Maybe this was a bad dream. A nightmare, it could definitely be a nightmare. Any moment now, Pluto would lick Mickey's face, causing him to wake up. Then he could spend the day getting ready for the party, and trying to think of the best way to ask Minnie about why she invited Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd without asking him about it. They'd settle the argument, dance romantically under candlelight, and then find a private place to kiss and cuddle and enjoy Halloween as a couple could.
Yet for all the pinches Mickey gave to his arm, the night stayed the same, and nothing changed. Donald and Daisy were gone to who knows where, and the masks that had once been eerie displays given by slightly-eerie people were now alive and hungry. He was almost frozen solid in his fear, until one of the masked demons lunged at him, intending to skewer him like a shish kabob – Mickey yelped and high-tailed it out of there, his cape managing to escape being pinned down by perhaps a millisecond. As people around him screamed in terror, he made a straight line for Mister Pumpkin, jumping into his arms and grabbing him by the chest, shaking him over and over. "Where's Donald?! Where's Daisy?! Whaddya we do, whaddya we do?!"
"Th-there's nothing we can do!" Mister Pumpkin managed to pry Mickey off with both of his hands. "The King of Fear has awoken!"
As if summoned by dramatic timing and the namesake, hideous laughter began to boast from the ceiling. The chandelier's candles blew out by a wind that wasn't there before, and the smoke that rose from their deaths formed two pairs of long, sharp eyes that mercilessly mocked the crowd below. It was even possible to see throbbing veins within the eyeballs, and the eyes rolled over everyone, surveying the audience.
"Well, well, well…" The voice boomed, a dark and awful thing, its voice drilling into people's spines and turning their blood to ice. "What a unique looking meal I have been offered… Yes, there's already so much delicious fear… I hardly know where to start. Perhaps I should take it slow, and enjoy every last morsel of your fear…"
"NOOOOOOOPE!" A feminine voice mooed out, and Clarabelle Cow, who had been about to suggest to Horace Horsecollar that he man up and ask her to dance already, stomped forward. "I like a good joke as much as the next lady, but this is too much! You don't fool me for one second, mister! It's all smoke and mirrors! And I bet Donald and Daisy are having a good laugh somewhere! I'll tell you what!" She then marched towards the masked men, with the courage or madness of a dozen people, ignoring Horace trying to grab her back. "I bet Donald's little nephews are behind here! Game's over, boys, you've had enough fun!"
The masks had been patiently waiting for her arrival, and when she was close enough, the leader snatched her arm, digging his nails into her flesh. Clarabelle was about to admonish who she was assumed was Huey, when she doubled over, clutching her stomach in pain. She opened her mouth, but no more words could come out. She buried her face in her hands, and once again the entire party felt all they could do was watch as their stomachs churned and turned. The same ugly nails that the masks had grown out now began to grow out of her hand, and her clothes melted, turning green, shredded and tribal, and gruesome cracking noises popped around her face –
This was all Horace could stand before he shouted out – "You let her go!" – and charged forward, intending to tackle down the foe that held his lady love. Other heroic party guests were ready to do the same, until Horace was tackled down instead by a mask, and as it held his face in its claws, the same awful transformation began to overcome him as well. Within agonizing seconds, both the cow and the horse were becoming masked devils, losing their body and thought. When they stood up, they hunched over, glowering at the other guests, ready to spread the virus along.
"Don't we have anymore brave heroes ready to sacrifice themselves?" The voice laughed, wonderfully amused by the failed attempts to stop his minions. "Try as you might, once they're mine, you can never have them again… They will now serve in my kingdom forever!"
Mickey had gathered most of his wits now, and Minnie, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Goofy had gathered behind him, depending on him to save the day, as he always did. Mickey was shaking in his boots, yet he still made his voice solid as he pointed an accusing finger at the eyes of dread. "And who are you supposed to be? I know for sure we didn't invite you, you… coughin' hazard!" he probably would have thought of something cleverer if he wasn't overcome by the urge to hide under his bed.
