A/N: Before I start, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the idea for this story, as well as showing me how to write it. You deserve to be praised! Amen. Also, thank you, SuperAlex64, whose early stories inspired me to write this.
So, yeah, another one-shot set in the timeline of The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound. I can't help it; I love that movie. :P This time, though, this isn't going to be a Huck/Desert Flower fic (although I have one in the works). This was inspired by a scene in the climax of the movie, where Huck disguised himself as a ghost to freak out the Daltons. Well, I thought of how the movie would go if Huck really was a ghost. This is also the first time I've actually tried writing a western as well, with a supernatural twist.
I hope you enjoy this "what-if" ending!
(One small thing can change everything, for better or worse. And help can come from the most unexpected of places.)
Title: The Ghost of Huckleberry Hound
Series/Movie: The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound
Genre: Tragedy/Western/Supernatural
Rated: T (there is character death, mentions of torture and a shootout)
Summary: Things in Two-Bit take a drastic turn for the worse when Huckleberry Hound is killed by the Daltons. Now under the Daltons' tyrannical rule, the citizens of Two-Bit are all ready to give up hope. But help does arrive…just not in the way they expected it. A what-if type ending to "The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound".
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in here, or the movie The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound. They are all copyright of Hanna-Barbera studios. And speaking of this, you can consider this as a semi-tribute to Daws Butler, as the original movie was the last time he voiced all of his signature characters...:(
The Ghost of Huckleberry Hound
"Looks like my faithful horsie's gonna be too late."
Those were the last words the mysterious, steely-eyed and silent-type stranger, Huckleberry Hound, said before he died, as Bob would learn later.
By the time the faithful steed had reached the launch sight, the rocket with his master on it lifted off into the sky, the force creating deadly winds that almost blew him backwards hundreds of feet. Even over the roar of the rocket lifting off, he could hear the mean laughter of the Dalton Brothers as they watched their nemesis rise to his doom.
Bob barely got the dust out of his eyes before he heard the deafening explosion. He looked up, horrified, to see the rocket explode into a cloud of orange fire. Yellow stars rained out of it moments later, banding together to form a message.
The Dalton Brothers, with a mean snicker, all called out the message at the same time: "So long, Huck!" More evil laughter rang through Bob's ears.
Bob watched as the stars collapsed to earth, one in particular catching his attention. It streaked to the ground like a meteor and hit it with enough force to shatter the earth, leaving a crater almost a meter deep. Bob ran to the impact sight, his heart racing.
Sitting in the middle of the crater was Huck. Only his body form made Bob recognize him. His blue fur was nearly black because of the fire from the rocket, and his clothes, or as he liked to call them, "spiffy Western duds", were nothing more than coats of ash. The only thing that wasn't completely incinerated was his sheriff's badge, which gleamed in the limited light.
Bob's breath hitched in his throat as he waited, with bated breath, for an arm twitch, for a rise and fall of his chest, for some indication that the sheriff was still alive. This couldn't be happening. Huck had survived the Daltons' attempts to kill him before; a rocket shouldn't have injured him this badly!
Footsteps, followed by a horrific stench, filled Bob's senses. Stinky Dalton shoved the stupefied horse aside in order to take a look at the crater himself. His features turned into a cruel sneer.
"What did I tell you, boys?" he chuckled. "We won't have to worry about him anymore! He's deader than dead!"
Pinky, Dinky and Finky all made their way to the crater as well. When they saw Huck inside, they too laughed.
"Ha, we clobbered 'im!" Dinky said.
"We'll become the richest criminals in town!" Finky said. "And since everyone abandoned Yuckleberry Hound, nobody can stop us!"
"That's what he gets for being a horrible dresser!" Pinky stated, and the four brothers high-fived each other as they headed back to the launch site to get their horses and head back to Two-Bit.
Bob didn't know what to do, what to say or what to even think. Two-Bit was now free for the Daltons to take over, now that they had succeeded in killing yet another sheriff. The residents were off on vacation, not wanting to be within an inch of the situation.
Even worse, the hound never did get to raise a farm of goats or pigs, or get any of his things back. He'd had his heart on getting that farm, and getting his free complimentary-type pen back. And now, he'd never get them back.
At last, Bob found something to do. He sat on the ground, covered his face with his hooves, and cried.
The following week...
A large steamboat, draped with red and yellow banners, pulled up to a stop besides Town Hall, kicking up sand. The residents of Two-Bit, decked out in flower wreathes and grass skirts from their trip to Tahit, made their way off the steamboat. Snagglepuss stretched his arms and sighed.
"Nothing like a week-long vacation in Tahiti to shake off the worries of life!" he said.
"Has it really been a week?" Baba Looey asked.
"Time flies when you're having fun, Baba Looey," Quick Draw replied. "I just can't wait to get back to work at the Two-Bit National Bank!"
"Hey guys, I think we're at the wrong stop," Yogi said, pointing at the entrance sign. He and Boo-Boo were staring up at the sign in confusion.
Peter Potamus, the steamboat captain, peered out of the steamboat, puzzled. "That's impossible! I followed the directions just as you said!" he argued.
"Then why the heck does the entrance sign say Daltonville, California?" Yogi snapped.
"Alright, gentlemen, that's enough," Hokey said, pushing the bear and the hippo out of the way. "Let's see what's going on here before we get into any arguments."
Everyone crowded around to see the entrance sign, and they discovered that Yogi was right. Two-Bit really had been changed to Daltonville. They then took a look at the town, and the festive mood was gone in a flash.
All of the stores and shops had been completely altered, with each of the Dalton Brothers owning one of the shops. Pinky owned the barbershop and a boutique, Dinky owned the saloon, and Finky owned the bank. But Stinky Dalton owned the most of the town. He was not only the sheriff, but he was also the town mayor.
"Did we just step into the Twilight Zone?" Quick Draw asked.
"Twilight Zone or not, I demand an explanation, now!" Hokey yelled, enraged.
"Oh, I have more than an explanation for you, Mayor," someone said.
Everyone turned to see Stinky Dalton walking towards them, exuding cocky confidence. Instead of wearing his usual outlaw outfit, he was dressed in a green suit, a white dress shirt and a red tie, as well as a matching top hat and boots. His smile was cruel as he looked at the residents of Two-Bit.
"I take it you fellas enjoyed your vacation?" he asked pleasantly.
"We didn't come back here to make small talk with the likes of you, Stinky Dalton!" Snagglepuss said. "You've taken over everything in Two-Bit and ruined it! Defaced it, even!"
"'Defaced'? 'Fixed up' would fit much better," Stinky answered. "After all, this town had nothin' to its name before we came along."
"Where's Sheriff Huckleberries?" Baba Looey asked. "Did you trap him?"
Stinky's smile was inhumanly cruel. "Oh, we did more than that; we killed him!" he announced proudly.
The revelation hit the group like a brick hitting a glass wall. For a long moment, nobody could say a word.
Finally, Yogi broke the silence. "That's...that's impossible!" he said. "Huck survived all your other attempts to kill him before!"
"Yeah, he did," Pinky said, coming up behind Stinky with his brothers. "But he didn't survive this one!"
"I don't believe it! And I won't believe it until I see it for myself!" Hokey said.
The Dalton Brothers all turned to each other with mean smiles, and then Finky said, "We figured you'd say something like that, so we arranged a little something for you."
"Uh, bring it over here, Bob!" Dinky called out to the late sheriff's horse, who was standing behind the Mayor's office. Sniffling sadly, the horse complied, walking towards the shocked residents of Two-Bit with a wagon tethered to his back.
Everyone stared as the horse walked past, staring at the contents of the wagon. Inside was a red casket with plush white lining, and red and blue flowers surrounded its rim. Candles colored white and blue surrounded the base, and there was a picture on the side, telling them just who was inside.
As if in a trance, everyone made their way to the casket and peered inside. Huckleberry Hound's body lay in the casket, wearing a white suit with a blue bow tie, and his sheriff's badge placed on the left side of the jacket. His hands were folded over his chest and his muzzle was formed into a peaceful smile, as though he were sleeping.
Everyone knew that it was a sleep that he would never wake up from.
