It was the witching hour of night as Ichabod pursued his travel home. The sky grew darker and darker. One by one, the stars winked out their lights. Driving clouds obscured the moon from sight. Never had the schoolmaster felt so melancholy, so utterly alone. The nearer he approached the hollow, the more dismal he became.
As they continue through the forest, Ichabod, who is whistling to fight his fears, taps his umbrella on Gunpowder's hide to get him to move faster, only to hear sounds while shivering and shaking and continuing to whistle. He looks at the bare trees with their branches almost looking like bare hands, and now then looks at the moon being sealed by a pair of clouds resembling hands while riding along on poor old Gunpowder.
Once inside the murky glen, Ichabod's anxiety increased one-hundredfold. And now the forest seemed to close in behind him. And every small detail of Brom's awful story returned to haunt his recollection.
Tale of a horseman now plagues his soul. He had his guard up all the time, looking all around carefully for an sudden attack from the woods.
Ichabod *Calm down Ichabod you are a schoolmaster after all. It's not like it's all real...right?!*
Ichabod for a moment even thoguht thtat maybe Brom just tricked him, to scare him away from Katrina and Sleepy Hollow. However if that was so why did the sleepy hollow residents didn't reject his tale? Had he not een the only one to crss paths with the horseman? Had noone but a few escaped this place withotu losing their lives?
All these questions did nothing but only unnerve him even more
Ichabod held on tight to the Gunpowder al the way through, he hoped they'd make it without any surprises
That proved to be false when Ichabod heard a voice somewhere near them. He was shaking, fearing that this was either a horseman or other creature of the night.
Step by step the figure was approaching. From the shadows emerged no monster though but a strange girl.
At this point Ichabod was very confused, who was this particular woman? Why is she here...
He looked at her intently, rudding his eyes to make sure he doesn't imagine her. Her unordinary clothing also stands out, he noticed she wore a set of warrior like armor.
"Uh hi there! It's very nice to meet you!" She said, her tone excited
She was rather optimistic and calm, opposite of what Ichabod at the moment was.
"My name is Marcy, what's yours sir?" She asked coming closer
'Marcy'...Ichabpd wondered...'What an interesting name'
Ichabod thought that maybe she was traveling and got lost somehow. And of all places, it's here.
But especially so they had no time for this, he motioned his had for her to sit beside him. They can talk things out on the way home
Raising her eyebrow she noded slowly "Ookaay...not a talkative one huh"
She then instead of walking, jumped right on top of the horse
Minutes later
"Hey are you okay? This strangely looking spooky forest with scary sounds doesn't scare you right hah ah right?"
Ichabod nervously whistles a tune to keep himself calm amidst the sounds of crickets chirping, the wind whistling, and a crow cawing. A gust of wind blows some scattered leaves in front of them, and tries to blow him and a surprised Marcy off tired old Gunpowder, but fails as Crane shields them both from the leaves as they continue onward. Ichabod screams upon running into a phantom ahead and hides behind Gunpowder's rump. Fortunately, it turns out to be the open hollow of a tree, as a pair of fireflies fly past them.
"Wow cool, I love shinny flies"
The heartbroken Ichabod seems impressed while hiding behind Gunpowder, but stutters as does Marcy who becomes alarmed, then they hear some chirping sounds that almost sound like Ichabod's name.
Crickets: (chirp chanting) "Ichabod Crane! Ichabod Crane! Ichabod Crane!" (chanting continues)
Ichabod starts sweating, as he then sees an owl hooting at him. Ichabod and Gunpowder start off again.
Marcy looked a bit unsure as well. While she is cheerful most of the time, she isn't a big fan of horrors or ghosts. So she took out her crossbow just in case.
"Haha it sure isn't your average night isn't it?"
Ichabod didn't pay much attention but decided to ask "Why are you here?"
"So you CAN talk!" Marcy was saying but Ichabod silenced with his finger on her mouth "...Okay okay you see I was uhm walking around here..."
Looking at Ichabod she could figure he wasn't buying it
"*sighs* I ran away from my family, my home to persue adventures. I met a king of one different kingdom, I remember going to him this morning with my friends too but I don't remember the rest too well"
Ichabod didn't exactly understand but he'll help anyway he can once they arrive at Sleepy Hollow "I'll do all I can to help"
Her sad expression turns to that of a smile. "Thanks I guess"
She also pondered on the name she heard the forest and animals whispering to them. Ichabod Crane. She once read the book of someone similar.
Ichabod Crane was a school master of some town before becoming a known wealthy judge in far unknown land, where he met that book's very author. It's presumed he moved somewhere in new york but alas tht wasn't clear.
'Huh so he maybe here althoguh this one maybe different from our Ichabod Crane...Pfft and Sasha said books are pointless. But wait if they were saying that name to us does that mean mr Crane is close by or perhaaaps...' She thoguht but as they pass by a pond, they hear the sound of a bullfrog almost croaking the Headless Horseman's name.