The eyes laughed all over again, shaking and lolling back and forth over the chandelier. "I can see why it's not called the House of Brains… I am the King of Fear, you empty-headed cretins! I am every nightmare you've ever dreamt, I am every tingle in your bones, I am the master of your midnight! Now that I've been summoned, I can spread fear far and wide… but even I cannot accomplish this alone… ladies and gentlemen!" The chandelier swung back and forth, causing the ceiling to shake and crack apart. "I present to you, the new and improved Donald Duck… Tribal Leader!"
The doors to the castle slammed shut, locks clicking in place, and the same gray smoke that dominated the ceiling now emerged from the floor in front of the door. Two arms coated in feathers began to crawl out of the floor, and Donald had indeed returned – but it was not the Donald everyone knew and loved. His nails had also grown out, and so had the teeth in his beak, now elongated fangs coated in spit. His face was splattered with war paint, his masquerade clothes now made of straw and sticks, and atop his head a pair of horns jutted out of an orange mess of hair. Animal growls vibrated from his mouth, and as he lurched forward, everyone in the vicinity felt an urge to step back. The larger group of masks all slammed their hands on the floor, greeting their leader.
"D-Donald?" Goofy was the one to try out calling for his goody buddy, despite said good buddy looking ready to swallow him whole. "Hey, pal, you don't look so good…"
Donald wobbled, and then began to run on all fours, beak snapping open and shut in a wild frenzy. He was bowling straight for his former friends, and they had the good sense not to try talking him out of it. Instead, they bolted, and the entire party burst into similar panicked runs. Screams and steps mixed together, but no matter how many desperate souls tried to fix the door, it wouldn't budge, and instead they became the next victim of the masks, crying out in agony. Donald himself had snatched a prince – once a Beast, now a victim – by the leg, and as he sunk his teeth into the poor man's leg, another transformation began.
"Donald, knock it off!" Goofy kept trying to call out for his companion, despite being literally dragged by Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd in the other direction. "That ain't nice at all! C'mon, Donald, quit it!"
Mickey looked around, trying to form a quick plan, and he grabbed Minnie's hand, dashing for the stairs. "Everyone, get to the stairs! We can lock ourselves up in the wings! Hurry!" The partygoers that could hear him over the yells of their fallen friends scrambled to follow his directions, clamoring over the steps and holding into those they loved dearly. Donald and his followers didn't chase after them right away – there were still so many guests who were too slow to catch up to Mickey, and it was taking every ounce of strength he had not to turn around and save them, even though he didn't have a clue how to do it. If he could just get somewhere safe, somewhere he could stop and think, he could come up with a plan, he could save them, he always did, always would –
"Bored of them already?" The King of Fear's voice followed them, even when left behind, as if he was hiding behind all of their ears, waiting for the right moment to send their hearts into overdrive. "I can solve that problem… Why don't we say hello to some old friends? They're just dying to meet you!"
Mickey didn't understand what that threat meant until they'd gotten to the top of the stairs, and when it hit, it hit hard. "Th-the dragon! I forgot all about it!"
On command, the bejeweled dragon spun its head around, eyes glittering to life, the roar coming from its throat sounding raw and metallic. It stomped forward on all of its bright legs, causing cracks in the marble floor. Its weight made its slow, but in the midst of another terrifying creature ready to attack them, the party guests weren't feeling so fast. It bucked towards the staircase, managing to ensnare his first victim with its mighty jaws – the duck known as Ludwig Von Drake would soon be known as Ludwig Von Dragon, as his feathers began to crystallize, his spine arching in a new direction for his glistening skin. But because this transformation was so much slower and heavier than the last, a whirl of courage surfed through Mickey – he ran towards the dragon's tail, grabbing hold and yanking hard.