"I've gotta admit, though; those parting gifts ya gave him came in handy when we planned on showin' this to you guys," Stinky piped up suddenly. "We weren't even gonna give him all the special treatment, but his faithful horsie insisted."
Bob sighed and turned towards the group. "I wanted him to at least rest in peace," he said finally.
"Heavens to Murgatroyd, you can talk?!" Snagglepuss exclaimed in shock.
"I've always been able to," Bob said sadly, "but I never really had a reason to until now."
"If it were up to us, we'd would've blown you sky high with Sheriff Yuckleberry, too," Finky said.
"You did what?!" Yogi yelled. He made to head over to the Daltons, only for Quick Draw, Snagglepuss and Hokey to hold him back. The bear glared at the brothers in rage. "You'll never get away with this!" he yelled.
"Oh, but we already did. And now," Stinky said, as he and his brothers turned and walked away, "you've only got yourselves to blame."
And with that, the Dalton Brothers left, their rude laughter haunting them for the rest of the day.
That evening, under the cover of darkness, the residents of Two-Bit buried their fallen hero.
For all his vileness, Stinky Dalton had been right all along: their 'parting gifts' for Huck did come in handy. Nobody had to rush out to buy a coffin. Nobody had to buy and carve a headstone. And nobody needed to pick a good burial spot for him; they had picked that out the moment they heard that Huck had jailed the other Daltons.
Those were only small condolences, however, and everyone knew it. Nothing could stop the tears that poured down their faces as they faced Huck's grave. Guilt, anger and sorrow were on the faces of all present as they paid their last respects to Huck, who'd felt more like a friend to them than a stranger in the short time he'd been there.
In their cowardice, they had abandoned him in his time of need. And now, they were paying the ultimate price for having done so.
Baba Looey, Snagglepuss and Boo-Boo's sobs were the loudest of the group. Bob couldn't bear to be there and left not long after they buried him, crying the whole way back to Daltonville. Quick Draw and Hokey took off their hats in respect, tears rolling down their cheeks. Peter Potamus wiped his eyes with a tissue, desperately trying not to burst into tears. Yogi placed a small bouquet of flowers on the ground in front of Huck's headstone, his vision blurred with tears.
"So long, Huck," he said softly, and turned to the other mourning citizens. "Come on, guys, let's get back to Two-Bi-I mean, Daltonville."
"Yeah, before Stinky Dalton or any of his brothers come after us," Peter Potamus said. "We are breaking curfew after all."
"Nobody cares about that!" Snagglepuss snapped. "We only care about paying our respects to our friend!"
"Well, I care! I'd really rather not get killed, thank you very much!" Peter replied.
"Hey, you guys need to keep it down! I think somebody's coming!" Baba Looey said.
"Baba Looey, what did I tell you about letting me do the thinnin' around here?" Quick Draw asked, turning towards his small assistant.
"But, Queeks Straw-"
"No buts! I've said it once and I'll say it again!" Quick Draw interrupted. "I'll be doin' the thinnin' around here, and don't you for-git it!"
Sheens of ice formed on Quick Draw's back as he felt the barrel of Stinky Dalton's gun press into it. "For a guy whose name is 'Quick Draw', I'd expect you to react when someone has a gun pressed to your back."
Yells from all around him told him that his friends had been caught by the Dalton brothers.
"You really should've listened to Peter," Dinky said.
"Yeah, at least he had the sense to follow the rules!" Pinky snorted. "And he doesn't even live here!"
"What did we say to you guys a couple of hours ago?" Finky asked, his eyes surveying the residents. When nobody answered, he said, "Anybody who buries that annoying sheriff is going to be in for a nasty surprise!"
"And you guys just had to break the rules, didn't you?" Pinky snarled, glaring at Snagglepuss. "Well, I've got news for you: guilt don't change the fact that it's your fault things are like this!"
Nobody said a word, as they couldn't find a good counter to Pinky's accusation. The skinnier Dalton laughed rudely.
"Come on, fellas. Let's give the residents their 'surprise'," Stinky snarled, right before shoving Quick Draw forwards.
"I'm not liking the sound of this, Quick Draw," Yogi whispered.
A few moments later, they were in Town Hall, where Rusty Nails and Red Eye, the bartender, were standing on the other side of the room, dressed in tattered clothes and looking worse for wear. Red Eye's left eye was as black as the ace of spades, and Rusty had various bruises running along the length of her arms. Both of them were dirty and looked absolutely miserable.
Snagglepuss' mouth dropped open in utter horror. "Heavens to Murgatroyd! You look awful!" he gasped.
"What happened to you guys?" Quick Draw asked.
"Ask Stinky. I'm sure he'd like to explain," Red Eye replied sourly.
"That's enough from you, slave!" Stinky growled, and Red Eye flinched. "Get to your quarters, both of you. You're done for the day."
"Y-Yes, sir," Rusty and Red Eye replied. With sad glances towards the other residents, they left town hall, heading to the outskirts of town.
"As for you guys," Pinky said, "your day's just getting started."
Nobody had time to even move before the Daltons pounced, pinning them all to the ground. A flurry of fists, fur and feet flew everywhere, along with clothes and other accessories, as the Two-Bit townsfolk fought back against their captors. Yogi, Quick Draw and Hokey were able to hold their ground, while Baba Looey and Boo-Boo were sent flying across the room like rag dolls. All of Town Hall shook as the violent brawl continued. Those who watched the fight from outside the premises even swore that the building had leapt into the air with the force of the fight.
Despite fighting back valiantly against them, none of the Two-Bit townsfolk were able to fight the Daltons for long. In a matter of seconds, Stinky and Dinky had managed to subdue them by punching Yogi and Quick Draw through the walls. Hokey and Snagglepuss attempted to flee, but they were quickly stopped by Pinky, who held a gun to his head. Baba Looey and Boo-Boo were too weak to even move, and the moment Finky came over to them, cracking his knuckles, they raised their hands in surrender.
"You really thought you could fight against us? Either you guys are stubborn, or just as stupid as you look," Pinky sneered.
"Either way, you guys are going to be working for us now, under our terms. And if you even try to escape the town, we'll come after you, and we'll make sure you get the same treatment as Huckleberry," Stinky growled. "You got that?"
Biting back a series of curses, everyone nodded.
"Good. You guys are smarter than Red Eye and Rusty, at least," Pinky sneered. "You guys head to your new quarters. You'll have a big day tomorrow!"
The brothers walked out, slamming the doors shut behind them. Everyone looked around, their faces forlorn as they realized that this would be their fate for from now on.
The next few weeks after that were the worst.
Due to Sheriff Huck's death, the Dalton Brothers soon became the richest and most powerful outlaws in the wild west. They traveled all across the country, robbing banks and trains, holding people hostage, and enslaving people to work their businesses. The few that tried to fight back were either blackmailed into silence, or they themselves were silenced.
The citizens of Two-Bit, thankfully, were in the former category. They wanted to fight the Daltons back more than anybody, but the Daltons had them on a tight leash. They told them that if they staged a rebellion, they would tell everyone in the nation that they were responsible for Sheriff Huck's death, even cheering it on, and have everyone else on them like bloodhounds. That was enough to keep them quiet, although none of them were happy about the situation.
The citizens also found that the Daltons were not only the most ruthless criminals in all of the west, but they were also the most ruthless masters. They enjoyed driving the citizens into the ground until they almost collapsed, and then doing it again the next day. They also tortured the citizens for small things, such as dropping the salt shaker from the table or accidentally knocking over plates. At one point, they were so battered and bruised that they could hardly move, which earned them another beating.
As for trying to escape, that was also out of the question. Stinky had guards posted at the entrance to the town so nobody could get out at night. Anyone who attempted to escape would be brutally beaten by the Dalton brothers themselves, as Peter Potamus learned the hard way.
As weeks dragged out into months, the citizens of the town were beginning to lose hope of ever escaping or beating their captors. They were ridden with guilt and sadness over the loss of their friend, and despair threatened to swallow them all whole.
All, it seemed, was indeed lost.
One cool October night, Quick Draw woke up to the sound of Snagglepuss screaming. The mustang threw off the covers, jumped out of bed and ran towards the door, flinging it open with Herculean strength.
