Author's Notes: I disclaim Gorillaz, the video game references, and other stuff I forgot to mention. This is the final chapter of this very long story. Please enjoy it. I decided to give it a nice twist at the end, a twist I originally did not plan. Please be a critic, and review! Thank you, and enjoy the grand finale!
Death of a hero
It was beautiful.
The Ruby of Origin was polished to a mirror-sheen, and it shined like an apple in the sunlight. The crimson color of it resembled the redness of a rose, and she could see her reflection perfectly.
But that was the strangest feature of it all. While she stared at it, she could see her own reflection, yes, but she didn't see her pale skin or the thin black bags underneath her eyes.
She saw her old self in the gem; the same girl who had escape from that horrible orphanage (if one would call it that), her cheeks rosy and no bags beneath her eyes.
The zombie girl had actually forgotten about Noodle, 2D, Murdoc, and her friends for a moment. She was so amazed at the Ruby's powers, that for a moment, she actually considered stealing it.
She could lie, and say it wasn't there, but hide in it her dress pocket. While they'd be searching the lair and interrogating Spikez, she could secretly run away (as she did so cleverly from the orphanage, excluding her unfortunate and untimely death), and the Ruby of Origin could lead her to the exit. No one would be able to chase or track her, it'd be impossible. The supernaturally-scientific laws of the realm Outcast Town dwelled in would not allow anybody to do so.
She would receive another chance at life, another attempt at fitting into society; and it was all there, in the palm of her hand.
Wow, she pondered, I…could make a new life for myself. I could finally be able to do things I've always wanted to do.
But then, the memories of Outcast Town came clawing their way into her mind; her friends and life there. Nowhere in the real world did anyone show her such love and care for her as they have in the town of Oddities. She had never met someone as kind, selfless, and heroic as Vern.
It was there that she realized that not only could she not leave her beloved friends behind, she would not. They were all too close to her heart for her to betray them.
Grizzelda shut her eyes, lowered her head, and sucked in a slow, deep breath through her nostrils. She curled up her fingers, and leapt out from the hole in the wall.
The Outcast citizens all stared at her, anxious to see what she was clutching in her gloved hand. She lifted up her fist in front of her, and gazed at it for a moment, and then her eyes swung over to the denizens once again.
A grin began forming across her lips, and she raised the Ruby of Origin high above her head.
As the outcasts saw the gleaming Ruby in her hand, they all began applauding and cheering, shaking the entire lair like a mighty earthquake.
She dashed over to them, and placed the Ruby in Vern's hand. He looked at it with a large smile on his face.
"Whoa," he said, eyeing it carefully, "so this is what it looks like. It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Grizzelda replied with a miniscule smile, and nodded her head a single time. She was still a bit upset that she had thrown away her second chance at life, but without friends and loved ones to share it with, there really wasn't any point of life at all.
Vern turned away from her, and he gave orders to one of the outcast citizens.
"We have the Ruby! You can tell Noodle and Murdoc to come out now, it's all clear!"
The citizen obeyed and rushed outside to tell the two musicians that all was safe, and that they would be returning home shortly.
Noodle slowly strode in, her eyes amazed at the ruins and destruction from the epic battle between the Outcast citizens, Sparky, and Spikez's army of darkness.
Murdoc popped his head in, still uneasy about this entire "getting the Ruby by force" idea. His gaze swung from left to right, searching for any signs of demonic creatures.
"It's...it's ova'?" said Murdoc, striding into the room with his chest puffed out and his stomach tightened, "Well, tha's a shame. I wos jest' about tah' make my move."
As Vern watched the citizens explain the graphic duel between Sparky and the shadow demon, the though struck him.
What happened to their friend 2D?
Vern's eyes frantically flew from left to right, searching for their kidnapped friend, until finally, his eyes landed on him, fast asleep on the table with his head lowered and some drool oozing out of his mouth.
The Outcast King trotted over to him, and checked on him.
Poor guy, he thought as his index finger wrapped around his chin and his thumb rested underneath it, all that excitement must've worn him out.
Vern looked left, and then he looked right, seeking for an object like a key or a strong axe to remove the chains that were tightly wrapped around his body.
Well, he did not catch sight of an item, but he caught sight of, perhaps, a few creatures that knew how to cut 2D down from his prison.
Red, White, Green, and Yellow were trembling violently in a corner, huddling together like a group of American football players. Except they were not discussing techniques and plays, they were huddled together in fear.
For all the damage they've done, they were surely going to face the wrath of the Outcast Town authorities
The accountant noticed this, and he always loved to play a good joke.
He strode over like he had supreme authority, clenching his fists and puffing out his chest.
The demons stared up at him like young children that had pulled a prank too far, and they lowered their heads again, trembling still.
Right when Vern was only inches away from them, Green shoved Red forward, letting him become the involuntary speaker on their behalf.
Red stood there, shaking like a leaf as he lifted his head higher as Vern's towering shadow engulfed him. He bit his lower lip violently, and he gulped as Vern stood over him, his arms crossed on his chest and a bitter look of anger on his face.
The little red-eyed demon was ready to cry.
He, like his brothers, was only doing what he was created for, which was following the orders of Spikez, wicked or not. But would Vern understand this?
"Please, Mister Vern, sir," he begged, (suddenly, his voice didn't sound so sinister), "we-we-we were only following orders. We were not involved in Spikez's plans! My brothers and I had no intention of hurting this fellow, I swear to you!"
Red collapsed on his knees, placing his palms together and inserting the opposite hand's pointy fingers in between the spaces of the other hand's fingers.
"Please, whatever you do, have mercy on us! We'll-we'll-we'll sweep up the town every day, we'll-we'll polish your dragon's armor, we'll b-bake you pastries and cookies, and-and…"
It was there that Vern couldn't contain his laughter anymore.