"L-Leggo, you big hunk of junk!" Mickey hollered, trying to tug as fiercely as his little body would allow. "Leave my friends alone! I'm tellin ya, leave my friends alone!"
Pluto bit onto Mickey's ankle, not to harm his master, but to join in the effort of tugging and pulling. Yet even with the addition of Goofy and Minnie, the dragon wouldn't budge until Ludwig was now another dragon ready for the hunt, claws scraping for the next victim.
"Do you really think you can give orders around here?" The King of Fear's voice continued to follow, and as Mickey dared to look up, he saw that the smoky eyes had followed them, rolling along the ceiling like simple wheels. "I know someone who is much better at telling people what to do… let's bring back Daisy, better than ever… as your Princess!"
"Awwww no." Goofy's voice was barely above a whisper, having a fairly good guess what was to happen enough, a large piece of floor vanished into sheer nothingness, and they heard cackling laughter before they saw her rise from the depths. A gold headdress rested heavily on her head, and she was draped in long green tapestry that formed oval shapes underneath her arms, as if scales were hanging off her body. Her entire body appeared to sag with the heaviness of the gold on her body, and her now glittering red eyes, took delight in the shock of those around her. She laughed again, her scales reflecting everyone's horrified faces.
"I know, aren't I amazing?' She crooned, and everyone could hear that even her voice had changed, carrying an ethereal tone like ringing bells, echoing back in her throat, as if two people were speaking at the same time. "Yes, take it all in… and if you behave nicely, I'll make you into my personal servants. You can form a line right in front of me for autographs." The original dragon and the transformed one marched under her hands, eager for strokes behind their rough ears.
"D-Daisy!" Minnie momentarily felt relief, since maybe if Daisy was able to talk, maybe she wasn't as trapped as Donald was. "Don't you recognize us? We're your friends! You… you wanted to help us get along, and make sure everyone had fun!"
"Yeah-huh!" Goofy joined in, hands together in a pleading gesture. "The Daisy we know is a real nice lady! Even when she was bein' bossy, she did it with real good intentions! C'mon, snap out of it! Then we can save Donald!"
Other partygoers joined in on the begging – Donald and Daisy were historic and beloved figures of the House – but Daisy's new impatience was worn out. "ENOUGH!" She stamped hard with her bejeweled shoes, causing even deeper cracks, making Mickey think perhaps the entire floor would crumble underneath them at this rate. "How dare you talk about anyone else besides me? I'm the most important person you'll ever meet! This vessel is mine, and I'm never letting you have her! She's mine, mine, mine, MINE!" With that last screech of selfishness, her dragons were called to attention, and they shot themselves into the crowd, clawing and biting to transform others.
Mickey managed to save his sleeve from a bite, and scooped Minnie up into his arms, not daring to take any other chances. "Everyone, split up into the wings! Lock the doors behind ya! Hurry!" He sped for the east wing, and as he heard people crying out behind him, he could only hope that more people had made it into the west wing than had been swallowed up by the spell. But he could also hear a dragon – the original? Newly made? It was getting far too chaotic to know anymore – was coming up behind them, now he could also hear Donald's howls into the mix! He and his masks were climbing up the stairs! At this rate, they'd be outnumbered!
Each entrance of the wings had two sets of doors, requiring double locks. Once after the door's edge, Mickey thrust Minnie into Mister Pumpkin's arms, and whirled around to kick the doors shut. Hard forces slammed into the door as Mickey fumbled to lock it – and then sharp nails struck through the wooden door, giving Mickey's hat a noticeable hole. Mickey felt his legs turn into jelly, and he waved to his remaining allies. "G-Get somethin' ta block the door! Anythin'!"
Cinderella's castle was full of expensive and memorial furniture, and Mickey made a mental note to himself to personally apologize to both the princess and the prince for all the damage this party was causing. A hasty barricade was thrown together with old chairs, a dining room table, a cabinet for clothes, a display case for fancy silverware, and a fire poker to stick into the locks. Only then did the pounding from the other side seem to dull. Mickey sat on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Once he had control of his lungs, he looked around to see who had made it with him.