"Snagglepuss! What's going on?!" he demanded, his hand reaching for the gun in his holster. It took him a few seconds to remember that he had lost his gun to the Daltons after they forced him to turn in his badge.
"HEAVENS TO SPIRITUAL EMBODIMENT!" Snagglepuss' scream could have been heard in Canada. Within seconds, the rest of the residents in the boarding house flung open their doors, running towards Snagglepuss' room, which was on the end of the hall.
"Snag! What's going on in there?!" Yogi yelled.
"A g-g-g-g-ghost!" Snagglepuss yelled. "G-g-ghost in my room!"
"Stand back, guys," Quick Draw said, rolling up his sleeve. "I'll handle this!"
Everyone backed away the moment Quick Draw charged through the door at a blinding speed, tearing it right off its hinges and sending its remains into the hallway. The mustang, however, had no time to even stop himself from his high velocity impact, and slammed into the wall with enough force to shake the room. He groaned as he slid to the floor.
"That's Quicks Draw for you," Baba Looey joked, "always running head first into problems."
"That's not funny, Baba-boy," Quick Draw groaned.
Yogi surveyed the room, finally finding Snagglepuss sitting in the corner of the room, shaking like a leaf in a gale in utter terror.
"Snag, are you okay?" he asked.
"Of course I'm not okay! I saw a ghost hanging over my bed, ready to eat me! I almost died of fright!" Snagglepuss snapped.
"Snag, everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts," Peter Potamus replied. "That's the kind of thing you find in movies."
Snagglepuss made to say more, but that was when he looked behind the hippo. The color drained from his face, leaving him paler than a sheet of paper.
"Snag, what's wrong?" Peter asked.
Snagglepuss didn't answer. A watery, friendly drawl did. "Howdy, fellers."
The residents of Two-Bit turned as one to face the owner with the voice. What they saw almost made them die of fright.
Standing behind them, with his trademark lax smile on his face, was Huckleberry Hound, but he didn't look at all like himself. His body was white as flour, and the clothes he'd been wearing were torn in various places. The whites of his eyes had gone blood red, and it was hard to see his black irises as they were glowing a bit bright. Despite his ghastly appearance, he looked completely nonchalant as always.
Boo-Boo and Yogi held onto each other, shock resonating on their faces. Peter looked ready to leap out of the window, while Hokey stayed frozen in place, his mouth agape. Baba Looey was biting his hooves and was shaking uncontrollably in fear, as was Quick Draw, who attempted to stand to his feet. Snagglepuss dove under the bed, whimpering.
Noting the terror on his friends' faces, the ghost of Huckleberry Hound sheepishly took off his hat and asked, "Um, is this a bad time?"
For a moment, nobody moved or spoke. In fact, Huck couldn't help but wonder if his friends were still breathing. Then finally, Yogi asked, "H-Huck, is that you?"
"Yep. Good ol' Huckleberry Hound, in the flesh," the coonhound said. He paused, then added, "Well, more like in the spirit, but it counts."
"B-B-But there's no such thing as ghosts!" Peter choked out, looking ready to have a panic attack.
"Maybe so, Peter, but there's always a first for everything," Huck answered. His smile disappeared to reveal a concerned frown, and when he spoke again, his tone was somber. "I saw what happened here in Two-Bit, fellers. I'm mighty sorry I wasn't able to stop the Dal-"
"No, we're the ones who should be sorry," Hokey interrupted, twisting his nightcap in embarrassment. Everyone stared at the wolf in surprise. "We shouldn't have left you when we needed help. We were wrong to do that. As the town mayor, I was wrong to do that."
"Hokey's right, Huck. He was wrong!" Peter admitted, which earned him a severe glare from the wolf next to him.
Huck smiled sadly. "It's alright, y'all. From a certain point of view, I can understand why you didn't want to deal with the Daltons. They're dangerous," he said.
"We've already figured that out," Snagglepuss said, crawling from under the bed at last. "They're ruthless, disgusting, monstrous, even!"
"And they're acting like slave drivers towards all the townspeople!" Yogi explained. "We get beaten up for the smallest things!"
"I'm a peaceful guy, but if there's one thing I'd like to do, it's to get my hands on a gun and teach those guys who's boss!" Peter said, slamming his hand into his palm. Everyone agreed with this suggestion, pumping their fists with enthusiasm.
"Now, fellers," Huck said cautiously, "let's not rush into things too quickly. I understand you want to reclaim Two-Bit, but you can't just rush out there, guns blazin', when you don't even know what the enemy's up to."
"But how else are we supposed to save the town?" Yogi asked. "We can't exactly go up and ask for Two-Bit back!"
"I know, Yogi, but we need to come up with a carefully thought-out plan," Huck replied. "Besides, we don't know what kind of tricks the Daltons have up their sleeves. I don't want any nasty-"
The rest of Huck's sentence was drowned out by the sound of gunshots. Yogi, Quick Draw Snagglepuss and Hokey all jumped down to the ground as bullets smashed through the window, slamming into the wooden floor. Baba and Boo-Boo ran to the other sections of the room, but Peter was too slow. One bullet slammed into his left leg, and the hippo toppled over like a tree, crying out in utter pain.
"PETER!" everyone screamed, but nobody could move as bullets continued to fly, slamming into the walls and floor. Baba Looey barely avoided one that almost took out his eye.
The shootout was over as quickly as it had begun. Only the smell of gunpowder filled their nostrils as smoke trails wafted from the holes in the walls. Nobody moved or spoke, fear keeping them in their places.
Finally, a rough voice yelled, "That oughta keep you lowlifes quiet! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
Huck didn't need to look outside to find the shooter. He could recognize the husky, rough voice of Stinky anywhere. There was a loud, hacking laugh, and then the doors to the sheriff's office slammed shut outside.
Everyone ran over to Peter, who was clutching his left leg in pain. Blood painted his hands and nails, and it pooled out in a small puddle around him. While Yogi and Snagglepuss were attempting to staunch the bleeding, Baba Looey and Boo-Boo ran downstairs to get Red Eye or Rusty Nails, as they had a medical kit stored away in their rooms. Hokey kept look out by the window, occasionally shushing Peter every time the hippopotamus yelled in pain.
Quick Draw took a look at the ghost of Huckleberry Hound, and was startled by the amount of anger in his eyes. The reds of his eyes were glowing intensely, and his muzzle curled downwards into a frown, a growl escaping his lips.
"Uh, Huck?" Quick Draw asked. "Are you-"
Quick Draw's sentence was cut off when the candlelight died. Huck's ghost rose into the air, his eyes glowing so brightly that no one could see the irises. "Nobody gets away with shootin' my friends! NOBODY!" he bellowed, filling everyone in the room with terror. Quick Draw went as white as his own coat with fear, and Snagglepuss screamed.
"H-Huck, I think you need to calm down!" Yogi said.
The glare he received was so intense that he had to step back. "Calm DOWN?! How can I calm down when one of my friends is HURT?!" Huck roared, the volume of his voice shaking the room and sending Yogi to the floor. Turning to glare in the direction of Stinky's office, he continued with, "I'm gonna teach Stinky Dalton jus' who he's dealin' with! He'll regret ever steppin' foot in this town when I'm done with him!"
"You can't do that, Huck! That's dangerous, jeopardizing even!" Snagglepuss protested. "If you reveal yourself to the Daltons, it could ruin our whole plan, and we'll never get Two-Bit back!"
"And even worse, more people could get hurt!" Yogi added.
Huck's ghost stared down his friends, seeing all the fear and concern in their faces. A part of him wanted to throw all their warnings out the window and go after Stinky Dalton regardless of the consequences. It was one thing to steal his things and then kill him. It was something entirely different when his friends were in trouble. He may not have known Peter Potamus well, but he wasn't going to allow Stinky to shoot him or anybody else.
But upon seeing the utter terror on their faces, he realized that he was giving in to his own anger when he'd told everybody to avoid doing just that. He took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth, and he felt the tide of anger disappear. He settled on the floor, and the flames quickly flickered back to life. He placed his hat back on his head. He'd forgotten that he'd dropped it on the floor in his rage.
"You're...you're right, fellers. I'm a might sorry about that," he said at last, his voice back at normal volume. "I just let my anger get the best of me, is all. I can't stand seeing people I care about get hurt."