His bitter face now scrunched up in a crooked smile and he burst out in laughter. He was bent over, laughing with his hand on his forehead and his other hand on his kneecap.
When Vern finally managed to control his laughter, he could see just how baffled Red looked, staring with his mouth slightly hanging open and his eyes looking as clueless as a puppy dog's.
In the middle of a few chuckles, Vern managed to say, "You-heh heh-don't have to do all of that!"
Red's eyes widened and he blushed at how embarrassingly he had just reacted. He turned his head back around to his brothers, and he noticed them all pretending to not have noticed anything, swinging their bodies back and forth, whistling random tunes while looking off into outer space (They were secretly quite embarrassed as well).
"No, all I was going to ask you was, if you could please cut him down."
Red looked past Vern, and he saw 2D asleep on the table.
Without saying a word, the red-eyed demon got to it's feet, and approached the heavy chains that encircled the singer's body. Red reached into his pocket, and pulled out an old rusted key. He shoved the key into the keyhole, turned it, and the chains all rattled and collapsed lifelessly to the floor like dead snakes.
The singer fumbled around on the table. He yawned comfortably, turning his whole body onto his side, and he placed the back of his hands on the side of his head like a pillow, and he said in a mumbling voice, "No, Mario, jump ova' tha' koopa shell…"
The sound of the chains landing on the floor caught the attention of Noodle. Seeing 2D unchained made her excited, so she sprinted towards the table.
Vern approached the vocalist, and tapped him gently on the shoulder.
"Hey pal, time to wake up."
"Unhhh…no gran'ma, I alr'dy fried the eggplants…"
2D's onyx eyes slowly lifted their lids, and his eyes grew in horror as he saw Vern looking down at him with his sharp teeth and glowing red eyes.
"YAAAAH! IT'S DRACULA!"
Noodle immediately jumped in and stopped 2D from jumping to any irrational conclusions once again.
"No, 2D," she said, raising her arms to calm him down, "it's ok! He's a friend!"
"A 'frien'?" repeated 2D, not believing his ears.
"Yes," replied the Japanese teen, "trust me, everything's ok. We'll explain everything on the way home."
2D shot one more nervous glance at Vern, and then uneasily climbed off of the table, slowly backing away from Vern and not taking his eyes off of him. That is, until, he bumped into Red.
"Oh shit! It's one of 'em again!" cried 2D as he scurried behind Noodle, hiding behind her like a coward.
Red raised his arms, proving that he was not armed in anyway. 2D, however, remained fearful, and stayed behind Noodle's back, not daring to expose himself once more.
"Our apologies sir," explained the demon, "but we needed to kidnap you, it was our master's plans. Not ours."
2D gulped and developed the courage to stop hiding himself from the creatures that surrounded himself. He then turned to Noodle and said, "Noods, I don't know whe'eh we are', an' why, but can please go 'ome?"
Vern replied for Noodle and said, "Certainly. Let's all hop on Sparky and he'll give us a lift."
"'Spah'ky?' Who's 'Spah'ky'?"
"Why, Sparky is our cybernetic dragon."
"'Cybernetic dragon'! Wot!"
Back in Outcast Town…
Waylon, the snake-fingered handyman of the town, swept up the streets neatly and carefully by himself, listening to wind rustling against the long branches with dead leaves on them.
As he swept, he kept thinking about the number of Outcast denizens who had left to fight Spikez. What about Vern? Was he alright? Did he win or lose? Was he even alive?
So many questions, but only time could answer them all.
But, just as he began to worry rather than question, he heard a distant rumbling and an engine roaring. He arched his eyebrow and he lifted up his head.
"Hmm?"
He squinted his eyes and he witnessed a large thing with wings and fire spewing from it's back, coming at the town at full speed.
While squinting and gazing at the UFO, he said, "Could…could it be?"
Finally, the flying object got close enough. He made out what it was.
"It is! It's Sparky!"
He was so excited he flung his broom to the floor careless, cupped his snaky fingers around his lips, and announced, "Hey everybody! Sparky's back!"
At the sound of his message, doors began swinging open, heads popped out of windows, eyes on trees began awakening.
"Vern?"
"Vern's back?"
"He's home?"
"Where is he!"
A large crowd of outcasts began applauding as Sparky flew into the town.
Vern and the various other outcasts waved happily as Sparky flew by them overhead. Mile after mile, various denizens cheered and threw confetti into the air, celebrating the return of the Outcast King.
The crowd began singing and rejoicing gleefully. Some outcasts that could play musical instruments pulled out their tambourines, flutes, and harps and began playing the town's anthem.
As fingers strummed the silver strings of harps, the outcasts sang,
"Vern is home! Vern is home!
Now everyone can sleep at night!
Oh, what happy days!
What heroism he displays!"
The cybernetic dragon landed in the town square, greeted by music and cheering and all the outcasts leapt off happily, with praise and songs about them being sung all over the town.
Brick then came charging in, clutching Spikez in it's colossal stone fingers.
Vern leapt off of Sparky, and proclaimed, "Thank you, everyone! Thank you! But please, settle down. We must allow our guests to return to where they belong."
He turned to Noodle, Murdoc, and 2D, and said, "Friends, thank you for coming to our humble home. Are you absolutely certain you don't wanna stay?"
Noodle sighed, and replied, "Yes, I'm sorry. We can't stay. We just don't belong here."
Vern shut his eyes and lowered his head, and whispered, "Yes, I see. Your mind's set."
The Outcast King reached into his pocket, and pulled out the precious stone. He stared at his reflection for a brief moment. He saw his old-self again, jolly and bright-eyed. He remembered Alexandria for a moment, and then shook it off, trying not to feel nostalgic.
"But…that's ok," he said, trying to sound a little more cheerful while staring at the Ruby, "because, we'll always remember this little adventure of ours, won't we?"
The purple-haired guitarist began blushing a little, rubbed her right arm, and nodded once. Vern reached down to her wrist and he pulled it up. He gently placed the gem into her palm.