Minnie was wiping her eyes, trying to stop crying, and Pluto was licking her cheek in his small attempt to help. Mister Pumpkin was helping Missus Gourd to her feet, as she'd tripped in the frenzy to block the doors. A few animals sidekicks were smoothing down their fur, about three princesses were consoling each other, Pete was trying to open a locked window, Tinkerbelle was seeing if she could make a good hiding place out of a tossed aside shoe, but Mickey stopped counting when he suddenly heard Goofy wail.
"W-where's Chip and Dale?" Goofy was turning over the carpets and the curtains, getting more and more upset with every lack of a clue. "They were with me when we were runnin'! W-w-what if the King of Fear got 'em…?"
Similar expressions of anguish washed over the survivors, but Mickey stepped up, taking Minnie's hands into his own. "… We gotta hope for the best. We gotta believe they made it… I mean, gosh, those fellas are small enough ta play tricks on all of us, and they never get caught." He helped Minnie rise to her feet, smiling at her all the while. "Those ghosts don't stand a chance against our chipmunks! Why, I bet they'll spend all night chasin' after Chip and Dale, and never able to get a single hair! I know it!"
Minnie nodded slowly, her ability to speak not having returned yet. How could he be so confident when all these horrible things had happened? The petty argument between them seemed like a lifetime ago. She didn't care if he only liked her looks – as long as they made out of this castle, he could think anything he wanted about her. She leaned onto his chest, accepting his tight hug. "B-But… what do we do now? We… we can't stay here this whole time. We need to save everyone."
Mickey stroked the back of Minnie's head, looking up at Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd. "What about you two? Don't you guys have any ideas? Every bad guy can be stopped somehow!"
Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd looked at each other, shrugged, and then held each other's hands, hanging their heads to the side in misery. "Would that we could help you, Mickey." Mister Pumpkin lamented. "But no one has ever been able to defeat the King of Fear before. He thrives on fear… the more fear you feel, the more powerful he and his minions become. And look around you!" he waved a flat hand to the animals, the princesses, the fat cat, the fairy, the others, "Do you see a single face not full of fear? This is Halloween! Fear us our worst enemy, and it's winning!"
Mickey instinctively responded "I ain't afraid!" but one look from Minnie blew that obvious lie right out of the water. "… All right, I'm a… a little scared. But that doesn't mean we can just give up! We can't let our fear take over our heads, or we'll never be able ta think straight! It's like… like…" His eyes widened – "Hey, Tink!" He remembered, and the fairy stuck her head out of the shoe, wondering why she was being called. "You all know Tinkerbelle! With her pixie dust, you fly when yer happy… that's what we have to do here! We gotta think about happy things, then we can calm down, and think of a plan!" He looked from person to person, trying to encourage them. "Gosh, we've all been through tougher times than this! Now, everyone, take a big, deep breath… and think of happy things!"
Save for Pete, since he was Pete, everyone welcomed the idea, and collectively breath was held, and collectively good thoughts were had. Princess Anna thought of warm chocolate waiting downstairs on the banquet table – Abu thought of taking a ride on his pal Carpet – Tinkerbelle thought of her friends down at Pixie Hollow – Pete thought of how much money he'd make selling his rights to this story – Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd thought of what they'd do after the party – Minnie thought of herself and Mickey nestled up on her couch, watching B Horror movies as they used to do late on Halloween – Mickey thought of all his friends safe and well and celebrating – Goofy thought…
… Goofy was having trouble coming up with a happy thought. Every time he tried to think of something happy, his mind would loop back to Donald and Daisy, to the lost Chip and Dale, and to the King of Fear, perhaps looming behind the door. Which, come to think of it, gave Goofy pause. Why was something as powerful as a being made entirely out of fear being stopped by a door? As far as Goofy had seen, the apparition was made out of smog and smoke, so couldn't it have slipped under a crack? Or like a ghost, gone through the walls? In fact, if you added up a lot of what had happened, very few things about this evening made sense. He was tempted to tell his friends about his musings, but he doubted his words would be of any worth. He was a silly goof, maybe he was just being foolish about this whole thing. His friends were much smarter than he was, so obviously they should have come up with these questions. Still…
He scratched his noggin, 'hmmm'ing out loud. He leaned on the nearest wall, tilting his head this way and that, until his head bonked into something. He fumbled, adjusting his hat – "Sorry, miss!" then resumed his thinking. After a moment, he realized the woman he'd bumped into hadn't said anything. Then he realized she couldn't have said anything because she was a wooden figurehead.
