Chapter VIII: Broken Promises

Jazz

"This place is incredible," I said as we arrived at the ring of trees. "What are these 'Holiday Worlds' anyway?" She says it's a realm where it is perpetually that holiday. When the time for that holiday comes they leave and visit our world. "You said you knew of them?" I walk over to a tree shaped liked a Christmas Tree.

"My grandmother would tell me stories of them when I was little. I always imagined finding them one day but...," the sound of a motorcycle could be heard. "Get your weapon ready," she takes out an ecto-rifle and searches for the intruder.

"Isn't it late for you two to be out," the voice of Johnny 13 asked as he came towards us. "Aren't you scary with your little toys." He walks up and smiles. "Looks like you can't get away from me," I shudder as he strokes my face.

"You had your chance," Sam says aiming at the ghost. Johnny snaps his finger as his shadow appears. It takes Sam's rifle and snaps in half. "You think I need that to beat you?" He says that I wouldn't do anything.

The shadow wraps around and pulls me close to the ghost. "Because you don't want to hurt this one," I try to break free but his shadow his too powerful. "Why don't we..." before he could finish the shadow shrieked in pain and dissolved. He looks at Sam holding a strobe light. "You'll pay for that!" he snaps firing an ectobeam at her.

Sam ducks out of the way and the blast hits a tree with a turkey on it. "Fits you." he growls as I aim my weapon at him. "I wouldn't risk it if I were you," she says as Johnny tries to find a way to escape. "She's still remembers your date with her," He growls again before teleporting away.

She asks if I am okay, "yeah, just shaken is all," I walk over to a tree with Jack-o-Lantern on it. I kneel down and see a piece of spandex on the ground. "I think I found something." Sam rushes over and looks at the fabric. She says this must be where Vlad took Danny. "How are sure, it could be another trap like at the cabin?"

"Look at the tree, there is blood leading up to it." She turns the the handle of the Jack-o-Lantern door. "Come on we have to hurry," she says stepping into the tree.

Jack Skellington

"No one has been in here for a millennium," the caretaker said as he me took down the steps into the forbidden archive. "What are you looking for exactly?" I tell him I want information on the halfa, "By Lucifer!" he gasps in shock.

"I want to know everything about him," he warns me that information is scarce and no one really knows much about him. "I've heard he acts a guardian between worlds," he says that he has been known to keep evil ghosts from harming the living. He hands me a book entitled The Customs of the Far Frozen. "Far Frozen?"

"They are a group of ghosts who live in the northern most regions of the Ghost Realm. They revere the halfa as a messianic figure." I ask him why, "During Pariah's initial reign he enslaved them. When he escaped they feared the same thing would happen."

"He actually escaped?" I asked shocked that the stories were true. The caretaker says some ghost tried to steal the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage. "Only Pariah can use them. They would destroy anyone else." He says the ghost believed himself better than everyone. "What happened?" he tells me the halfa defeated this prideful spirit and locked Pariah up again. "Amazing, thank you so much," I said heading up back to the surface.

The streets were strangely empty. I look at clock tower, "Hmm, the town is usually bustling at this time. "Oh no, he must have...," I said racing back to my house hoping I am not too late.

Jack Fenton

"How do you make it so good Vladdie?" I asked taking a sip of my drink. Vlad smiles and says he still puts quinine in it. The drink lacks a punch without the bitter ingredient. "You are a genius V-Man!" Vlad smiles and sits down. "Maddie is taking awhile in there. I better go see if she's all right."

"No Jack, she need to process the news." he says. I thank him for his kindness and helping Danny. "You are my oldest and dearest...friend. I would do anything for you." I ask him if he ever got the ectoplasm out the carpets of his Wisconsin castle. "Most of it, some of the rugs couldn't be...," the door opens and I race up after my wife.

"Maddie are you okay?" I ask her as she comes out the rest room. She says we need to rethink this. "Rethink what?" She says that when we she was pregnant with Jazz I promised that the experiments would not harm our children. "They don't, we have a lab so clean that Intel is jealous."

"You lied. It was because of your experiments that ghosts infest this town. Now Danny is on death's door because of a ghost." I tell her it's not my fault that ghosts are out and about. "I need some time to think about things. You can take the Creepy Coupe back home."

"Maddie! Wait" I call out as she goes into one of the bedrooms. "I can't believe this is happening." Vlad says that the truth is hard to bare.

Mayor

"What vintage is this wine?" I said taking a sip of it. The sommelier demon says vintage 1897. "Bring out the vintage 1462. Only the best will do." I tell him as he nods and leaves for the wine cellars. "Everything must be perfect."

"Mr. Mayor are you sure Jack approved of this." my head butler asks nervously. "If he wanted a celebration he would have told you." I tell him that Jack is too busy with other things and would have said yes if he had the time. "As long you're sure," he says as I take a pen and paper to write down a speech.

"Mr. Halfa, as mayor, I welcome you to our humble town," I say writing it down. "No, no, no this is the halfa we're talking about. Oh most exalted halfa as mayor of Halloween Town, let me extend my hand in friendship. Yes that's the one!" This is the most important speech of my life. "Hmm, should the band come in after 'friendship' or 'mayor of Halloween Town.'

"Mr. Mayor, the band is here. They want to know what pieces they are going to play," my butler comes as I walk out to greet the musicians.

"What is all the hype about?" the saxophonist asks. I tell them we have an honored guest. "Jack didn't tell us." I tell them the Pumpkin King is busy and he is right hand ghoul am in charge. "If you say so. Should we play the town anthem?" he asks as I nod. "Okay boys a one and a two and...," the begin to play.

"Oh Jack, I just did what you would. What's that? This is the best party ever."

Skulker

"Damn that whelp! Damn his meddling friends!" I hissed trying to pick up the girl's tracks but coming up nothing. "I'll show Plasmius that I am...," an alarm goes off. "Well, there you are," I land not far from the location. "I better activate my camouflage circuit," I creep closer to the girls.

"Skulker? Where are you?" the boss demands to know. Sorry I am not here at the moment. I shut it off and pounce on my prey.

"Where did they go?! They couldn't have...," I look around at the trees before me. "Well what do we have here," They were decorated with different symbols. The one that interests me is the Jack-o-Lantern. "So you think could escape Skulker, well I have found you," I slowly phase through the door. "Looks like I get to settle old scores today." Maybe this wasn't such a bust after all.

Shock

"Would you stop stepping on my face," Barrel complained as climbed up the rope. I told him to be quiet or else we'd be found. "Why couldn't we use the back door. No one is watching it." I roll my eyes and says it's booby trapped. Jack is not stupid, he would know if we walked in.

"So what's the plan once we get inside. If the stories are true he won't be easy to capture," my brother asks. Once we're inside we'll use the spirit board to nullify his powers. "Do you think it will work?" Lucifer, how am I related to these simpletons. I tell him the book said that ghosts are vulnerable to spirit boards.

"Once he's powerless we can nab him," Barrel asks what if he gets hurt. The ritual might not work if he's injured. "Don't worry this will be...," I hear someone below us.

"Is it true is it really him?" A devil asked his friend as he walked out of the house. The second devil nods saying there's quite a crowd forming around the bed he's laying in. "Wow! The halfa," the first one races inside to get a peek at this figure.

"Great! We'll never get him," Lock complains, "Every monster in town is there and...," I tell them this is perfect. "How is it perfect?" I tell him they will be too busy keeping everyone away to see us enter. Once they are gone we'll sneak in and capture our prize.

"Prize? Are we playing a game?" the sugar addict asked as I kicked him in the face and told him to focus. "You didn't have to do that!"