This is Halloween...Town
"Woo! This place is amazing!" Sora said as he looked upon the new surroundings. "I've never -actually know I have seen places like this, but more fake."
After a few days of traveling the Gummi Ship once again landed in a world that was visited by the King. The trio hoped to once again find another Gummi, and perhaps gain more clues as to where they could find more clues as to the missing monarchs location. Yet this place was far different then the other worlds they had visited in the interlude.
The world they had arrived to was macab, decayed looking, almost...haunting. All the walls had cobwebs or gargoyles on them. The buildings were made of black marble and the people were literal monsters. It smelled of rot and decay, yet unlike the darkness of the Heartless, this sort of smell felt-natural, like this place was meant to be scary.
Despite the gothic look, something about it popped. Sora felt that all of it was happy, intentional, nothing about it felt dark and sinister, but fun and cheerful. Even the pumpkins with faces looked quite friendly, even a bit odd.
"Halloween Town." Goofy read the sign plastered on the main gate near the town.
"This is so cool, Halloween all the time!" Sora said sounding excited as he marveled at the architecture around him, "I thought it looked familiar"
"Halloween your favorite holiday?" Goofy asked curiously.
Sora smirked "Second only to Christmas."
"Aren't you worried about getting scared" Donald asked.
Sora paused to think, "Well...Riku used to scare me alot back during the day, he always enjoyed causing me to scream"
"Sounds a bit mean spirited" Donald muttered.
Goofy looked unsure, "Sure you aren't misremembering, can't be that bad.
Sora tried to think about, Riku enjoyed a prank here and there, but he always apologize if he went to far. Perhaps he was letting his biased towards his ex-best friend get the best of him at the moment.
Up above they saw a flock of witches fly by cackling madly as they flew over the moon at night. Donald and Goofy shivered in there boots but Sora just looked ecstatic, enjoying a good scare every now and then. At least one that wasn't meant to kill him.
"Gawrsh...Spooky." Goofy said getting a bit nervous. "Hope the people are friendly here."
"We stick out like a sore thumb." Sora said noticing his and his companions appearance compared to everyone else. "I mean not that I'm scared or anything like that."
Donald shook his head. "Don't worry, we can blend in...Watch." Holding out his staff he waved it around, surrounding all three of them in a vast amount of magical aura transforming all three of them.
Sora turned to find a nearby mirror that was hanging randomly on one of the stone walls to look at his reflection. Gone was a normal boy, and instead was some sort of vampire. His skin was pale now, and a fang was patroding from his mouth. The left side of his face was covered by some sort of pumpkin mask, and he wore all black with the exception of sharp white gloves. He was basically a full on vampire, although still his brown spiky hair and blue eyes. Back home there were stories of vampires but most of them were about teenage hearthrobes that the girls and some guys wanted to marry. Riku had thankfully showed him the stories of the true vampires, the blood slaying beast who lived in the castles and wanted to suck people's blood. They were known as the deadliest of all monsters. Seemed appropriate for the young Keyblade Master.
As for Donald and Goofy they too were transformed, Goofy into a frankenstein monster and Donald into a mummy. Both creatures Sora remembered reading books about in his youth, both creatures used to terrify him, that he would have to have his mother sooth him to sleep when he was younger or keep a protective blanket nearby. However being a monster felt almost all three of them monsters, it would be easier to roam around the town unnoticed; something much needed after Agrabah. In fact Sora wondered if they really should have blended in better with the other worlds they visited. They were after all outsiders.
"So….Where to first?" Sora looked around the tiny town trying to find the best place to start. From the large water fountain in the town plaza to to the giant dome tower at the edge, it was hard to tell where to begin in this strange town. All the buildings were oddly shaped and the monsters while probably friendly did seem a bit intimidating to approach, examples being the unicile monster clown, and the Werewolf walking across the street together mid conversation.
Donald took out his Gummi Tracker to see if he could spot a single. "Well….Nothing really, but I got a bad single." He said as he fiddled with the knobs, getting a faint single but only just.
"Let's just ask around." Sora said looking at the townsfolk, having second thoughts at all of the ones who had sharp teeth. "Eh…..Well….
"I mean, that doesn't mean they aren't friendly because they are spooky." Goofy said.
"I guess…." Sora said, as he slowly approached a nearby what looked like Witch. "E-Excuse me ma'am, where are we?"