No matter how happy your thoughts are, they can and will be destroyed when you hear someone screaming at the top of their lungs. Mickey almost jumped out of his shoes when he saw that his best pal Goofy was in the clutches of the wooden figurehead – she had reached out and grabbed him! Mickey ran forward, hoping that for once he wouldn't be too late – the figurehead had started to pull Goofy backwards, melting into the wall. "Let him go!" Mickey managed to grab Goofy by the feet, which wasn't easy as Goofy was kicking and flailing in panic.
"Help me, Mickey!" Goofy cried out, desperately trying to push the woman's drenched fingers off of his chest. "I don't wanna be a ghost!"
"Hang on, Goofy!" Mickey was determined not to lose Goofy, but with a dreadful 'pop', he fell backwards, Goofy's shoes in his hands. Goofy let out his classic holler, and the wall appeared to ripple, leaving no sign either figure had ever been there before.
Mickey stared at the empty wall, lips trembling, and then in rage, he stood up to throw the shoes at the wall, fists clenched. "This ain't fair! He didn't mean ta touch it, and you know it, ya… ya big bag of gas! Why don't you show yerself, you cowardly king! Ya ailing apparition, ya gangly ghost, ya mangy monster…" Mickey spit out more pathetic insults, ignoring Minnie's pleas for him to calm down. Instead he kicked the wall, then pounded on it with his fists, as if he could break it and find his friend underneath.
"You called?" the same bellowing voice rocked through the hallway, and Minnie made a straight dive for Mickey's arms, shrieking. "My apologies… I was distracted by your funny friends next door. It didn't take long for them to join my army of frights. But don't worry; now I have all the time in the world to spend with you!"
"This isn't funny!" Mickey growled, holding Minnie as tightly as his arms could. "We will find a way to stop you! Now give Goofy back to us, right this instant! I mean it!"
"I suppose I could…" Smoke began to filter in under the door, slowly making the form of lazy eyes appear. "But he would be so lonely on this side. I think he could use some companions. You know, not every mermaid is little…"
A feminine scream rose up, and for half a second Mickey thought somehow he had lost the lady love in his arms, so he held her tightly enough that breathing became difficult. But the victim wasn't Minnie, but another princess, the darling Snow White, was being grasped by green hands that had slimed out of the wall. She who had been known for skin as white as snow began to find her skin turning as green as swamp water, her fingers and toes becoming webbed, and dark circles underneath her pretty eyes – now fish eyes! Her hair was no longer famous black, but the color of rotten apples, loosely hanging down like seaweed. Her skin welled and puffed up, bloating sickly pale as water continuously dripped from every pore of her body. Jagged teeth stuck out of her one red lips, and she made a hideous slurping noise that signaled it was time to feed.
Had Minnie not been in Mickey's clutches, she was sure she would have fainted twice over by now. The monstrosity that was no longer a princess sloshed in her steps, allowing more slimy sisters to emerge from the wall, surveying the prey trapped in the wing. The King of Fear laughed as the others scrambled to get away from the disgusting damsels. "Now that we have our leading ladies, I can show you what's become of your goofy-looking friend… now the Pirate Captain!"