Everyone let out sighs of relief, glad that Huck had calmed down. Most of them, though, looked wary of him.
"Are you sure you're okay, Huck?" Yogi asked.
Huck's ghost nodded. "No need ta be worried, fellers. I ain't gonna blow up at ya," he said. "But if Stinky Dalton decides to try anythin' funny..."
"Trust me, Huck. We'd really like to sock it to the Daltons one day or another, but we know that's just not going to happen," Hokey said, just as Baba Looey and Boo-Boo came back in with the medical kits. Behind them were Rusty Nails and and Red Eye, who looked exhausted and somewhat rattled. When they saw the ghost of Huck standing there, their eyes went wide.
"Great balls of fire!" Red Eye exclaimed. "Baba wasn't joking about you being a ghost!"
Huck smiled softly. "Good to see you again, Red Eye." He tipped his hat off to Rusty, who looked shocked. "Howdy, Miss Nails."
"We were just talking about reclaiming Two-Bit, and Huck might be able to help us," Yogi said.
"As long as y'all will help me this time," Huck said.
"Don't you worry about that," Yogi replied. His tone was stern. "We abandoned you once, Huck. We're not doing that again."
Huck looked into the eyes of his oldest friend, and knew that he could put his doubts to rest. When he turned to look at everyone else, he could see the same steely resolve in their eyes as well. This time, he knew he could count on them for help.
"Thanks, guys. I'm glad to know that you're still on my side," he said.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Peter piped up, sitting up on the floor. His eyes were clear of pain, and his face was set into a determined scowl. "Let's get our town back!"
"But you don't even live here!" Baba Looey said.
"I know. But I'll be darned if I sit back and let these pig-headed outlaws try and run this town," Peter said.
"Tomorrow night, everybody, we're going to start putting our plan into action. We'll have Two-Bit back soon, if things play our way," Huck's ghost said.
"Care to explain the plan?" Hokey asked.
Huck smirked. "Gladly."
Pinky was no genius, but he suspected something was off when the Two-Bit residents went about their work without complaint that morning. He usually looked forward to literally knocking some sense into them before they started, especially if they did something crazy like they had last night. Normally, they were miserable and quick to complain.
But today, they were a little more cheerful and, if Pinky was right, more confident. The fact that they had barely reacted to Stinky's threat to kill them if they interrupted his sleep again proved the latter.
"Geez, what put them in a good mood?" he growled. "It's not like we have girls around or anything."
"And even then, what girl in her right mind would want these lowlives around?" Finky added, watching as the residents were scrubbing Town Hall clean.
"True, true. Still confused as to why they would be so happy to work after gettin' chewed out by Stinky at one in the morning," Pinky muttered.
"Gah, we should keep our eye on 'em, just in case," Dinky remarked. "We don't need them escapin' again, like Peter tried to a while back."
While the brothers continued to mutter to themselves, the citizens of Two-Bit went about their work, trying their best to stay calm despite the pressure, and their excitement.
"Hey, Quicks Draw, are you excited about tonight?" Baba Looey asked.
"I sure am, Baba Looey! But you may want to keep your voice down. We can't talk too loudly, or they'll figure out what we're up to," Quick Draw answered, bringing his voice to a whisper.
"And from the looks of it, they're already suspicious," Hokey said, glancing back to see the four brothers giving them suspicious glares. "We don't need to give it all away."
"Hey! Stop chatting and get back to work, wolf!" Stinky snapped, his hand on his holster.
Hokey gulped. Stinky Dalton had been trigger-happy for the last few hours. To say that raising his temper would be disastrous was putting it lightly. "Yes, sir. I was just taking a break, sir!"
"Nobody takes breaks on our watch," Pinky sneered. "Now finish up this place. We want it spotless!"
"Yes, sir," everyone said sadly, and went back to scrubbing harder. Stinky scoffed and turned to leave the building, ordering Finky to keep an eye on them.
For the rest of the day, none of the Two-Bit citizens mentioned the plan again, as they were within earshot of three of the Dalton brothers. When work was over, they practically had to keep themselves from breaking into a full-out run towards the boarding house.
It was time to put their plan into action.
At 11:00, Huck phased in through the walls of Snagglepuss' room, an action that scared the pink mountain lion. Thankfully, everyone else was there to keep him from making too much of a ruckus before Stinky overheard them again.
"Huck, can't you just tell somebody when you're going to just appear like that?" he asked. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, Snag," Huck replied sheepishly. "That's kind of how ghosts work."
"So, can we start the plan now?" Baba Looey asked. "I can't wait much longer."
"Yep. Pack light, and don't forget to bring your ammunition. You're gonna need it," Huck said. "Did you pass on the message I told you to write, Baba Looey?"
The burro nodded. "I sent it to all the other towns close to Daltonville. All the people who are under the Daltons' thumb will be joining us soon enough!"
"Good. Quick Draw, you take the others and meet up with the other citizens, and be careful not to get caught. Them guards the Daltons put around can be meaner than Stinky," Huck warned. "Baba Looey, you, Rusty and Red Eye stay here with me. We can't have the Daltons catch on to our plan too quickly." He turned towards Rusty Nails and Red Eye. "Did you get the dynamite?"
"Just barely," Rusty breathed. "We had to stuff some under our clothes and get out of there before Pinky came after us."
"And we placed 'em on the foundations of the building just as you said. Those firecrackers will keep 'em busy for a while," Red Eye replied, smiling proudly.
"Alright, fellers. You get ready to leave Daltonville, whilst I give the Daltons a rude awakening," Huck answered, a naughty smile on his face.
With that, everyone split up, and Huck phased through the walls, ready to enact the first part of their plan.
Stinky awoke to chilly air. Groaning, he turned towards Pinky, who was napping in the chair, and punched him in the arm. The man toppled over and fell flat on his face, waking him up at last. He sat up and glared at his older brother.
"What was that for?!" he yelled.
"How many times have I told you to keep the door closed at night, Pinky?" Stinky growled.
"The door is closed, if you even bothered to check!" Pinky snapped back.
"Ugh, what's going on now?" Finky growled. "Can't a man get any sleep around here?"
"Not with this loser," Stinky answered, motioning to Pinky, who gave him a frown. "Go and close the door. There's a draft in here!"
"Dinky can do it! He's the one closest to the door!" Finky whined. "Besides, I'm nice and cozy under here!"
Stinky slapped his forehead. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"
"Don't worry, Stinky." There were loud, lumbering footsteps as Dinky got up from his bed near the door. "I'll check it."
Stinky snarled, but didn't say anything. At least now they would be able to sleep.
His thoughts were interrupted when his second youngest brother said, "Hey, uh, the door is closed! And so are the windows!"
"I told you they were closed!" Pinky said.
"Still, it shouldn't be this cold in here!" Stinky muttered. "What could be causing this?"
"You mean who could be causin' this," a watery voice whispered out of nowhere.
Pinky felt a bolt of ice creep down his spine, and he shuddered with fear. Dinky looked all over the place for the source of the voice, while Finky sat bolt upright in bed, biting his nails furiously.
Stinky jumped to his feet, pulling out his revolver. "Who's there?!" he demanded.
"You should know who it is," the voice replied.
The fire in the fireplace died suddenly, and a tall cloud of white, supernatural vapor appeared in the middle of the living room. The towering cloud collapsed in on itself to reveal the ghost of Huckleberry Hound, who was hovering over Stinky with a menacing expression on his face and his eyes glowing red.
"I-I-I-It's the ghost of H-Huckleberry Hound!" Finky stammered, right before running over to Pinky and Dinky, who were holding onto each other and shuddering with fear. Stinky merely stared at the ghost with a look of utter shock and disbelief.
"This is impossible! You're not even supposed to be here! Ghosts don't exist!" Stinky called out.
"You'd be wrong to think that, Stinky Dalton. I've come back to get my revenge on you for killin' me, for hurtin' and imprisonin' my friends, and most of all, for stealin' my stuff," Huck's ghost answered. "I'll only say this once, Stinky. Let my friends go, and leave Two-Bit forever. Return the gold nugget that you stole from me to Quick Draw and Baba Looey, and turn yourselves in. That's the most peaceful outcome I've got fer you...and considerin' the fact that you've done even more horrible things since you killed me, I'd say you're gettin' off easy."