"Take care of it," he said, staring at it as it rested on her palm, "it has amazing powers. But let it be a binding friendship between us. You know, a relationship between your realm and ours."
Noodle stared at it as well, and it shined for a moment. She gazed at him, and smiled a bit. Vern looked down at his spider bow-tie and said, "Oh, and take this too."
He pulled off his bow-tie, and handed it to her, the same bow-tie he worn for almost seventy years. A memento from the Outcast world, one might say.
She took it and stared at it in a confused state for a moment, and then her eyes met with his. "What's this for?"
Vern shrugged his shoulders and said, "You know, just a gift."
Vern then began staring at the bow-tie as well in her hand, and began reminiscing about it from his past life with Alexandria, accounting his time as a human in the real world.
"You know," he began, growing a slightly sorrowful tone to his voice as he spoke, "my…um, friends…used to get a lot of laughs with me wearing that bow-tie."
The Outcast King sighed heavily, feeling a bit of sadness as he wondered whatever happened to those kids outside of his apartment. Were they seniors now? Maybe they found successful lives like Alexandria? Either way, he'll never know.
Noodle looked at it in her palm again, the little black tarantula looking very real. She stared at him, looking down at it with a mournful expression. She frowned, and felt very sorry for him.
She closed her hand, and stuck out her fist to him.
"No," she said, holding it out so he could take it, "it's yours. There's no reason for me to take it."
Vern stared at her fist, with a look that gave an expression of heavy thoughts. After a moment, Vern shook his head slowly, and replied, "No, please. Take it. Let it be a sign of our friendship."
He pushed her fist back, and she placed it within her pocket. She nodded once, knowing that he was trying to get rid of his past.
"Well," began Vern, looking towards an opening in the dense woods of Outcast Town, "I guess you should be going, then."
"Mmm-hmm," said Noodle, unsure of what to reply. She looked at the same opening Vern was staring at, and pulled out the Ruby. The Ruby seemed to have a glowing orb within it, and it was hovering on the North side, like a compass, in the same direction as where they were both staring.
"Please, let's jus' get outta 'ere," begged 2D, eyeing the creatures nervously, "I wanna go 'ome an' play Pac-Man!"
"WAIT!"
A chorus of strange voices sailed from the top of Sparky. All the citizens gazed upwards, and saw the four little demons leap off of Sparky's head.
They all paraded forward, and they stood in front of 2D. Red stepped forward, and he was clutching a freshly-baked pie, flaky and warm.
"Here," he said, clutching the pie over his head for the singer to take, "as a token of apology, please accept our professionally-baked pastry."
2D crouched down and examined it. It gave off a very good appearance. The pie's odor was exquisite, and the carvings on the pie's skin were in the shape of the sun. But how could he trust these little creatures? They nearly killed him at one point.
The singer asked, "Why yeh' doin' this?"
Red lowered the pie, and he stared at the ground, sort of embarrassed to explain.
"Well, you see," he explained with his pointed ears lowering to the floor in shame, "since we're no longer taking orders from Spikez, it seemed only logical to change our ways."
Yellow over-heard this, and he teleported right next to him.
"Yeah," chimed in the yellow-eyed demon, "sure, we're pretty ugly and scary, but that don't automatically mean we're bad. We can be nice guys, too."
White teleported next to the two, and he spoke his side of the story as well.
"Yup," the demon said in his high-pitched, squeaky voice, and he pointed to the pie. "I knead the dough myself."
Red stepped forward, and his glowing red eyes rose up to 2D's once more. He lifted the pie once more, offering it as a sign of peace.
"So, please," the demon begged, "take it. It's delicious."
The singer put his hand to chin, and squinted his dark, black eyes in thought. He still felt like he couldn't trust them. He tilted his head, while still scratching his chin. But, he had gotten an idea.
"Ok, I'll take it," he said, brightening up, "But…I want one of you to eat some of it first."
The demons stared at him in shock. Red stared from left to right, with all his brothers staring at him. They all returned with questioning glances, until finally, Green spoke up.
"Ok, then, I'll prove to ya that we're not bad guys."
With that, Green marched up to the pie, grabbed a chunk of the crust, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly while staring at the floor. Staring at nothingness, really.
2D leaned forward, listening as the crust was crunching in his mouth. Green stared up at 2D with one cheek of his face being fat, filled with the chunk of pie-crust.
To exhibit their innocence, Green gulped slowly, and licked the jelly from his blackened lips.
"See?" replied Green, staring at 2D, "I told ya we're innocent!"
The vocalist was convinced.
He took the pie from Red, and he stared at it. He lifted his hand and placed his finger inside the hole where Green had grabbed his piece. He put some of the jelly on the tip of his finger, and licked it off.
The demons all looked on eagerly, anxious to see how he would like it. The vocalist licked his lips and brightened up.
"Wow," he said, staring at the pie in amazement in his hands, "This is a really tasty pie! 'Ow did yeh' make it so fast?"
"Well, we baked a lot of pies for Spikez, and we kept them in the bakery. So, we picked one up before we left."
The singer stared down at the pie again, and said, "Well, thanks. Yeh' guys are real good chefs. Maybe you should be designin' cakes and pies 'stead of weapons."
"You…you mean…you like it?"
"Oh yea'," replied the singer, smiling. He raised his head and said, "It's so sweet an' flaky, I've nevah' 'ad such a—"
All of their eyes were widened with shock. Red turned around to his brothers with a face of pure amazement. In response, they gave him the same look.
Never once did they get a word of praise from Spikez about their cooking. He put them to work on weapons, death traps, and torture devices, yes, but never once did he ever compliment them about their cooking skills. He only ate their cakes and pies to fill his stomach, not because he enjoyed them. He often complained relentlessly while eating, calling their treats, "food for maggots", and "shit that not even dogs would eat."