Bullfrog: (croak chanting) "Headless Horseman. Headless Horseman. Headless Horseman. Headless Horseman."
The chanting continues, as the bullfrog leaps into a pond.
As Marcy, Ichabod and Gunpowder cross a bridge, they hear an owl screeching at Crane to turn back the way they came.
Owl: (screech chanting) Turn back!. Turn Back!.
The chanting gets louder, scaring poor Ichabod into hiding under his saddle on Gunpowder again with Marcy right behind him cover in her own cape.
They then sees a variety of scary looking branches, as the atmosphere takes its toll on them especially on the unfortunate Ichabod.
A gust of wind then loosens a tree branch that hits Ichabod on the seat of his pants. He screams, leaping into a spider web along with Marcy whose cape was on fire the next second for some reason, and gasps while they're hoping on Gunpowder. A crow hovers in front of them and so they fly away above the graveyard that is chanting and warning them to beware of the headless horseman
Crow: (Squawk chanting) Beware. Beware. Beware. Beware Beware. Beware Beware Beware. Beware. Beware. Beware. Beware.
Ichabod tries motioning Gunpowder to go faster, but is not strong enough so Marcy joined in when he sees that Gunpowder's rump is seated on the top of a gravestone. Loud hoofbeats are heard and
Crane believes believes that the Headless Horseman is coming.
"Well that doesn't sound good!" Marcy exclaimed sweating
Agreeing with her, he keeps pushing Gunpowder's rump to get him moving. He then tugs on Gunpowder's bridle
"Wait wait if you keep doign that-"
Crane accidentally pulls too hard that it snaps off of Gunpowder's snout, as Ichabod goes sailing onto a fallen tree.
Marcy and Ichabod then see a bunch of cattails and realize that they were making the sounds.
He grabs the cattails and laughs at himself for believing in ghosts.
Marcy just bursts out of herself. So they were just scaring each other what a laughale irony
Gunpowder starts laughing as well, as Ichabod and Marcy rejoin with Gunpowder.
They share a good laugh together, until they stop laughing when they hear the sounds of evil laughter.
'Marcy: Hahah Do you hear that?
They nervously turn their heads to their left...
"It sounded like...a horse...*stops to listen*
*stops to listen as well* Ouh please no!
...and panic when they see a rider on a horse and are struck with horror when they see that the figure is headless and is the Headless Horseman!
He has no head and carries his head in one hand and has a great sword in the other.
The three friends, now dizzy with fear, panic, as the Headless Horseman swipes his sword to get poor terrified Ichabod and nearly got Marcy's head, but misses when they duck from the sword's blade, as the terrified Gunpowder takes off running.
They manage to catch up to Gunpowder. Ichabod holds tight to his hind legs while Marcy holds on his tail. They run for their lives with the Headless Horseman close behind.
Gunpowder whinnies in terror, as the Headless Horseman nears to him and runs faster.
Marcy holds on the horse's head while Ichabod, hanging tight to the reigns, sees the Headless Horseman's horse snorting on him and screams.
He is yanked above Gunpowder and holds tight in front of his head and ends up motioning him to move even faster. marcy tries to use her crossbow and shoot the horseman down bt to no avail as the dark phantom sliced each of them down.
Through the woods, as they slide down a slope, the Headless Horseman and his steed leap above the gorge, landing right in front of them.
Thinking they've lost the Headless Horseman, they pat Gunpowder's head for having good luck.
"Thank you big guy we owe you one" she was saying before reality crashed back in and until the Headless Horseman slashes his sword at Marcy, who dodges before he shashes for Ichabod who ducks away from the blow while hanging onto poor tired old Gunpowder for dear life.
The three slide down another slope, where Gunpowder slides underneath a pond. Ichabod tries to stay above the water, but ends up splashing into the water anyway. Luckily Marcy had a stronger grip and so he grabbed onto her cape.
Gunpowder hits a tree near the bank of the pond, and as they emerge from the water and run back across dry land, they continue to battle their onward to escape their worst enemies.
They see the bridge ahead, but are stopped when the Headless Horseman reappears and blocks their path. They skid to a stop and dodge another blow from him. He did slice a part of Marcy's cloak, luckily not fatally.
They then turn around another way with the Headless Horseman following him. Ichabod grabs a tree, and pulls all of them around, as the three friends swing around it, and end up going back the right way.
"Guys look!" Marcy said pointing forth where Ichabod then sees the bridge ahead.)
Brom Bones: (flashback) "Once you cross that bridge, my friends, the ghost is through, his power ends."
Ichabod motions Gunpowder to move faster, but is unaware that they skid across a muddy pond. They are covered in mud, and when Marcy shakes it off, she notices the bridge disappearing from their reach.
"Wha...Wha!? HEY WAIT WE ARE RUNNING THE WRONG WAY!"