On cue, the wall rippled one more time, and while this looked like Goofy, it did not walk like Goofy, taking slow, confident steps forward, his hands at his side. His blood red jacket was held together by rusty belts and decaying thread, and the skull and crossbones atop his hat looked as if they could be made from a real skeleton. Seaweed hung off of his hat and shoulders, and his shoes and pants sagged with each solitary step, as if they'd been held underwater for endless decades .His eyes blazed red – the same as Donald and Daisy, but where Donald looked psychotic and Daisy cruel, his appearance was one of boredom. As he opened his mouth to speak, even his breath smelled like drowned bodies on the moor. "… I hope those two fools haven't taken all the princesses for themselves." His homely drawl was nowhere to be found, as he was now speaking with precision. "I didn't wait all this time just to get a small serving of brides… this'll have to do for now." He clicked his tongue, taking his eyes across the hallway, and then made a ho-hum sigh. "Yes, you'll be fine for me."
It was Princess Anna who'd caught his dreadful attention, and he grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her into his chest. She gasped at the strength of his hand, and then pounded on his chest, demanding her freedom. "S-Stop it! No! W-why can't we go back to sharing jokes a-and…" Anything else was lost as the spell took her over, her braided hair twirling green and mushy, her knees buckling as she turned from woman into fish freak. Goofy's expression never changed, save for a steady blink that showed perhaps the whole process was boring.
"Goofy, cut that out!" Mickey put Minnie behind him, and saw no choice but to give his good friend a kick to the shin. "Let her go! You'd never hurt a girl, you can barely speak to one!"
Goofy didn't even flinch, instead dawdling to look at who had dared to assault him. "… I really couldn't care less about who this body belong to. And since you're a guy… I really, really don't care." He shrugged, too lazy to think of better words. He then lifted his foot, and kicked Mickey hard in the stomach, causing him to hit the wall with a heavy 'thud'.
"Mickeeey!" Minnie was in tears by now, falling to her knees at Mickey's side. "Are you all right?!"
Mickey couldn't reply – Goofy wasn't a weak fellow normally, but that kick had the power of a solid brick. He held his stomach in pain, his vision swimming. As for Goofy, he'd taken notice of Minnie's care, and his eyebrows raised, a new target in sight. "Hmmm…" Again, he clicked his tongue, and then lightly shoved the newly demonized Anna to the side. "She's a pretty one. Aye, that'd be a fine bride for me…"
Mickey's eyes flew open as he automatically understood what that statement meant. "Oh no you don't!" Trifle things like pain and fear were easily put aside when his lady love was a target. He sprung to his feet, and found a candlestick holder that had long since lost its flame. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it would have to do. He swung it in front of him, keeping Minnie safely behind him. "Even if you've got my friend's body doin' the work for you, there's no way I'm lettin' you get near Minnie! Now back off!"
Goofy let out a long, drawn out sigh. "It's always something… Very well." Attached to his soaking belt was a scabbard, and he wrapped his fingers around the edge of a blade that unfortunately hadn't aged like the rest of his outfit. He held out the sharp weapon, lips momentarily curled up into a harsh smirk. "You're not the first man I've had to get out of my way… but you sure are the smallest." He then jabbed forward, and Mickey struggled to block the blow with the candle holder, though he had no time to thank his good fortune. Goofy was already striking again, and again, and again – Mickey managed to block each blow, and he quickly moved around, trying to get the fight away from Minnie's range. But he could hear the snarls of the goblin girls – they took this fight as a sign it was time to attack! They chased after the remaining survivors, and Mickey could see Minnie frozen in place, terrified, not knowing what to do – Pluto was in front of her, taking his master's place and trying to bark away the frights. Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd were holding each other, although for a moment it appeared as if they were only observing, not held rigid by terror.
Suddenly the fight between pirate and pipsqueak was interrupted by a hard shove - "Outta my way!" – and Mickey could see Pete going as fast as his extra weight would allow, going right back to the barricade and taking it down, piece by piece.
