal of blue light spiraled into existence at the spirit's feet. Now just a cat on her ninth life, Asra's green eyes were aflame as she snarled at the black kitten. "I'll get you, you little wretch! Just wait! I'll claw my way back to this realm if I have to! And when I do, I'll—!"

Marvela didn't get to hear the last of her spewed threats before Slight dove into the light with his new familiar. In a flurry of fluttering moths, the portal sealed itself shut.

The kitten let out a sigh of relief. All around her, the bats returned to their bell tower, the rats had already returned to their tunnels, and the witches and familiars of Vigilance dispersed, returning home together.

Finally. It's over.

Black feathers drifted to the ground at her paws. The kitten looked up into the trees to see a crow furiously preening her unkempt feathers from her battle.

"Branwenn!" Marvela meowed.

The crow ceased her preening. She turned her head to the side to glower down at the kitten with one beady eye. "What is it, bitty kitty?

Marvela opened her mouth but then snapped it shut. Despite the crow's snippy attitude, a sadness swam in her dark eyes. Both Marvela and Branwenn knew what fate would befall a familiar who rebelled against their witch. That familiar would forever be severed from magic and could never again serve another witch.

Marvela offered the crow a smile. "Um. Just... Thank you."

The crow's black eye bored through Marvela, and, at first, the kitten thought the bird was going to flutter away without another word. But the crow finally spoke again. "Don't mention it," she squawked. "Ever."

And with that, Branwenn took wing and departed into the night, leaving stray feathers in her wake. Marvela watched her disappear into the sky, hoping for nothing but the best for the former familiar. She felt a familiar presence nuzzle into her side.

"So," Curious began as he, too, stared into the starry abyss above the two of them. "What do we do now?"

The kitten wrapped her tail around him with a smile. "Well, Curious. The night is only just beginning. Let's go see what Halloween is like!"