The Witch looked a bit confused and eyed him carefully. "Out of town vampires…. Must be a family reunion …
"Eh no...We're uh…." Sora tried to think, "Out of towners"
The witch smiled, "Well welcome anyway, always here for a fun scare"
Sora waved, "Alright...See yuh"
"Garsh getting better at waking up to people." Goofy said.
Sora shrugged. "What can I say experience makes things less scary."
Upon closer inspection he was starting to notice a pattern. The place did have a look as if it waw Halloween all the time. That brought back interesting memories from the past. When Sora was younger Halloween was honestly his favorite and least favorite time of the year. While he loved the candy, the costume were the fun part, it was when people tried to prank and scare him that he wasn't always a fan off, especially since back when he was little Sora was known to scare easily. Riku being his greatest tormentor.
"You know...Thinking about it….Riku never was THAT great a friend." Sora grimace thinking back. "No-no-don't think like that...block it out of your mind Sora, block it out of your mind, don't let your anger get the best of you. He was good once...Remember, he was good once".
Then suddenly memories of Riku, Sora and Kairi coming back from a long hall of trick and treating came flooding back in. They would eat candy for hours and get sick. He remembered getting into a few candy coma's, friends by his side. Holding onto his stomach in pain. But those memories were always worth it. Because as long as he was in pain with his friends, then the pain didn't seem so bad.
Sora quickly waved away the thoughts away, instead wishing to focus on the mission at hand. Thus they went to person to person asking around for any sight of a King. The only they got was someone known as "Jack" the Pumpkin King.
"What kind of title is that?" Donald asked himself as he passed another group of monsters.
Sora sighed. "I don't know...Sounds strange…." Slowly a sly smile came across his face. "But I kinda like it"
"Well maybe he'll know were OUR king is." Goofy suggested.
Sora gave a long pause to think it over. "Ok...But where do we find him."
In the distance a loud voice echoed as it began to make the announcement. "And now here comes Jack the Pumpkin King and the Dancing Heartless…."
"Dancing Heartless!" Sora turned around almost giggling at the idea.
Around the town fountain Sora saw them, Ghost like Heartless surrounding the area, zooming around the place. Around them was a tiny pudgy man with large top hat and bizzare smiling face. At first Sora thought he was about to go into battle, until he realized the strangest thing. None of the Heartless were attacking anyone. In fact everyone in the area seemed rather calm with their presence. In the man surrounded by them was particularly calm. Suddenly from the fountain a water began to bubble as a skeleton head rose up followed by the rest of the body, until it was standing tall and brave, creating a dramatic pose.
"Um….What's going on?" Sora whispered to Goofy who shrugged. "This is kinda weird, Heatless don't normally just stand there."
"Maybe they control them like Maleficent does." Donald suggested.
Sora thought about it but they didn't seem malevolent at all, in fact they seemed quite dead inside. BUt none of it made any sense Wouldn't they be attacking people otherwise. He watched from afar as the Skeleton man exited the fountain and waved to a few passers by, the pudgy looking one running up to him applauding the loudest. The Heartless just zooming around, almost in dancing formation again and again until they all gave a unison bow.
"Bravo Jack, bravo."A tiny man with two distinct faces in front and back ran up with a tall pointy hat.
"Thank you mayor, thank you...But they still aren't scary enough...They are missing something a certain...Umph, that will really strike bone chilling terror!"
The Mayor looked at the Heartless his head turning around so that it was now pale white and a frown. "But they seem scary enough a it is….They are probably the scariest citizens we have."
"Still….It doesn't feel right, i want to strike bone chilling terror, it's the only way I'll know that this entire plan is worth it. I think I'll consult Doctor Finkelstein, he'll know what to do" Jack waved the Mayor goodbye as he headed off.
Sora, Donald and Goofy still stood there watching as the Skeleton man began to walk off towards a tall looking tower. The Heartless again just standing there not doing anything. The monsters and other dwellers passed them by without even a moment's notice. No one seemed bothered at all, it was if they were a natural part of this world.
"Inspire bone chilling terror." Goofy said looking worried. "That doesn't seem good."
"I say let's follow them." Sora muttered, running off before he got a answer.
Donald sighed starting to realize there adventures having a certain formula to them. "Here we go again."
-000-
Tinker, Tinker, Tinker.
That's all Doctor Finkelstein did in lab, alone, just the sound of the mechanical machinery that surrounded him, and the pipes that went through the house. His only other true companion was his hunched back assistant Igor but he was never much for conversation to start with. Yet in his wheelchair the Scientist was, hovering from one end of the room to the other, hoping to perfect his latest invention. It was going to be grandest experiment yet.
