"Yes, I'm well aware of what number it is, mother." Gwen said tensely. "Hey look, a pentagram!" Marni's shout drew her attention. She smiled at her niece's knowledge. "Very good." She praised her, causing Marni to beam in pride.

The girl continued. "You know, Lon Chaney had one of these on his palm when he got bitten by that werewolf." Indy smirked and looked at Avan. Ok, so maybe they had let the girl watch some classic mortal horror movies when they babysat. They were quite entertaining movies, if completely inaccurate.

"So he did!" Her mom said excited. "I always said the movies can teach us about life." Indy had to agree, not that any movies came very close, but a few books had many of the creatures correct. One myth that she and Avan had always enjoyed was the one about his great-great-grandfather, Merlin.

"Mother! As I just got through telling Marni, Halloween is not something that we..." Gwen tried to control the damage. Sophie running back excited to decorate cutting her off. Indy smiled watching her mom pull pumpkins out of her bag. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling when her mom pulled out stones.

Not just any stones, ancient hieroglyphs, the original witches language. Marni was ecstatic to see them. "Hieroglyphics!" She was so happy. "Mother!" Gwen was really upset now. She had to give her mother credit, unless you knew their secret these gifts would almost seem unsuspecting.

"You know, these look exactly like the ones in the Egyptian Book of the Dead." Marni cut in. Indy looked to her husband worried. Was her mother trying to have everything come out tonight? Though she guessed they were out of time. By midnight that night Marni would be considered pure mortal if she had not at least begun her training.

Usually, at 13 a witch of Halloweentown had been studying what felt like a few hundred years and would be completing their training by 13 mortal years. Indy was still proud that she had finished by 10 due to dedication and an inane aptitude for magic.

"Very good." Her mom praised, bringing Indy back to the conversation. "I bet you get A's in school." That seemed to be Dylan's breaking point. "Actually, she gets B's and C's. I get the A's." He boasted. The look Marni gave him fit to kill.

"You know, grandma, this is totally awesome. No one around here appreciates my taste for weird stuff." Indy cleared her throat. Marni smiled, "Well, almost no one." She then looked sad again. "But Aunt Indy and Uncle Avan are leaving again." Indy felt terrible, she knew the poor girl felt alone and different from everyone else, because she was.

She would have told Marni the truth a year ago if it wasn't for her sister begging her not to. She had to accept Gwen's decision, no matter how much she disagreed. "You ok, babe?" Her husband asked seeing how sad she looked. She nodded sadly. "I want to take her with us." She whispered.

Avan simply wrapped his wife in a hug, he knew she was so very torn about not telling Marni about her birth right. But they had to follow Gwen's wishes with her kids...didn't they?

"Mother! Could I talk to you in the kitchen?" Gwen cut off their mothers whispering to Marni. "Absolutely, dear." Her mom pretended nothing was wrong. "Indy, Av, can you?" Gwen asked looked at the kids. They nodded. Helping the kids look through some of the more innocent things in her mother's bag.

"Wait! First I have to get the kids in their costumes." Her mom explained, pulling clothes from her bag. Indy watched open mouthed as her mother truly threw Gwen's rules out the window. Avan shutting her mouth with a laugh.

She dressed Marni as a young witch of Halloweentown. She was worried Gwen's head might explode with how red in the face she was. Sophie and Dylan's costumes a bit less obvious. Sophie as an adorable ghost and Dylan as a troll.

"Alright! That's it! Mother, these kids are not going out trick or treating! And now it is time for dinner." Her tone leaving no room for argument.

Dinner was another experience. Marni asking questions about Halloween and things Wiccan while Gwen looked sick. She hadn't known what to do when Marni pulled she and Avan into the conversation. "So, Aunt Indy, where did you and uncle get your costumes?" She asked excited.

Luckily, Indy could tell the truth on that...in a way. "We made them." Marni looked more excited. "Can you make me..." "no!" Gwen shut down the question before it was asked. The following argument made the rest of dinner quite uncomfortable.

Now they were helping themselves to milk and cookies before the kids had to go to bed. Sophie trying to perfect her ghostly moan, sounding more like an adorable puppy than a ghost. For once, mom and Gwen weren't fighting though. Gwen almost seemed happy. Though maybe that was because it was time for the kids to go to bed.

"Well, Mother, your visit has been very educational. But, it's time for bed." Gwen announced. The kids moaning and groaning not wanting the night to end. "She's right, the adults need to talk about.. grown up things." Her mom told the kids. Sophie however getting Gwen to agree to their mom telling the kids a bedtime story.

Indy had to stop herself from crying when the kids ran to hug her. "Alright, now I need you three to promise me not to grow too much while we're gone." She teased. "We're really gonna miss you." Marni said. Indy wiped a tear. "Oh, Darling, with school and your friends the year will fly by." She couldn't help but think about how long it would feel in Halloweentown.

A mortal year felt like 100 in Halloweentown. She had always missed this part of her family between visits. But having spent most days of the last year with them it was hard to believe she would wake up tomorrow and be back to her normal life.

She wondered if her sister would notice if her kids were gone for say...a year.