For the first time in their existence, their cooking was praised. They gave all of their effort in what they did, whether building, designing, or baking.
"Uh…" said 2D, staring at them blankly as they looked back at him, "Are yeh' guys ok?"
Red, White, Green, and Yellow were all speechless. For once in their meaningless lives, they were congratulated for their effort. The hassle of them planning and designing various things had never gone without a single "thank you".
Red began to feel very strange. It had started in the pit of his black little stomach, and spread. He felt very warm inside, like a sudden surge of butterflies began flying against his stomach.
What was it? It felt so calming and peaceful.
It was true happiness.
Red put his hands in front of his face, and saw them beginning to changing color. What was originally dark and black, was now becoming a sunny yellow. It slowly filled up his body like a liquid being poured into a beaker, and while this happened, his personality began changing as well.
All of his malevolent intentions began to weave themselves into better, more useful intentions. Instead of designing weapons, they'd want to develop new cake recipes. Instead of inventing new death traps, they'd create works of art with icing on top of birthday and wedding cakes.
Red stared at his hands and feet, and saw them as yellow as gold, like Vern's tuxedo. He turned his entire head around in a 360-degree rotation, seeing his brothers exactly the same way, just as confused, but happy, as he was.
Red's glowing red eyes turned back to 2D, and he cried out, "Thank you for your kind words, dear sir. Your sincere generosity has inspired my brothers and I to become bakers. Thank you for giving us a new outlook for our existence!"
White stood up and called out, "group hug!"
The singer arched his eyebrow and his mouth hung open as the little critters all charged at him and all embraced his shins, cuddling their faces against his knee caps.
Nearly tumbling over from the hug, the vocalist muttered, "Uh, ok guys, this is getting' a li'l weird."
He could've sworn he saw little hearts floating above their heads in circles.
Murdoc was watching all of this, and shaking his head while chuckling to himself.
"Poor ol' dullard can't keep the lil' freaks off a' 'im," he said, putting his fist to his mouth as he smirked.
The Mayor of Outcast Town appeared in a puff of smoke, and he glided over to Murdoc, and shook his hand vigorously.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright! That Spikez would've torn you apart hadn't it been for Vern."
Murdoc threw his head back with a disgusted look. He rubbed the hand The Mayor shook, and he scoffed, "Psssh. I could a' taken tha' tub a' lard wiff my bare 'ands if I wanted to.."
Before he finished, he noticed Spikez in the background, flashing him an evil glare, baring a bit of his teeth and his right nostril twitching in fury.
The bassist's eyes shrunk in fear, and he bit his tongue, stopping him from saying anything else that was stupid. He approached Noodle and said, "'Ey luv', isn't it about time we got 'ome? I 'fink Russ might be worried sick, an' by now, word 'as probably gotten out to tha' news or somethin'."
Noodle nodded once, and turned back to Vern once again. She sighed heavily, and said, "Well, I suppose this is good-bye."
She stuck out her hand, and he grabbed hers and shook it slowly, smiling warmly.
"It was wonderful meeting you," he stated, still shaking her hand, "You will be missed."
Noodle lowered her head and grinned. But then, she realized something.
"Wait," she said, picking up her head and tilting her head, "how does the ruby actually work?"
The moment she finished her question, Anil appeared with a "pop" sound. He was smiling wildly, with his arms crossed, baring his pearly-white teeth, and he announced, "Allow me to answer that, m'lady!"
He reached for her arm, kissed the back of her hand, and he winked at her. She smiled a bit, but she was secretly a little freaked out by him.
"See, the ruby works like this," he began, making gestures with his hands like a real teacher, "you all must be holding on to each other as you pass through the exit. Never let each other go, otherwise someone from your party might be left behind. Trust me, that would really suck if you want to go back to the other side."
He grabbed the Ruby from her, and he pointed at the small glowing orb that was sealed inside of it.
"See that thing?"
Noodle nodded.
"Yeah."
"That leads you to the exit. Follow it no matter what. It acts like a compass. Right now, it's pointing north. That means you should go north. Eventually, it'll change it's course and lead you to another direction. Finally, when you're outside of Outcast Town, it will leave you a nice little image on it, of your best memory here."
The genie placed it back in her palm, and stepped back. Noodle smiled and said, "Thank you."
Anil shrugged his shoulders and said, "Eh, it's nothing. A genie's gotta do what a genie's gotta do, I guess."
Noodle turned back to Vern, and she bowed to him, a custom in her native Japan. Vern was confused for a second, but he returned the act.
"Noods, c'mon! We gotta go!"
Murdoc and 2D were already running towards the direction where the Ruby was leading them. They were eager to leave this bizarre place.
Noodle looked back at them, as they slowly vanished from sight. She turned back to Vern, not smiling nor frowning. She was just staring at him, her soul looking at his.
Almost like natural instinct, she sprinted towards him, grabbed his cheeks, and pressed her lips tightly against his. She stayed for what seemed like a minute, breathing through her nose.
Vern's eyes wandered everywhere, taking a moment to realize what just happened. She was kissing him.
Back when he was an accountant, he had never been kissed his entire life, aside from his mother giving him one on the cheek when he was leaving for elementary school every weekday morning.
As his eyes flickered from left to right, the outcasts all stared at him bug-eyed. Even Spikez and Sparky's jaws hung open.
Grizzelda stared at this for a moment, crossed her arms, and turned her cheek towards this.
"Wow," said a voice right next to her, "I hope I end up being like Vern someday…"
Grizzelda arched her eyebrow and turned to see who it was.
It was James, another reanimated dead person whom Grizzelda has a crush on. He had rag-doll like skin, an eyepatch (due to him being mauled by a bear), and he had long, straight brown hair. Grizzelda's face scrunched up in annoyance, and she tapped him roughly on the shoulder.