Doctor Finkelstein was the local mad scientist of the town, always coming up with new ways to scare the kids of the world to make a better halloween. Stricken to a wheelchair that didn't stop his big brain from coming up with the most insane and marvelous ideas. With one work bench at the end of the room covered in supplies and a large work table in the center to begin the experiments. Thankfully the Doctor was still able to maneuver through the mess that was his laboratory he did have difficulty at times. Though at least he had Igor to help.
"Master." Igor groaned as he carried a box of supplies inside. "Master, Igor has, Igor has."
"Good work Igor, put it with the others." Finkelstein ordered. "This is going to make my Heartless project ten times more efficient than before-I just know it."
Suddenly the Doctor's attention was soon diverted as the door to his laboratory open. Jack Skellington had arrived.
"Ah Jack, welcome...how did the performance go?" He asked, holding a notepad at the ready.
"Very well...But they still lack a certain something."
"I see…" The scientist jotted something down. "What do you think that something is."
"I'm not sure. And I wish I knew, this something could make this halloween the best one we've ever had. Perhaps the greatest for a thousand generations.'
"That is ambitious Jack. Though I wouldn't get ahead of myself just now."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Both Jack and Doctor Finkelstein turned around as they saw Sora slowly pop his head looking, knocking the metal door before entering the room seeming very uneasy for bothering them when they were not announced. Donald and Goofy followed behind him both looking a bit nervous as they arrived as well. They were quite taken aback by the labs dower and mechanical aurora. All the life and fantasy that was the rest of the town has been sucked out replaced instead by cold hearted science.
"Hello-" Sora said poking his head through the door and giving a slight tap on the door. "Anyone here?"
Jack and Finkelstein both looked surprised as they saw the young boy and his companions enter. It was a good thing they were in disguise otherwise there would be more questions than need be.
"Who are you?" Finkenstein growled.
Sora seemed taken aback. "Oh-Sorry….I'll just-"
"Oh hello there, are you new to town?" Jack Skeleton spoke first startling the trio easing the tension. "Never seen you before."
Sora blushed and began to relax feeling less nervous. "Oh, my name is Sora, this is Donald and Goofy."
"Yes, yes, that's great and all but why are you here." Doctor Finkelstein asked angrily wheeling up towards them. "Most people don't come here without a reason...And I'm not selling potions today if that's what you after"
"Oh yes, that-no we don't want potions-" Sora coughed his mind trying to think of a good excuse. "Well we heard you are working with Heartless, and you see we are kind of the Heartless experts around here."
"Heartless experts?" Jack thought. "Well I didn't know the town had Heartless, they just came to town recently."
"How recently?" Sora asked, wanting a time, the more he knew perhaps he could get a better understand of the Heartless.
"Mmm...Few months ago?" Jack said. "Never seen them till then."
"Well uh, they had a big population growth." Sora made up. "But they've been around for a while, and we've been studying them."
Jack nodded. "Ok-that makes sense. Well anyway, I managed to come across one and give it to Doctor Finkelstein and thus make it the guidance system."
"I'm sure you know this, but the Heartless have a bit of a hive mind, they are all linked to one another, they feel each other thoughts and instincts." Doctor Finkelstein noted as he began to hover near his guidance system. "Having one allowed to me to control the others...At least within the town."
"Can you spread the control?" Sora asked, realizing this scenario was very familiar and not in a good way.
Doctor Finlinkstein shrugged. "Maybe, but right now I need to get there movement better for the dance routine."
"Dance routine?"
"Yes." Jack responded looked excited to share. "We are going to have the Heartless dance with me during the great Halloween Celebration, it's a big surprise, and it's probably going ot be the scariest thing I've come up with yet."
Sora took a moment and snickered, the idea of Heartless singing and dancing would be too great not to pass up. "Well then-How can we help?"
"We need to find certain ingredients, it will allow me to make the most authentic heart I possibly can." Doctor Finklestein explained as he took out a large metal object wrapped within it, a horrid looking stitched up thing.
Sora looked dumbfounded. "A heart?"
"Yep-I made it myself, impressive no."
"I-I didn't know you could make a heart?" Sora looked at it carefully. "Can you put it anyone."
"I suppose you could my lad-I suppose you could. Now all we need is a few ingredients and will have our heart."
Sora looked surprised, making a heart, he definitely didn't expect to be doing that today.