"What are you doing?!" Minnie yelled, hugging Pluto the protector.
"I'm gettin' outta here!" Pete snapped, ripping and tearing apart the furniture in order to get to the doors faster. "You heard that King of Fear guy, maybe they're all distracted too! And the goof's only after girls!" His girth provided strength, so he had the doors free in very little time, deciding he'd feel guilty about abandoning everyone after he was long gone. Maybe he'd send them get-well cards. The last obstacle in his way was the fire poker, but that was proving to be a challenge. He grabbed and tugged, trying to pretend he wasn't hearing the petrified people behind him being turned one by one. "Rotten little… whose idea was it to put this here?"
"YOURS!" Everyone collectively shouted.
"Oh, sure, blame me for everything." Pete grumbled, pulling and kicking at the fire poker. "I didn't invite these creeps! That's why those mice shouldn't be runnin' the club, I should! Everyone who agrees, raise their hands!"
That was when a bony blue hand passed through the solid door as if it wasn't there at all. The sleeve had a golden collar, with red running down where it came from.
"See, this guy gets it." Pete high-fived the floating apparition before understanding exactly what had happened. "… Ah, crud."
The hand that latched itself onto Pete's face, and for all of Pete's yelling, and for all the strength he had, he could not wretch it off. It sunk its fingers into his cheeks, and his black fur began to turn pale blue, and his eyes rolled back to sink into his large skull. His jaw stayed open, but no sound came out, not even a soft groan of pain. His arms cracked and swiveled, then turned up, reaching out for nothing and staying solidly still. As with every transformation, his outfit also changed, this time in red and gold, making solid stripes out of robes that hung off of every limb. A circle was made in front of his chest, holding a blackened Chinese symbol – Mulan would recognize the symbol, Gui, for Ghost, shortly before she became another seaweed maiden – and when the hand pulled back, Pete was allowed to turn around. He made large, wide steps, as if he couldn't turn around all at once, his bones not allowing it. The small head with a bead at the very top had paper dangling in front of Pete's face – the 'Gui' showed there as well.
You didn't have to be Basil of Bakerstreet to figure out what had happened down the other hallway. "The gong!" Mister Pumpkin declared, taking steps backwards with Missus Gourd. "Now we're up against four spirits! We don't stand a ghost of a chance!"
"Allow me to correct you." The King of Fear chuckled darkly, now his voice even louder than before, coming from every wall, every window, every tile in the ceiling and every thread of the carpet, as if he was everywhere and anywhere at once, and could never be avoided – as if by now he was the very castle itself. "It's five spirits that now rule Halloween… but if you don't believe me, I'm always happy to prove you wrong! They used to be known as Chip and Dale… but their new title here are the Twin Zombies!"
Blurry blue balls of light bounced out of the door, landing precisely on Pete's shoulders. They carried the same outfit that Pete held, but their faces were not covered, allowing everyone to see that their faces were decorated in elaborate make-up, as one would see performers don. But no one would want to see these performers, as the harsh white faces created an eerie glow about them, as if the chipmunks had passed from the world of the living. Around their eyes were lines of blue, red, gold, drawn out delicately like throbbing veins. Their eyes contained the same horrible red hue as their cohorts, and their once famous laughter now sounded like shaken dice in a crooked game. Their arms moved up and down mechanically, unable to bend naturally. They hopped up and down, making Pete start to lumber forward, guided by the puppet masters on his shoulders.
"You guys got a head-start, that's not fair!" Chip stated, and even though he was complaining, he was grinning – a closer look would reveal that his face wouldn't allow him to stop grinning. Their facial muscles had been solidified to stay in place, always cheerful, always laughing at others.
"I bet we can capture the most people!" Dale added, walking down Pete's extended arm. "Let's make a game out of it! The winner with the most captures…"
"Gets to start capturing people outside of the castle!" Chip laughed, jaw shaking as the choking giggles rolled out of him. Both chipmunks hopped and laughed, over and over, and more ghosts of their ilk began to sift through the door, blue arms straight forward, tortured faces hidden by the Gui symbol, and the game had officially begun for the cackling chipmunks.