James turned his head, and before he knew it, he and Vern were in the same boat. Grizzelda was pressing her lips tightly against his. Except her hands were not on his face, they were tightened fists, and they were on the sides of her body.
She yanked her face away from his, and crossed her arms again, and turned away from him as nothing had happened.
James, on the other hand, was still dizzy from the sudden movement, and he couldn't make heads or tails of things. Poor guy.
Noodle and Vern finally parted, and she stared at him once again, as she did previously.
At that moment, it was as if the entire town was just them, and no one else. All grew silent, and the outcasts just stared, waiting for who would proceed with the next move.
"That…" she began, "that was…my gift…to you."
She took a step back, and then another…and then she sped off, leaving Vern in his place.
As he watched her run off like that, it reminded him of Alexandria. She had run off very similarly, and never looked back.
Anil and the Mayor both stood on each side of him. They both turned to look at him. He looked very forlorn as he stood there, staring at Noodle sprint away, following her friends. It was as if every special friend he made ran away from him, leaving him in the cold.
He felt like an outcast, even in Outcast Town. Would he ever make a true friend who would stay with him…?
Three weeks later…
The three musicians had finally made it back home, safe and sound.
Noodle had gotten incredible musical inspiration from the realm of outcasts. She had begun strumming songs in the manner of their harps, and she drew album covers resembling the town's shadowy buildings.
Murdoc had asked for Vern's bow-tie, and whenever Halloween came around, he decided he would dress up as Vern. All he did was let his hair grow unruly during the summer months, purchased a tuxedo, dyed it gold, and put on the spider bow-tie. Certainly, no one knew who he was. Except of course, for 2D and Noodle.
Yet, when Russel asked who he was, all he said was, "Meh…an outcast."
2D would develop a new respect for zombies, seeing as one saved his life. And whenever he played Resident Evil or Nazi zombies, he would make sure to ask for an apology for blasting their heads off. He would also throw the zombies fresh meat outside, so they would not go rampaging out in the tombstones.
Noodle kept the Ruby of Origin locked safely within a box hidden in the darkest corners of her closet. The image on the Ruby, as Anil had promised, showed the best part of her entire adventure; the kiss.
Meanwhile, in Outcast Town, things had changed drastically after their new visitors had left.
The demons and Spikez had opened up a new bakery shop within the town, and the four critters all baked happily, now sporting chef uniforms rather than military camouflage.
The wicked alchemist himself, however, grumbled as he carried colossal bags of flour to the kitchen, pouring them into massive bowls and shoving them into tiny ovens.
However, the demons had seen him do something they never had before. Ironically, it was completely by accident.
White stood on top of a wooden stool, trying to place a massive birthday cake on the top shelf of the freezer.
The cake was extremely heavy, and his tiny hands trembled as he tried to push the cake upward. He struggled and groaned as the cake wouldn't budge. Sweat began streaming down his face, and he had begun to grow weaker.
Finally, his legs began wobbling, and he looked down.
"Uh-oh! That's not good!" He cried out while staring down nervously. He fell backwards, allowing the cake to go flying upwards.
All the demons, and Spikez, saw the cake spinning wildly in the air. They all gasped and covered their faces.
Chunks of the cake flew everywhere, landing on White, Red, Green, Yellow, and worst of all, on Spikez.
What a mess.
Cake was splattered on the floor, kitchen counters, the walls, the fridge, and on other cakes. White sat up, and wiped away the frosting with the back of his hand, and licking away the globs near his mouth.
He turned his head, to ask if everyone was ok, and saw Spikez standing there covered in icing, clenching his fists and his sharp teeth bared angrily. His eyes were glowing like the sun and his nostrils flared.
White knew he was in severe trouble. He remembered that Spikez hated to get stained. He was ready to beg for his life.
But then, Spikez did something that made everyone stop. He suddenly cooled down, and scanned the area. He saw all the demons covered in sugary frosting, and then…he smiled.
None of the demons could believe what they were witnessing.
Their bloodthirsty leader had actually begun to laugh. It was a booming laugh, and this time, it was not caused by pain or torture, but by a simple, humorous little accident.
He leaned back and covered his mouth with his massive hand. His laugh was contagious, and the other demons began giggling as well.
Soon, the entire bakery shook with laughter. The demons all approached him, and laughed ever harder. Spikez crouched down and put his arms around all of them, still laughing heartily along with them.
The little critters were so happy to see their master happy for once, laughing truly out of pure happiness. They had begun to mix in laughter with tears of joy, as did Spikez. Never before had he been this joyful with his creations, nor been happy at all.
Spikez had been so worked up over creating evil things and performing wicked experiments, that he had nearly forgotten how to laugh for the sake of laughing. He realized the evil within him, and he immediately learned how to be happy and jovial, like his friends.
From this day forth, Spikez loved his creations and treated them kindly, as they did him.
However, not everything in Outcast Town was as joyful as the newly-established bakery…
Vern stared at the moon as it hung over the night sky dotted with stars. As he gazed at it, his mind flashed images of him wandering through the cold forest, before he had entered Outcast Town.
Anil had been watching him for the past few weeks.
The genie had overheard a few denizens whispering and muttering about how their king seemed very depressed the past few weeks. They could see him from his roof staring up at the moon for hours on end.
This got Anil concerned. Knowing someone like Vern, it couldn't be a good sign.
Anil approached Vern, and asked, "Excuse me Vern, you seem troubled. Is everything alright?"
Vern turned his head and his eyes met Anil's. The genie could sense something wrong with him indeed. His eyes gave the impression of someone being desperately lost in their thoughts, like his soul was lost in a spiral of memories and worries.
The Outcast King knew, that even if he did not age, he still would not be around forever. He needed to tell the people what he was thinking.
He wanted to see Alexandria, and he wanted to "leave".
He took a long, deep breath, and he said, "Anil, I want to see Alexandria again."