"J-Just give him what he wants, Stinky!" Dinky called out fearfully. "W-We don't need any of those things anyway!"
"Shut up!" Stinky yelled, his voice cracking slightly due to his fear. He turned towards the ghost of Huckleberry Hound, whose eyes were locked onto his like a homing missile. "And if I refuse?"
The coonhound's mouth turned upwards into a dangerous smile, filled with razor-sharp teeth, and Stinky flinched. Nobody had ever looked at him like that before, like a predator about to close in on his prey..."If you refuse, you're gonna watch your empire go up in flames," Huck said. The calmness in his voice was not matching at all with his words. "That, and I'll haunt you an' your brothers for the rest of your lives."
Now Stinky Dalton was truly afraid. He backed away, his heart leaping in fear as the ghost drew closer. "N-No...anything but that, please!"
"You can move, and you can run...but you can't hide from me," Huck said, leaning in close to Stinky's face. He chuckled darkly, a sound that wiped away all color from the oldest Dalton brother's face. "I'll make you and your brothers regret bein' criminals for the rest of your miserable lives."
"Okay, okay! We'll do whatever you say!" Stinky yelled, shrinking into a shuddering ball. "J-Just leave us alone, please!"
The ghost of Huckleberry Hound leaned back, smiling smugly. "You've made a wise choice, Stinky Dalton. I'm givin' you until ten in the morning to keep your word and release my friends. And if you don't...well, you know what's gonna happen to you. And trust me, what you put my friends through is nothin' compared to what I'm gonna do to you."
With an echoing evil laugh, Huck's ghost melted into the floors of the Dalton's living room, leaving the brothers in the dark, alone and terrified.
Pinky turned to his older brother. "Well? I don't want to spend the rest of my life being haunted by that creep!"
It took a moment for Stinky to regain his bearings, and he grumbled to himself, embarrassed at having showed his fear to that ghost.
"I think we should get outta here!" Finky yelled.
"Uh, I agree! Let's let his friends go and get outta town!" Dinky said.
Pinky was ready to say something, but that was when a low, rumbling laugh filled his ears. He turned towards Stinky, who was shaking with laughter.
"Uh, Stinky, are you alright?" Dinky asked.
Stinky simply chuckled again, which served to frighten the other Dalton Brothers. At last, Stinky raised his head and looked up at his brothers, a cruel sneer on his face.
"Huck's even more stupid when he's dead than when he was alive," he said finally. "He doesn't know that we have a bargainin' chip of our own!"
"What are you talking about?" Finky asked.
Stinky's sneer grew wider as he got to his feet. "Come on, boys," he said. "To the outskirts of Daltonville!"
"So far, everything looks good," Red Eye said, surveying the streets. "Looks like the Daltons don't suspect a thing."
"I guess we didn't need the dynamite and firecrackers after all," Rusty Nails replied.
No sooner had she said that than the sound of hooves filled the air. A loud shout made Red Eye's veins fill with ice.
"It's the Daltons!" He grabbed a set of matches and ran towards the foundations of Town Hall, where a large assortment of firecrackers were stacked against the wall. "Looks like we'll have to make a diversion, Rusty."
"I'm all for improvisation," she crooned. She grabbed a few firecrackers of her own, and set them up next to Red Eye's. "Hand me a match, would you, sugarpie?"
"Uh, gladly," Red Eye replied, handing her a match. They lit up their firecrackers and stood back a good distance, covering their ears as they screamed into the air.
Stinky Dalton and his brothers came flying into view moments later. His eyes widened when he saw a firecracker fly right in front of his horse, which caused it to rear back on its hind legs in fear. Pinky, Dinky and Finky had to yank their horses to a stop.
"What the heck?! Where did these fire-AAAAAH!" Pinky ducked as a green and white firecracker whizzed by, almost setting his hair on fire. "What is going on?!"
"I have no idea!" Finky cried, leaping to avoid an orange firecracker that almost took him out of his saddle.
While the Daltons were occupied, Red Eye pushed down the T-handle on a blast box that was right next to Town Hall. "BOMBS AWAY!" he yelled.
Nobody had time to move before the ground was blown apart. A multicolored explosion filled the streets of Two-Bit as the bomb destroyed the fireworks that were still launching. All of the Dalton brothers screamed as they were sent flying into the air, their clothes on fire and faces full of ash.
"That oughta give the residents enough time to escape," Red Eye said.
"We'd better get going while we still can!" Rusty replied, and dragged Red Eye away from the scene.
The Daltons crashed to the ground, with Dinky on top of everybody. Pinky coughed and sputtered, "They did this on purpose! I think they're tryin' to escape again!"
"Well, they won't get far this time!" Stinky Dalton groaned. "Come on! We're gonna find those lowlives and we're gonna make them pay!"
Baba Looey was waiting impatiently at the doors of the boarding house when Huck cautiously stuck his head in through the wall.
"Howdy there, Baba Looey," he greeted.
"AH!" Baba Looey took a moment to regain his bearings and then turned to address Huck. "Senor Huckleberries, what are you doing here? I thought you were giving the Daltons a rude awakening."
Huck's ghost laughed. "I sure did. In fact, I reckon I might've had a little too much fun scaring them," he said.
"I thin' I can tell," Baba Looey said. "The others should be back soon."
"Good. The Daltons'll probably be too terrified to remain in town, after what I told them," Huck's ghost explained.
Baba Looey made to answer, but that was when he heard enraged shouts and the stampeding of hooves. He looked behind Huck, and saw that the Dalton brothers were on their way towards the boardinghouse on horseback, their guns aimed directly at him. His eyes went wider than dinner plates.
"I wouldn't count on that, Senor Huckleberries," he said softly.
Huck's ghost turned around just as the Daltons opened fire. Bullets whizzed past Baba's head and tore holes into the walls of the house. The burro screamed in terror and took off running, barely avoiding the barrage.
"Get back here, you little freak!" Stinky yelled, driving him to the edge of town. His brothers enthusiastically followed his lead, letting out cheers as they continued to shoot at Baba Looey.
Huck's ghost smirked as he watched the brothers run out of town. "Y'all just wait. Soon, it'll be Baba Looey havin' the last laugh."
Baba Looey ran towards the edge of town, panting heavily as he made it towards the entrance sign. There was no sign of any of the citizens of Two-Bit, and the Dalton Brothers were closing in on him fast. Realizing that he had nowhere else to run, he turned to face the Daltons, who burst out of the darkness on horseback.
"Stay right there, you cheeky little mule," Stinky growled, pointing his gun at the burro. Pinky, Dinky and Finky all pointed their weapons at him as well.
Baba Looey sighed, and weakly raised his hooves. It was then that he heard loud shouting and the drumming of horse's hooves, as well as gunshots. Despite the horrible situation he was in, a full out smile broke out on his face.
"What're you smilin' about?!" Stinky demanded.
"I surrender," Baba replied, "suckers!"
"What?!" Stinky looked past Baba Looey to see the citizens on Two-Bit storming into town on horseback, their gazes fixed and determined. Behind them were hundreds of citizens from the other towns that the Daltons had taken over. Everyone was letting out battle cries and shooting into the air.
"I don't believe this!" Pinky cried.
"They're stagin' a revolt or somethin'!" Dinky yelled.
"You had this planned all along, didn't you?!" Stinky snarled, glaring at Baba Looey.
"And it was right under your noses, too," Baba Looey said. He turned towards Quick Draw, who was galloping into town. "Quicks Draw, over here!"
"Comin', Baba Looey!" the former banker yelled. " Come on, fellas! We've got some outlaws to drive out of this here town!"
"ALRIGHT!" everyone cried, and they moved in.
"ARGH! You'll pay for this, Baba Looey! You and the rest of Two-Bit will suffer unimaginably for this treachery!" With that, Stinky turned around and ran, and his his brothers soon followed.
Quick Draw stopped to help Baba Looey onto the horse he was riding. "Good work, Baba-boy! Now, we'd better get goin'!" he said. He looked down at the horse he was riding. "Giddy up, horse!"