Ichabod then gasps when the Headless Horseman charges ahead.
The friends skid to a stop and collide into the Headless Horseman's steed. Ichabod takes one good lucky look at the Headless Horseman's body, as he laughs loudly and sinisterly at Ichabod, who is terribly frightened, and ducks when Gunpowder gasps and dodges too as deos Marcy who barely dodged this time as the Horseman seemed to slash ever so harder.
He takes several blows at them, as they all run around a tree.
Poor unfortunate Ichabod leans up to see if he's gone, only to hit the branch and land on the Headless Horseman's steed instead.
"Huh!? Where are you-"
As he sits behind the Headless Horseman, he looks at Marcy and Gunpowder and turns away with them all smiling.
Marcy's senses kick her in the face when she takes another look at Ichadob being on a completely different horse and gasps and Ichabod gulps nervously when he realised it too.
He gets back on Gunpowder, and as the trio run for the bridge, cross it, and finally get away from the Headless Horseman.
"It's getting closer!" *looks nervously at the bridge*
As Gunpowder springs upon the bridge, Ichabod gains the opposite side and turns to look to see if he is safe.
But he sees Marcy fell off of Gunpowder, she stood up and ran towards them with all her might but stopped middle way as her eyes widened
She looked down her chest as did the horrified Ichabod and a saddened horse
She saw a cold metal sword pierced right through her back outward to her front with blood on it's surface
(Marcy's death - otar3000/art/Adventures-of-Ichabod-and-Marcy-880278450)
She cries as her memories came flowing in, she falls down on her knees
She looked at Ichabod and Gunpowder one last time "I'm sorry Ichabod, I couldn't make it after all"
Her body collapsed on the ground, Ichabod was speechless
However, the Headless Horseman isn't finished yet, and as Ichabod looks back in panic, there is no such luck for the terrified schoolmaster when he screams in terror as the Headless Horseman rises in his stirrups and flows his severed head right in front of the poor frightened schoolmaster. Ichabod tries to duck by hunching down to dodge the horrible missile, but is too late when it flies forward and bursts into flames on striking his head so hard with a great tremendous crash, knocks him off poor old terrified Gunpowder, and sends him tumbling headlong into the dust with a large explosion.
He managed to escape however as did Gunpowder, they were injured but alive.
The next morning, Ichabod's hat and the remains of the Headless Horseman's pumpkin was found scattered on the ground.
Next morning, Ichabod's hat was found. And close beside it, a shattered pumpkin. But there was no trace of the schoolmaster. Neither idd he retrn to Sleepy Hollow ever since
Now rumors persisted that Ichabod was still alive, married to a wealthy widow in a distant county
Ichabod is then shown saying grace with his new family, and since he has a wealthy widow, who, of which, he is married to, and with seven children, who are looking just like him, he opens a pot lid and looks at some chicken to eat.
From time to time though he still remembr the girl who lost her life to save him.
Marcy's body wasn't found after that incident like it dissapeared in thin air...
...
...
...
Her mind was a bit fuzzy
She could feel the cold floor nder her, she could hear the vocies of her friend Anne calling her
Shocked and tensed, Marcy wakes up and almost jumps before she finds herself again in that very position
She stood up to see King Andreas restrained by Grime and his soldiers.
As well as the Planters hugging together : Sprig was taunting Andreas, Holy was also trying to adapt her new legs while Hope pop keeps his eyes on them while holding parts of Frobo.
And finally her two best friends Anne and Sasha were there
"You came back." She said tearing
"Of course, Mar-Mar, we'll always be by your side" Anne said
"What?..." Marcy asks
"We're not going anywhere without you, Mars" Sasha answered
Marcy smiles as she hugs them both "That's all I ever wanted…
…..I love you girls" Marcy says as she embraces the blissful realm of her mind
Unaware that her coming back to her friends was nothing but an illusion, Marcy resides in a tank, in an underground basement of her old friend Andreas. Bubbles coming from her mask, dreaming about her different life.
….
….
….
Life of never ending adventure,
Friends of three have worlds to enter.
Search for happiness and joy,
Will lead your friendship destroyed.
Escaping from the truth and fear,
Consequence will be after you dear.
I kept the secret for you,
But look what you made me do.
Sleeping you are child and dreaming of home,
Do not worry i'm here, you're no longer alone…
Closing the book, the reader comments "Interesting, I wonder what happened to her after that"
The light inside the window goes out.
The back of the book says 'Book of Destiny'
For those who are confused allow me to explain, I tie all of my stories together into one universe or multiverse from time to time.
Since Calamity Box sent Anne back to Los Angeles, it can also sent Marcy to other world although since she was close to death it had some side effects.
About my story connenctions, well, this story is happening after my previous one called 'Sleepy Hunter' and also Ichabod's children are also set to be living in distant country of Arendelle on which I wrote another two stories 'The Passage' and 'Anna's Family' .