"Oh," said the genie, still generous to his liberator, "certainly, my king."
Before Anil could cast his spell to summon his magical mirror, Vern grabbed his arms, stopping him in his tracks. The genie arched his eyebrows, and looked up at Vern.
The Outcast King stood there, shaking his head slowly and solemnly with his eyes closed.
"No," said Vern, suddenly getting a frighteningly serious look on face, "not like that. I want to see her personally."
Anil backed away, his eyes peeled in shock, and his mouth hanging open. Anil knew what powerful magic could do. It was something dangerous and far too fatal for the genie to attempt. If Anil performed a spell that was far too powerful and advanced for him, it could backfire and destroy him in a second.
"But…but sir," Anil stuttered, "that requires more magical knowledge than that I have, and that could do more harm than good. It could even be lethal. Sir, please, I beg of you, reconsider it."
Vern frowned and he jammed his hands within his pockets. He lowered his head, thinking if there was any way to evade this danger spell.
But, like lightning from above, an idea hit him.
"Anil, do you remember that wish I never used up?"
Anil put his index finger on his chin and gazed heavenwards, trying to recall it. He brightened up, and said, "Oh, yes, but what about it?"
"Well," coaxed Vern, "you don't suppose I could use that last wish to give you more wisdom on magic, could I?"
Anil placed his fists on his hips, and shook his head. He could see that Vern was very determined to get his wish, and he often tried to do it cleverly. He could see why he was the king.
"Yes, you could do that," explained the genie, "but how could you be able to wish yourself to see your friend personally? You'd waste that final wish on giving me more wisdom on magic."
Vern, however, had considered that too. He smiled like a child in a candy store. He turned his head around slowly, and his eyes landed on someone. Anil followed his gaze and looked past him to see who he was staring at. All four eyes landed on Grizzelda, staring through the window of Spikez's bakery shop.
She had her palms and fingers on the window panes, staring at the demons and Spikez bake various pastries. She had a sweet tooth, and licked her lips occasionally as she watched them squirt blue and pink icing on top of cakes and pastries.
Vern turned back to Anil grinning, raising and lowering his eyebrows continuously. Anil grinned back, and they both began walking towards her…
"So, you need my help to grant wishes for you…?"
"Well, yes," said Vern, shrugging his shoulders, "Do you mind?"
"Not really, but…" She said, moving some of her violet hair out of her eyes, "why do you need me to do these things? What do you want me to wish for?"
Vern realized that this might be the toughest part of his entire plan. How could he explain that he was leaving them all forever? They all loved each other like a family, and seeing one of their kind leave was almost a tragedy.
Vern sighed heavily, and spoke.
"Grizzelda…I'm afraid I have to go back…"
Grizzelda blinked twice, and turned her head in question. "What…what do you mean, 'go back'?"
As she finished her last question, her voice slowly decreased in speed. She started thinking unwanted thoughts. What was he planning? Was he leaving us?
The Outcast King looked away for a second, trying to keep tears from forming within his eyes. He placed his palm on his forehead, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I, uh…I've decided to go back home…to the real world…"
"'Real world'!"
Grizzelda gave a shocked expression to Anil, who simply had his head down, avoiding her gaze. She couldn't believe it. Vern was leaving them for good, never to return.
"But…but why?"
"It's….it's just something I've got to do. Something I've had to do…for so many years."
Grizzelda looked down at the ground, not believing what she was hearing. He was giving up everything, peace, harmony, and happiness, all for the cold, harsh life outside of Outcast Town's walls.
"Also", he continued, "I need to ask of you another favor. I would like to…"
He paused for a moment, and he bit his lower lip. He didn't know how he could ask her this. It was such a powerful question. He knew she was young, but then again, so was he. She was sixteen, he was eighteen. That was hardly a difference.
He breathed through his nostrils, and let the air escape from his mouth. He cleared his throat and said, "I would like to ask you…to become the new leader of Outcast Town."
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she lifted her eyes towards his.
"You can do it," he said, getting a serious face, "I know you can. You're the only one who I've seen to manage her own weight and fight her own battles. This town needs a leader when I'm gone. Please, take the role. I beg of you."
The zombie girl lifted her eyes up at him. In a quiet, almost inaudible, tone of voice, she whispered, "Ok."
The accountant stared at her for a moment, and then he turned to Anil.
"Anil," he began, "I wish…I wish you had more knowledge of magical spells".
Anil stood up straight, bowed his head, and placed his hands together, as if he were praying. A faint, radiant glow began shining around his entire body. He shut his eyes slowly, meditating on his newly-established wisdom.
Anil then opened his eyes, lowered his arms down to his sides, and then turned to Grizzelda. She turned to Vern, awaiting his command.
Vern approached her, and he whispered in her ear. He then backed away, and stood there, waiting for his wish to be granted.
"Anil", said the zombie girl, trying to sound confident, "I wish…I wish all three of us could go where Alexandria, Vern's friend, is at this very moment in time."
"As you wish…"
Anil did the same thing he did as he gained his knew magical knowledge. He put his hands together, bowed down, and he began concentrating on the wish in his mind.
He began breathing heavily, and three tiny blue orbs began circling them, and slowly increased in speed as time went on.
The genie began focusing harder, and the orbs began whirling around them very quickly, like a tornado.
Finally, he reached his maximum potential. Sweat drops began streaming down the sides of his face, and he gritted his teeth.
Vern and Grizzelda began covering their faces as fierce winds began whipping at them. The orbs began sounding like thunder claps, and their surroundings began turning bright blue. The magical orbs were teleporting them to the real world.
After what seemed like an eternity, the orbs began slowing down, and the blue light began to slowly die away.
Anil began to calm down, and the orbs began to fade away, like dying flames.
Vern and Grizzelda began to scan the area as Anil finished his spell.