The horse in question, a tan coated stallion with a blonde mane, turned to glare up at Quick Draw. "Excuse me? You're a horse! Catch the Daltons yourself!" With a sharp shake of his hindquarters, he knocked both Quick Draw and Baba Looey off of him, right before walking off in a huff.
"The nerve of some horses," Quick Draw muttered.
"We don't have time for that, Quick Draw! We have to start the final phase of Huck's plan!" Yogi said. He extended his paw to both of his friends. "Come on!"
After Quick Draw and Baba Looey were onboard Yogi's horse, the citizens were off.
"I think we lost them," Pinky said as they reached their hideout.
"I hope so. Did you see the guns they were carryin'? Where'd they get all those weapons from?" Dinky asked.
"Who cares! The minute we get back to Daltonville, we're gonna make 'em wish they never got those weapons!" Stinky yelled.
They skidded to a stop outside of their base. After hurriedly tethering their horses to their posts, they ran inside and shut the door.
"Everyone, assume battle stations!" Stinky called, tossing his brothers rifles. "They want a fight from us? They're in for the fight of their lives!"
The thunder of hooves, followed by shouts, soon filled the air. Pinky smirked. "And just in time, too. I've been waitin' for a chance to use these things!" He loaded several bullets into the rifles, as did the rest of his brothers.
Finky slid open the front windows of their house, and all the Daltons took their positions. "OPEN FIRE!" Stinky yelled.
Bullets streaked through the air towards their targets, some of them hitting the horses the riders were on. Dinky laughed as they fell to the ground, disoriented. While his brothers were focusing on random citizens, Stinky was focusing on the main figureheads of Two-Bit. One bullet nearly knocked Peter Potamus off his horse. The citizens were firing as well, their shots blowing holes through the wood walls of the house.
"You guys take the rest of them!" Stinky called over the barrage of gunfire. "Quick Draw and his freaky mule are mine!"
Quick Draw winced as another rider was shot off of his horse. "We're losin' gunmen, Yogi!" he shouted.
"I know, I know!" Yogi yelled back, dodging a stray bullet that nearly took out his ear. "I can only hope Huck and Hokey get here soon!"
"Me too!" Baba Looey dodged a bullet, and then returned the fire with his six-shooter. "I wonder what could be taking them so long!"
"It's hard to find a crane around these parts!" Quick Draw said. He then looked over Yogi's shoulder, and what he saw filled his veins with ice. "Yogi, look!"
Yogi did look, and he gasped. The front door had opened, and Dinky pushed out a cannon that was as big as he was tall. Finky pushed in a huge cannonball, and then lit a match.
"Stinky, you do the honors!" he said, handing the match to Stinky.
The oldest Dalton brother stepped away from the window, and snickered as he turned the cannon in Quick Draw and Yogi's direction. "I told you you'd pay for what you did, Baba Looey!" he yelled, and lit the fuse.
"TURN AROUND!" Quick Draw yelled, but by then it was too late.
The cannon let out a thunderous boom as the cannonball launched towards them. At that speed, there was no chance of stopping it. Yogi, Quick Draw and Baba Looey screamed as the cannonball hit them head on, throwing them backwards and knocking down more people. There was a hollow explosion as the cannonball hit the ground, sending sand, rocks and several people shooting into the air like a geyser.
Yogi and Quick Draw were also caught in the violent explosion, screaming as they were tossed upwards. They both hit the ground with a slam.
"YOGI!" Boo-Boo pulled on the reins and galloped to where Yogi and Quick Draw had fallen. "Hang on, Yogi, I'm comin'!"
One of the riders, a yellow furred feline who wore a purple vest and a white cowboy hat, yanked his horse to a stop. "Are you two alright?!" he yelled.
Yogi sat up, dazed. "Uh...mostly, Top Cat," he replied. "That explosion did a number on my bones, though." He looked around. "How about you, Quick Draw?"
"Ugh...I'll need an aspirin after this," Quick Draw said, rubbing his head, which was free of his hat. "Is everyone alright?"
"Yeah," Boo-Boo said, pulling up next to Top Cat. He then looked around. "Hey...where's-"
"BABA LOOEY!" Quick Draw shouted suddenly. Everyone turned to see him running over to the hole in the ground. He gasped in horror when he saw the small burro lying there in the hole. Baba's eyes were shut tight, his fur was singed and lined with cuts, and his legs were bent at unnatural angles. His sombrero and bandana were little more than scraps.
Quick Draw shook his head, and sank to his knees, horror on his face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Baba-boy?" he said softly, his voice quavering.
"Oh, no...not Baba Looey!" Yogi cried.
On the front porch of the Daltons' hideout, Stinky let out a cruel laugh. "HA! That oughta fix 'im!" he said.
"RETREAT!" someone shouted. "We're no match against the Daltons, not since they have that cannon!"
The order didn't have to be repeated. Instantly, most of the rebels turned and ran, some snatching up comrades who had lost their horses. Stinky launched another cannonball at the fleeing rebels, laughing as they were blown into the sky with the force of the explosion.
"That'll teach you!" he called, and his brothers laughed with him.
"Great, now what do we do?" Top Cat turned towards Yogi, who was being helped up by Boo-Boo. "At this rate, we're never gonna win!"
Yogi sighed. "I'm not sure. The only people we have now are the remaining citizens from Two-Bit," he said. "And we're going up against the Daltons of all people..."
"We really picked the wrong people to mess with," Boo-Boo noted.
"You sure did!" Pinky yelled, and the brothers all laughed again.
Snagglepuss and Peter pulled up next. Snagglepuss' expression was forlorn. "I think we should just give up. It's hopeless to fight against the Daltons, futile, even!"
Peter was about to agree with Snagglepuss when Quick Draw said, in the softest voice anyone had ever heard, "No...we're not giving up."
Everyone turned to face Quick Draw, who was stepping out of the hole carrying an unconscious Baba Looey. The burro's blood stained his coat, but it mattered little to him, who pulled off his bandana and a dead comrade's to bandage the cuts on his body. His eyes were shadowed by his hat.
"But Quick Draw, that's impossible!" Yogi said, and similar cries followed amongst the group.
"Have you all forgotten what they've done to us?" Quick Draw asked finally, silencing everyone. He spoke with his back to them as he continued to mend the injured Baba Looey. "'Cause I sure haven't. They killed Huck, took over Two-Bit, enslaved all of us, shot Peter, and then hurt my sidekick and laughed about it. And after finally gettin' a chance to fight 'em, you just wanna give up?"
"Need I remind you that the Daltons have killed people?!" Peter shouted.
"I know that, Peter. But that's ain't gonna stop me. They got more weapons than we do, but we're gonna follow through with Huck's plan," Quick Draw said. He finally turned away from Baba Looey to face the others, and everyone stepped back. Nobody could've told from his voice alone that he was angry, but the determined glare in his eyes could have made demons cower. "I don't know about you fellas, but I plan on makin' Stinky Dalton pay for what he's done."
For a moment, nobody said a word. They just stared at Quick Draw as he walked over to another human and handed Baba Looey off to him.
"Come on, guys," Quick Draw said, fixing his hat. "Let's finish this."
"Hokey, we're running out of time," Huck said. "It'll be daylight soon and you know what happens to ghosts around then."
"Yes, yes, Huck, I know," Hokey replied, studying the various models of cranes in the dealership. "Just give me a few more minutes. I want to make sure that I'm getting a good deal on this. The last thing we need is to be swindled!"
Huck sighed. He wanted to mention how ironic that was, but there were more important matters at hand. "We've been here for over thirty minutes tryin' ta find a good deal, Hokey," he answered. "And we don't know what's goin' on out there. Yogi and the others could be gettin' pummeled by the Daltons!"
"They'll be fine, Huck," Hokey chided. "What's the worst that can happen?"
No sooner had he said that than a loud explosion rocked the area, and the aftershock sent the mayor on his knees. Gunfire and shouts followed not long after.
Huck's ghost turned to glare at Hokey. "You were sayin', Hokey?"
"Alright, alright! I'll pick the one that you chose earlier," Hokey sighed, pointing at the small orange crane that Huck had spotted earlier.
"Good. Now come on, Hokey. If we don't hurry, the Daltons will be on the loose again!"
