(Picture above, she never actually wears, but it sounded cute so I did it anyway.)

Five Months Later...

"HALLOWEEN!" I crow, bouncing up and down on my heels in excitement. "I LOVE HALLOWEEN!"

Katelyn laughs at my giddiness. "This is the most jumpy I've seen you since you guys go back from the lodge. What is it about Halloween?"

"I LOVE IT!" I scream, jumping up and down. "I can be anything I want to be, anyone I want to be!"

"What are you dressing up as this year?" Katelyn asks.

"I don't know." I admit. "But I'll come up with something! I always do."

Kawaii~Chan looks up. "Ooooh, Kawaii~Chan thinks you'd look really cute as a werewolf!" She says happily. "Kawaii~Chan has always wondered what it would feel like to have ears and tail..."

Katelyn and I exchange a glance. "Um, Kawaii~Chan, you already have ears and a tail." I tell her.

She beams. "Kawaii~Chan knows that, Violet~Sama, but Kawaii~Chan meant werewolf ears and tails! Werewolf ears supposedly are suuuper fluffy... Meif'wa ears are a bit soft, but not like that."

I laugh. "All right, Kawaii~Chan, you got me there. Anyway... I still need a costume. I'm thinking... Ladybug, bumblebee, or witch."

"How'd you get from bugs to Lucinda?" Katelyn asks, then grins. "Nevermind. I answered my own question."

I snicker. "No, Katelyn, I just love costumes. All different kinds. I kinda wanna be a ladybug. It matches my hair, anyways."

"Can't wait to see a ladybug with purple eyes." Katelyn says, laughing. "You realize you're the only one dressing up this year."

"Nuh-uh! Lucinda always dresses up in her witch-y outfits!" I protest. "I'm going to go over to Lucinda's house to see if she can't conjure me up one."

"You are cutting Halloween a bit close." Katelyn agrees.

"Say hello to Lucinda~Sama for Kawaii~Chan!" KC says. I nod and wave goodbye, heading to her house. I notice a familiar white-haired someone heading into her backyard and stop.

That's weird...

Travis isn't someone who would just run into someone's property without permission. Not Lucinda's anyway. He's way too scared of her wrath to do that.

I follow him back just in time to catch him say "---person asking around about you guys."

"Huh?" Lucinda's voice says. I creep forward until I can see her and Travis. Lucinda is in her witch costume, hat and all. IN YOUR FACE, KATELYN! "What do you mean?" Lucinda asks.

"Well, there was someone going around the neighborhood asking about anyone who's visited the lodge you guys had gone to."

My heart stops.

"Huh?" Lucinda gasps. "Was it... the same person visiting Aphmau?"

Someone's visiting Aph? Who?

"Nah, it was just some person asking around the other day." Travis says nonchalantly.

"What did they ask?" Lucinda says.

"They were asking if anyone we knew had gone to the... Ro'Meeeave-Lycan Lodge up in the mountains a few months ago."

I let out a gasp, a sharp pang in my chest alerting me to the fact that I hadn't been breathing for the past minute.

"Honestly, we didn't know the person, so we didn't answer." Travis continues. But they're still looking. "But they were really concerned about something that happened there a few months ago."

I clutch at my chest, trying to still my beating heart. I know if I stay there any longer, I'll scream at Travis and demand who it was. So I run from my hiding spot, to the first house I see---Aphmau's. If she's being visited by someone who knows about Aaron, and is asking her, she'll be terrified, she'll be angry, she'll---

I thrust open the door to find Aaron's sister Melissa on the couch, reading a magazine.

She drops it in surprise. "Violet?" She asks, her hand jumping to her chest. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh---I---uh---" I tuck my raven hair behind my ears nervously. "I'm sorry, I thought---someone said Aph had a visitor, and I---Um. I'm sorry."

She laughs. "It's okay! Aphmau is upstairs, opening a gift from Aaron, but she should be down in a little while."

My heart leaps. "Aaron? Sent a gift? Is he---"

"He's awake, and he wanted to send a gift to everyone but couldn't find anything for you guys with his limited movement rule." She explains. "But he did tell me to tell you in particular---he doesn't blame you."

"He----I---"

"He remembered that, before he beat Ein, you were there, and you attacked him." Melissa explains. "And, knowing what kind of person you were, he told me to tell you that you need to forgive yourself. Garroth, Zane, and Lucinda, too. And Kim. All of you guys need to let go of what happened there. Aaron doesn't blame any of you."

"But I---"

"Vi, I love ya. But aren't you hearing me? The stupid potion was making you do that. Not yourself!" Melissa scolds. "Aaron wants you guys to be happy. All of you."

I smile then. "Well... when you go back, tell him thank you. And that we all miss him."

Melissa beams. "I'm sure he'll love to hear that."