It was a very gloomy placed. It was completely dark, and a small window hung on the side of this strange, but large room. It revealed only what seemed like another room, with a window showing a twilight sky.
Vern caught sight of something strange, however.
It was a candle on a small, wooden table. There were cards, flowers, letters, and pictures all over this table as well.
Next to this table, was the saddest sight of all.
An elderly Alexandria was tucked in bed, her wrinkled hands folded in front of her breast in a perpendicular way. Her hair was no longer the shining blonde it used to be. Now, it was in a messy bun, gray and lifeless, as time had taken its toll on it.
Her face was no longer pretty and soft. It was now wrinkled by the hands of years gone by, and her breathing was heavy and weak.
She was like a statue on a bed, long forgotten by the original sculptor. The flame on the candle flickered as they danced around her lifeless face.
Anil and Grizzelda both turned to look at Vern, who gave off the impression that he was being hypnotized. His stare was as blank as a sheet of paper, his mouth slightly hanging open as he blinked once or twice every few moments.
Anil waved his hand in front of Vern's face, and said, "Uhhh…Vern? Are you feeling ok?"
Like a dog awakening from it's slumber, the Outcast King raised his head, and blinked twice. He slowly inched his way towards the bed, and they heard him mutter, "How long has it been…?"
Vern approached the elderly woman's body, wrapped in ragged blankets, looking as if she were already dead.
Alexandria had developed a severe and relatively unknown illness, that was slowly claiming her life and mind. She had nearly lost all of her vision, and the physicians and surgeons who tried their hardest to assist her through this time, sadly concluded that her death was imminent. It was only a matter of time before her eyes would close and never open again.
They concluded that this would be her final night. As a sign of peace, they left her alone, as she had requested.
The illness had made her mentality weaker, making her think that she is a child once again. She acts, talks, and thinks like one. Her memories were stuck within her childhood, and she'd often question where her mommy and daddy were.
Occasionally, the doctors would be baffled by her behavior, as she would begin sobbing and bawling, telling them "She missed Travis."
Finally, Vern was on the side of her bed, staring at her, in her peaceful final hour. He closed his glowing red eyes, and lowered his head, paying his respects.
Then, he heard her shuffling in her bed. He raised his eyebrows and opened his eyes, and he saw her open her blue-gray eyes, now tainted by the blindness.
"Who…who's there?" she announced in a timid-like manner, "Is that you, mommy?"
Anil and Grizzelda exchanged confused glances, and turned back to the two. Vern stepped forward and said, "No, no, it's ok, Alexandria. It's…it's me…Travis…"
He was on the verge of tears. After so many years, he could speak to her again.
Sadly, she could not see him very well. She could only see the shadow of his outline, not his face. Perhaps it was better this way, since his appearance was quite shocking. She would have probably died of fright, especially at her fragile age.
Alex spoke like a child. "Travis!" she cried out, "Where have you been? You never showed up to play jump-rope with me the other day! I was so sad, I thought you didn't want to be friends with me anymore!"
Vern crouched down and placed his hand on top of hers. He felt her bones and wrinkles tremble as her age did it's number on her body.
"No, no Alex," he said, caressing her hand tenderly, "I'm sorry. I just…went for a walk is all…"
She coughed violently, and her entire body trembled. Her breathing was getting heavier, and her eyes were beginning to shut.
"Travis," she whispered hoarsely, "the doctor-guys say I'm really, really sick. It scares me. A lot of the time, they're just walking around talking about how sick I am. They're always putting me to sleep and they have a big metal spider over my face all the time, and they say mommy and daddy can't see me right now, and I always feel really bad, and I'm scared and-"
"Hey-hey, relax," he assured her, "I'm here, aren't I? Everything will be ok. I promise."
Even blinded with old age and her body stinging with the slightest twitch, she grinned warmly and said, "Thank you for being there for me. No one's seen me here except for you. I love you."
The heart-broken Outcast King shut his tightly and tears began streaming out of his eyes like waterfalls. His lips trembled as he resisted whimpers escaping his throat. Some of his tears landed on her hand. She felt them slither down her thumb and she asked, "Travis…are you crying, Travis?"
He did not answer.
"It's ok to cry, Travis. I saw you crying the last time I saw you. I wanted to hug you and say I'm sorry, but you left. Don't cry, Travis. Pretty please? When you walked away crying, you made me cry even harder."
Vern lifted his head, his eyes still sparkling and dripping with tears. She lifted her hand, trembling with age, and she placed it on his cheek. Her fingertips felt his cold tears, and she said, with a smile, "No crying. Be happy."
The Outcast King sniffed, and then he began grinning a bit. He finally earned the lost smile from Alexandria that fateful night.
The elderly woman coughed and gasped again, even more forcibly than before.
With her final breath, she asked, "Vern…could you do a back-flip for me?"
Vern smiled once again, and he stood up, tall and proud. He raised his arms above his head, and he performed an impressive back-flip, landing skillfully on his feet again. He then took a bow, and grinned at her happily.
Alexandria, with the final bit of her strength, whispered, "My… best friend…"
Retaining a smile on her face, she slowly shut her eyes, and her lungs ceased to draw breath. Vern stayed smiling for a moment, with tears streaming down his face in both joy and grief.
He raised his hands in front of his face. They were trembling violently, and he placed them over his eyes, as tears gushed through the slits of his fingers. He wept silently. Only the sounds of sniffs and gasps could be heard from him.
Anil and Grizzelda both stared at him, feeling sympathetic for their king. They stared at each other again, expressing sincere condolences.
The two outcasts approached the weeping Vern, and Grizzelda placed her hand on his shoulder. He wiped away the tears with the back of his hand, and turned to her.
She threw her arms around his torso, embracing him in a hug. Vern's hair drooped down over his face, and he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist.
The genie stood there, with his arms resting his back, enjoying the heart-warming scene.
Vern and Grizzelda stopped hugging for a moment, and he asked, "Are you ready for the final wish?"