"I think we should withdraw, Quick Draw!" Yogi shouted over the peppering of gunfire. He ducked behind a rock before returning fire, blowing Pinky's hat off of his head.
"Yeah! We're not gonna last much longer out here!" Top Cat agreed.
"Huck and Hokey will be here soon, guys! We've gotta give 'em more time!" Quick Draw protested. "If we withdraw now, we won't have another shot at this!"
"But we can't repel a cannonball of that size!" Boo-Boo argued.
"Then I suggest we take out the guy who's loading all those cannonballs!" Top Cat said. He jumped out from his position behind a cactus and ran towards Finky, who was rolling another large cannonball over to be loaded. "Cover me!"
"You've got it, Top Cat!" Yogi said.
Pinky saw Top Cat running towards the porch, and started shooting. Top Cat had to dive to the ground to avoid the bullets that barely grazed his head. Pinky laughed, but it soon turned into a scream of pain when Quick Draw shot him in his gun arm, knocking him down.
"Your shootin' days are over, Pinky Dalton!" he yelled.
Stinky's face was red with rage. "You'll regret that, Quick Draw!" he said. He pulled out his gun and started shooting like no tomorrow. Everyone shouted as they jumped to the ground to avoid the bullets. "Nobody hurts my brothers, except me! Finky, load that cannon already!"
"Not so fast, Finky!" When the gunfire cleared, Top Cat sprang to his feet and lunged at Finky. The smaller Dalton had no time to even move before he was thrown off of his feet and into the wall. There was a loud crash of wood as he was knocked through it. "You won't be shootin' at anybody!"
"Dinky, grab him!" Stinky yelled. "I'll load this cannon myself!"
"Right, Stinky!" Dinky marched over to Top Cat, who had just reached for his gun. He grabbed the tomcat by his waist and hurled him across the desert. He laughed as Top Cat bounced off a cactus and hit the ground. "That should take care of him!"
"And this should take care of them!" Stinky grunted, loading the cannonball into the cannon. He laughed at the citizens of Two-Bit, who were cowering in fear as he lit the fuse. "So long, Quick Draw! Say hi to Huck for me!"
Quick Draw gulped. "We're doomed."
"I wouldn't say that so fast, Quick Draw," Boo-Boo replied, pointing at something in the distance. "Look over there!"
Everyone turned to look at what Boo-Boo was pointing at, and their fear melted away into cheers.
"They finally made it!" Quick Draw cried, relieved.
"What are they cheering about?!" Stinky growled, only for a large shadow to loom over their house. Pinky, Finky and Dinky all looked up to see what was going on, and their faces melted into horror.
"Uh oh..." was all they had time to say before the county jail was dropped on top of their house with a loud thud, which shook the ground and almost sent everyone to their knees. Sitting behind the house was a small orange crane that was commandeered by the mayor of Two-Bit, Hokey Wolf.
"Sorry it took so long, gents, but it did take forever to find the right deal on these things!" he said.
Everyone laughed at that, before erupting into another round of cheers. Hats were thrown into the air, and many of the assembled citizens hugged each other, relieved that they had survived and won the day.
The Daltons' rule was finally over.
Several hours later...
Baba Looey groaned as he came to. Every part of his body ached horribly, and he was weak, but he was also glad to be alive. He opened his eyes and saw only the side of Quick Draw's face. Even with his blurry vision, he saw that the mustang was exhausted.
"Ugh...Quicks Draw...what happened?" he asked.
Quick Draw turned around to see Baba Looey, and beamed. "Baba-boy! You're awake!" he cried. "Are you okay?"
"I ache all over, but I'll be fine," Baba said. "What happened?"
"You got hit by a huge cannonball, Baba Looey," Quick Draw replied. "Thankfully, you'll be able to walk again in a few months, but you'll have to use a wheelchair until then."
At the mention of the cannonball, the battle with the Daltons flooded Baba's brain. Eagerly, he asked, "Did we win?"
Quick Draw smiled, and for a second, Baba Looey swore that the horse was teary-eyed. "We sure did, Baba-boy," he replied. "It took a lot of hard work, and lotsa people were killed, but we won."
"Oh, thank goodness. I thought we would never win," Baba Looey said. He paused as he heard loud cheers from a multitude of people outside. "What's going on now, Senor?"
"Hokey's been reelected as the mayor, and he said that we're going to be made the new sheriff and deputy of Two-Bit!" Quick Draw said.
Baba Looey, despite feeling tired, was overjoyed at this news. "That's great, Quicks Draw!" he said. "What about everyone else?"
"Most of 'em already left for their hometowns. Top Cat went back to New York, and Snagglepuss is headin' out there, too. He's going for a career for Broadway," Quick Draw replied. "Yogi and Boo-Boo are goin' back to Jellystone, and Peter's retirin' as a steamboat captain so he can travel 'round the world. Top Cat's already left, but nobody else is leavin'...not before Huck's ghost comes to say goodbye."
This caught Baba Looey off-guard. He stared at Quick Draw with wide eyes. "He's leaving for good this time?" he asked.
Quick Draw sighed sadly. "Yeah. He said now that he's done helpin' us put the Daltons in jail, he's free to leave," he said. "He can't be bound to earth forever, Baba Looey."
"Oh..." Baba Looey sniffled, feeling some tears start to come into his eyes. "I'm going to miss the ghost of Senor Huckleberries, Quicks Draw."
"Me too, Baba-boy," Quick Draw said, patting his deputy on the shoulder. "Me too."
Later that evening...
The sun had just dipped behind the horizon when Huck's ghost appeared in the infirmary. The remaining citizens of Two-Bit were standing around Baba Looey's hospital bed, their faces forlorn and teary.
"Shuckins, I haven't even said anything and everyone's gettin' teary," he started, though his own voice was choked with tears. This would be the last time he would ever see his friends for a long time. For a moment, he wished there was a way he could come back to life, but he knew that wasn't so.
"Of course we're getting teary!" Yogi said. "I wish you didn't have to leave us, Huck."
"I know, Yogi," Huck replied, wiping away a few tears of his own. "I'm sure gonna miss you, Boo-Boo, Hokey and the others. I'm kinda surprised Snagglepuss isn't here."
"He left for Broadway right before we were going to tell him that you were leaving," Bob said. "Maybe he knew ahead of time."
"Snag always did have premonitions like that," Huck's ghost answered. "I'll miss him, too. I never did get to apologize for callin' him a flea-bitten fur rug."
"Well, you can start apologizing now!"
Huck's eyes widened at the sound of the voice. He turned to see Snagglepuss standing there, wearing a blue coat and holding a suitcase. "Snagglepuss! I thought you had already left!"
"I was about to leave, but that was when I remembered that I had left my script. When I came back, I found a note that said you were leaving," Snagglepuss said. He sighed. "I had figured you were going to stay, but alas, it wasn't meant to be..."
"I know how you feel, Snag," Huck replied. "Oh, and by the way, I'm mighty sorry about callin' you a flea-bitten fur rug. I know how sensitive you are about your appearance."
"Don't mention it, Huck. I forgive you," Snagglepuss said.
"Also, thanks for everything, Huck," Hokey added. "And that's not a light statement, either. You have my eternal gratitude. If you hadn't come back, we would still be working under the Daltons...or worse."
Nobody needed an explanation on how things could have been worse. Nearly losing Peter and Baba Looey had proved that point.
Huck nodded. "Y-You're welcome, Hokey," he said. His throat closed up, and the tears started to flow from his eyes. "S-Shuckins, I'm startin' to cry..."
"I-I didn't even know a ghost could cry," Baba Looey said, sniffling.
It wasn't long before everyone else sniffled and started to wipe the tears from their eyes. More than anything, they wished they could hug their old friend, but they knew it was impossible.
"Are...are you sure you can't come back to life, Huck?" Yogi asked.
Huck sighed. "Ta be honest, I don't think so. More than anythin' I'd like to, but...I reckon this is how things have to be," Huck replied.
"W-we'll take care of Two-Bit, Huck, while you're gone," Quick Draw said. "Baba and I will see to that."
"I know you'll do a great job, Quick Draw, Baba Looey," Huck's ghost replied. He turned to Snagglepuss. "Snag, I hope you succeed on Broadway."