Mickey had managed to hold Goofy off, but now that there was a new onslaught of trouble heading for his friends, it was difficult to concentrate on saving his own skin. On his left were gangly green girls, and on his right were ghastly giggling ghosts. The princesses, the fairies, the animal sidekicks, every single one of them was being transformed and made to hurt another. As of that moment, there were only five good guys remaining – Mister Pumpkin, Missus Gourd, Pluto, Minnie, and Mickey himself. The odds weren't good, and as Goofy made a close swipe for Mickey's throat, the odds were getting much, much worse.
But if they had thought this would be enough to make Mickey Mouse give up, they really had no idea who they were dealing with.
"You won't be hurting anyone else!" Mickey declared, and reluctantly smacked Goofy in the head with the candle-holder. Fortunately the spirits could feel pain, as Goofy's head dizzily spun around – Mickey kicked the sword out of his opponent's hand, claiming for his own, and he ran to the last of his friends, grabbing Minnie by the wrist. "Everyone, join hands! We're goin' bowlin'!"
There was no time to question what that strange demand met, but they all held hands, clutching each other while quivering in fright. Once they were close enough, Mickey started running towards the door, causing everyone else to run with him. The ghosts that had made it through the door had to be solidified in order to capture the living – which is why they were knocked down by the barrage of buddies, and also made a coincidental battering ram for the door. The doors cracked open, hanging off of their hinges, and the heroes managed to make it back from where they started.
If only that was a good place to be. To the right, to the left, and from behind, their former allies were now masked monsters, dragon disasters, water warriors, and dead dangers. As far as Mickey could see, there was only one place left they hadn't invaded, and at this pace it wouldn't stay invaded for long. "Follow me! We gotta get to the north wing!"
But Minnie dug her heels into the floor, trying to stop Mickey from going any further. "B-but the mummy's tomb is in there! If we go there, that horrible Pharaoh will get us!"
Mickey didn't have time to stand and argue, but he did have time to run and argue. He hoisted Minnie up by the arms and carried her, running with the hosts and his dog toward the north wing. "We don't have a choice, Minnie! We have to stay in there until we can find a way to get upstairs without the bad guys in the way!" The castle had floors and floors above them, but how to get there was anybody's guess. As Minnie begged for Mickey not to take her to the throne room where the Pharaoh laid waiting, Mickey's brain delved further and further into panic. They couldn't barricade the doors, that had just proven to be useless. Even if they went upstairs, they'd be trapped again, and should they find a way out, the spirits would be set loose upon the world. Every option led to failure, which frightened Mickey more, and Mickey knew that the King of Fear thrived on this, making him more powerful, making Mickey more afraid, and the cycle would go on without any chance of stopping.
But Mickey Mouse couldn't be afraid! Not when everyone was counting on him to save the day! Even now they were expecting him to figure something out, to find the light in the darkness! He wanted to apologize to them for lacking ideas, but how could he admit that he honestly had no idea what to do? This perhaps was what frightened him more than the actual spirits themselves – that for once in his life, Mickey couldn't be the savior everyone wanted. Was that the biggest fear plaguing his heart?
They reached the throne room, and Mickey placed Minnie down. Despite knowing that the spirits had the power to surpass walls, he began to block the doors all over again, though now that the number of people was smaller, they had much less to block the door with – old paintings, rolled up rugs, and curtain rods. Mickey leaned on the door, sweat rolling down his face. Mister Pumpkin and Missus Gourd stood over him, and as Mickey saw their shadows over him, a different emotion than fear welled up in his heart. He knew it was wrong, he knew it wasn't fair, but…
"Why," Mickey asked, still facing the door, "Minnie, why did you invite them without tellin' me?"