Grizzelda gulped in fear, but she replied, "Yes."
The zombie girl turned to Anil, and she declared, "Anil, I wish Vern was converted back to human again!"
Anil nodded once, and he placed his hands together again, focusing on his magic spell.
Grizzelda stared at Vern, as his skin began changing from it's pale tone to it's original shade. His claws began shrinking down to his ordinary nails, and his sharp fangs molded themselves back into ordinary canine teeth.
He stared at his hands as he transformed back into his original state. For 66 years, he had been in that form of his body.
Now, he was back human, an ordinary young man once again, like that fateful night so many years ago. Vern stared back and forth at Grizzelda and Anil. He grinned kindly, and he said, "Thank you for everything…"
At that moment, his skin began wrinkling itself into crow's feet around his eyes. They began quickly developing around his hands and cheeks, and his hair began sprouting gray hair as opposed to the black. His back began hunching, and he felt his knees grow very weak.
Grizzelda sprinted towards him and caught him before he collapsed onto the floor. He groaned in a gruff, whispery voice.
Vern had transformed into an old man, the suspended animation magic/science had worn off. He was human once again, and this meant his body had to catch up to his age.
"Grizz…Grizzelda," he croaked out, his body worn from 78 years of use, "…please…place my body on the floor."
She did as she was told, and gently placed his tired and nearly broken body on the ground, as he breathed heavily.
"Wait…" he said, gasping for breath, "…please…place my hands…on my chest. I…haven't got the strength to move them anymore…"
The zombie girl placed his hands on his chest, and he whispered, "Thank you…"
As he was dying, he managed to say, "Grizzelda…come closer, child…"
She got down on her knees, and leaned close to him, so he did not have to struggle to speak loudly. He raised his hand, trembling as he placed his hand on hers.
"Take good care of Outcast Town. You're…a wonderful girl, Grizzelda. I know you can do it…you have such strength and fire within your soul. They're in your capable hands now."
Grizzelda rubbed his wrinkled forehead, trying to ease his aching pains that spread throughout his entire body.
"Thank you, Grizzelda…thank you for everything…"
Vern groaned once more, and his head turned away, and his heart stopped. His entire body froze, his soul withered away.
Grizzelda stood up tall, and stared at his gentle corpse lying on the floor. She frowned, and sighed heavily.
The Grim Reaper had flown in and harvested his soul. The great Outcast King who had done so much for her was now only a memory.
Grizzelda looked up for a moment, and she couldn't believe what she saw.
Hovering outside of the window, she could've sworn she saw the spirits of Vern and Alex, waving at her with a massive white light behind them.
Then, the two spirits turned around, and both went playfully running into it and disappearing, along with the light.
Grizzelda rubbed her eyes, and looked again. But they were gone…
Anil asked, "Grizzelda…are you ok?"
Grizzelda, turned to Anil and replied, "Yeah…I'm fine. Anil…I wish we were home…"
Twenty years had gone by since then…
Epilogue
Grizzelda had become a great queen, watching over her people and creating harmony among the people of Outcast Town. She had designed a memorial in honor of Travis "Vernbannter" Verbanneson, and she decreed a law that every night, there would be a moment of silence in remembrance of the town's original king and founder.
Eventually, she got married to James, her zombie boyfriend.
During her rule, there never again was a problem in Outcast Town. The town loved it's queen, and Grizzelda loved them. Outcast Town was at peace forevermore.
Noodle still had kept the Ruby of Origin with her, even long after Gorillaz had disbanded. She did not plan on selling it or auctioning it, and it was a beautiful decoration to her new house. She wrote novels about stories and creatures inspired by what she saw and heard in Outcast Town. They became best-selling books, and it made her very wealthy.
And this, my dear friends, is where the story of Outcast Town comes to rest. A town of strange oddities, bizarre creatures, and the three aliens who changed it for the rest of it's existence. But the joy and happiness remains there for all eternity
THE END.
Author's Notes: This story took a grueling two and a half years to make. I'm proud to say the story is finally complete. Writing this fan fic was a lot of fun, and there were a few friends of mine helping me out with it. Throughout it's run, this story had about three different endings planned. In the very first and original ending, Spikez was going to have the tables turned on him by Vern, and he was going to be torn apart by the Spookies in a type of coliseum. Blood was also supposed to be all over Spikez's lair left over from experimenting and probing his victims, but I got rid of that. You can still see some of the graphic nature of this story in the fight scenes, such as Sparky's eye getting stabbed and Vern crushing some of Spikez's ribs. I decided to have it a little more heart-warming in the end, since I wanted Outcast Town to remain peaceful and pleasant, and have Spikez end up becoming a good guy.
I would also like give out a few special thank yous to some of the people behind this project, as I was not only one working behind this project.
The co-creator of this story had drawn pieces of this story and many of the characters on her DA account. She is a highly skilled artist, and she has done a wonderful job on them, and even made a comic strip about this fic. She wrote the biographies for Grizzelda, the Mayor, Anil, and for some of Alexandria's storyline. The said characters, with the exception of Alexandria, are of her creation, and I thank her for letting me involve them in the story (I could send them to you via a review reply or a PM if you wish. Just ask me for it).
I would also like to give credit to a certain friend for telling me to bring back this fic, since I originally had given up on it. He convinced me to bring it back, since he thought it was a great story. He was right. Good story or not, it was a lot of fun working on this, so I thank him for persuading me to finish it.
I'd also like to thank Mr. Tim Burton, whose film "The Nightmare Before Christmas", was the inspiration for this entire story, as well as Mr. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, for being such talented artists in their own right.
Finally, I'd like to thank YOU for reading this story that took so much time to write and develop. Thank you to those who waited almost three years to see Outcast Town's conclusion. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much I enjoyed writing and thinking up ideas for it. Please review, and once again, thank you.