Snagglepuss nodded, but couldn't say anything because of his tears.
"Yogi, Boo-Boo, y'all take care of yourselves, okay?" Huck's ghost continued. "Peter, I hope you enjoy your trip 'round the world. And Hokey...well, shucks, I don't know what else to say, other than do me proud as mayor of this town."
Peter and Hokey nodded. "Y-you've got it, Huck," Peter said.
The clock in town hall chimed eight times, and Huck's ghost looked up at it with alarm at first, right before turning towards his friends with a sad smile. "Well, I guess it's time for me to go. But one more thing." He turned to look outside, where Bob was tethered to the post. "Bob?"
"Yes, Huck?" the stallion asked.
"I want you to be Hokey's faithful horsie from now on, okay? I appreciate everythin' you've done for me while I was alive," Huck's ghost replied. "You took care o' me. And I want you to take care of Hokey."
Bob sniffled heartily. "T-Thank you, sir. I'll take it as an honor."
"Oh, and do give my regards to Rusty Nails and Red Eye, okay, guys? Oh, and to everyone who helped out...I didn't get ta thank T.C. for his help. But most of all, I wanna thank you guys. I knew I could count on your help," he said. He tipped his hat towards his friends. "I'd better take my leave, fellers. Keep up the good work...and I know one day I'll see y'all again."
Everyone shouted their goodbyes as Huck's ghost turned to face the door. He opened it and made his way out, fading away into the night. In less than a ten seconds, he was gone. There was nothing that proved that he had been there.
Huckleberry Hound was gone...for good this time.
And even though they had known ahead of time that he was leaving, nothing could stop the fresh tears that poured down the townspeople's faces as they mourned.
Epilogue
Fourth months afterwards...
Sheriff's Office
Quick Draw was reading a magazine when he heard the familiar sounds of gunshots. Sitting up quickly, he grabbed his gun, put it in his holster and ran to the door. "Baba Looey, we've got outlaws in Two-Bit again!" he shouted.
Baba Looey was right behind Quick Draw, wobbling somewhat uneasily as he made his way to his sheriff's side. Only a few weeks ago, he had been able to walk without the crutches, but it was still taking some effort to walk on his two legs again.
"I think they're heading towards the mayor's office, Quicks Draw!" he yelled, pointing in the direction of the commotion. Four men on horseback were shooting through the windows of Town Hall. "Senor Hokey could be in trouble."
"Come on, Baba-boy! We don't have much time to lose!" Quick Draw said. He then ran down the porch, pausing only to let Baba Looey catch up. "STOP RIGHT THERE! PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND TURN AROUND!"
The leader of the group turned around, a sneer on his face. Quick Draw stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide with shock. "No...no, it can't be!" he gasped.
"It is, Quick Draw!" Stinky Dalton turned around to fully face the sheriff and his deputy, and so did his brothers. "Did you really think that we wouldn't break out of jail?"
"If he did, he's stupider than he looks!" Finky yelled, and this was met with rude laughter.
"Ha, this time, Huck's ghost isn't around to help you guys!" Dinky sneered. "We're gonna take Two-Bit back, and we're gonna make you guys pay!"
"Startin' with the mayor of this one-man town!" Stinky turned his head in the direction of Town Hall. "Hokey Wolf, you'd better come out with that money, or we're gonna kill ya and the people of this town!"
The doors opened, and Hokey walked out of the office, his suit covered in gunpowder and his hat filled with holes. He held up two bags of money in his hands and sent a glare towards the oldest Dalton brother.
"I'm doing this in order to protect the people of Two-Bit," he said, glaring at Pinky as he snatched the money. "I've upheld my part of the deal, now you uphold yours. Leave. Now."
Stinky scoffed. "Ain't no one tellin' Stinky Dalton what to do," he said. "Dinky, grab him!"
Dinky had Hokey on his horse before he could even move. Hokey yelled in indignation, but Dinky clapped a meaty hand around his muzzle. "Shut up, or I'll snap your neck in half!" he snarled.
"Come on, guys! Let's go!" Stinky said. "We've gotten what we've come here for!"
With a mean laugh, the brothers all turned around and made their way out of Two-Bit. As they passed Quick Draw and Baba Looey, Stinky yelled, "Catch us if you can, sheriff!"
Quick Draw glared at their retreating backs. Baba Looey turned to face the sheriff. "What do we do now, Quicks Draw?" he asked.
"The one thing we can do, Baba-boy: go after those fugitives!" he said. "Call Bob and tell him that we're leavin' Two-Bit to catch the Daltons!"
Baba Looey nodded, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him to Town Hall. Quick Draw turned to face the horizon. The entrance to Two-Bit was covered with the large dust cloud that the Daltons had kicked up in their escape.
The Daltons had really did it this time. After everything they'd put themall through, they still wanted to make him and the citizens of this town suffer. He owed it to himself, to his friends, and especially to Huckleberry Hound, to finally defeat them, even if it meant he had to kill them.
Bob and Baba Looey came up to his side then. "Are you alright, Quicks Draw?" Baba Looey asked.
"Not really, Baba Looey," Quick Draw replied. "But I will be, as soon as we catch those thieves!"
"Are you sure?" Bob asked.
"Positive." Quick Draw climbed onto Bob, and helped Baba Looey get on as well. "Now, let's go!"
With that, Bob shot off, racing to meet the Daltons, and whatever lay ahead.
The End...?
Yeah, I wrote the epilogue as a cliffhanger on purpose. I'll be writing a sequel to this story, called "Have Guitar, Will Travel", which is about Quick Draw and Baba Looey's adventure to rescue Hokey from the Daltons. I probably won't write it, though, until after I write up another one-shot Vulaan Kulaas asked me to write. I have the idea for it, though, so I will have that out sooner or later.
But other than that, I think I did pretty well for my first western story. Which is pretty funny considering that I don't watch westerns much, but I've always had a little spot for characters like Ricochet Rabbit and Quick Draw McGraw. Plus, I did have some inspiration from the ones I saw when I was at my grandfather's house for the winter, like "Bat Masterson" and "Gunsmoke". I started it in May, but other one-shots and stuff got in the way. That's why I didn't finish it until August.
The only things that remained the same were the parts with Snagglepuss going to Broadway, Quick Draw and Baba Looey being the sheriff and deputy of Two-Bit and Yogi and Boo-Boo returning to Jellystone. But other than that, yeah, everything quickly spiraled in a different direction. For starters, Peter Potamus, who originally had a cameo in the movie, has a bigger role here since he's prohibited from leaving town, and is a bit snarkier here. Quick Draw ended up taking center stage around the end, though I think that's because Quick Draw became my third favorite H-B character when I was writing this story. Needless to say, for a story that's supposed to be (primarily) about Huck as a ghost, Quick Draw and Baba Looey stole the show from him. Sorry, Huck.
The scenes where the citizens learn of Huck's fate and later bury him were my favorite to write, mostly because it was kind of saddening. My second favorite has to be Quick Draw's moment of Tranquil Fury after the Daltons hurt Baba Looey. I was going to bring Huck back to life, but I figured it would be interesting to write stories about a world that didn't have Huck in it. Oh, and I couldn't resist putting Top Cat in there, either. His reason for being in this story is because he traveled to the West to get gold, only to end up being trapped in the Dalton Stronghold.
Did you know that for the merchandise for Hanna-Barbera's early cartoons, they actually did have western themed toys for the Flintstones and Top Cat? I saw one with T.C. as a sheriff and I thought that would be cool to put him in there.
Oh, and you can consider this as a tribute to the late but great Daws Butler. A very saddening bit of trivia: Daws died three days after completing "The Good, the Bad and Huckleberry Hound", which marks the last time he voiced Huck, Yogi, Quick Draw, Baba Looey, Peter, Snag and Hokey. I didn't realize that I watched the film and wrote most of the story on the anniversary month of his death until I looked at the date. Needless to say, that made the original scene where Huck's given his parting gifts much sadder, given what happened to Mr. Butler. I hope this is a fair enough tribute.
That's all I have to really say for now. I hope you enjoyed this "what-if" ending!
God bless, Iheartgod175