Guilt crippled the young ghost's heart as he stared into the taunting pink vortex that contorted before him. His uncles. He worked so, so hard for their acceptance. And just when he had what he wanted, boom, taken away by his headmasters. As much as he wanted to be angry at them, to lash out, he couldn't. He felt at a loss.
Casper's new friends stood behind him, watching with variations of detachment as their surroundings fed them with treats and drinks. Casper rejected all of this world's attempts of distraction.
"If only I'd been there. Maybe I could have done something."
"Are you kidding?" A large, purple monster said. "You're lucky you were here. We're all lucky. This is the only safe place in the world."
A vine reached up at his word, brushing against his cheek. Casper pushed it away and looked up at his aunt with pure determination in his undead eyes.
"I gotta go back! I've gotta save my uncles!" He cried.
The leaves gave a shudder at his words. No one noticed.
"But you can't go back." Belle stated.
"How do you know?"
"Because you can't go back."
"We're banished! That's just how it is." Aunt Spitzy jumped in and gladly accepted a strawberry lemonade from a blossoming flower.
"But have you ever tried?" Capser questioned, desperate for something to lean off of. No, tree branch, he meant figuratively.
"Listen, kid, we got hot and cold running happiness here. Why would we?"
Murrey nodded. "This is the one place on earth where we're allowed to be ourselves."
"Where we're allowed to be friendly." Belle held a tentacle to her heart.
The magical realm shifted as a mic and keyboard appeared in front of them and Belle sang, "We've always-"
"Wait!" Casper interrupted, growing more frustrated. "What's the point of being friendly if you can't be with the people you care about?"
A series of nods and sounds of agreement juggled through the crowd of creatures.
"And what's the point of being safe if my uncles, and your nephews, and your family members are all in danger!"
Creatures cheered, and spirits began to spark. The small harpy girl looked to the side long enough to see the leaves turn brown around them.
"And what's the point of being happy if being happy means being afraid to stand up for what you believe in? Now come on everybody! Let's go show those guys that just because we're friendly doesn't mean you can push us around!"
The harpy girl tried to get everyone's attention as flowers wilted and tree branches curled sinisterly.
Just as Casper took a step towards the portal, vines shot out and dug into the sides of the rock. Terrified gasps retched out as the branches curled and wrapped around each other, creating a blockade. The earth shuddered as the joyous atmosphere shattered. Creatures cowered against the cheerful land they called home.
"What's happening?" Casper cried. He shot up to look at the world around them, but branches came forth to seize the rebellious ghost. He dove around, trying to get away. The once beautiful sky now filled with screams. Casper felt as sick as a ghost could as he watched his friends were trapped by overwhelming vines and roots. They were trapped.
Belle and Murrey had almost succumbed to the roots before the harpy girl pulled them away. They tripped and barely made it through the enclosing roots before falling through the portal.
Aunt Spitzy flew up and grabbed a hold of her nephew and tried to pull him away but Casper resisted.
"We can't leave them!" He protested.
"We don't have a choice, kid!"
Casper watched with horror as the last thing he saw of that cursed place were crushing roots enclosing around the friendly creatures.
On the other side of the portal, our other friends stood holding the stick.
"It's been long enough," Cappy declared. "Haul him in!"
The three pulled back, only to find their friend gone.
Ra cried out in horror. "It's true! Nobody can return. Not even a wooden carving on a stick."
They dropped the stick pondering their options when Belle, Murrey, and the harpy girl came barrelling through the pink mass, Casper and Aunt Spitzy just behind them. They spun and collapsed on the floor. Casper got up and tried to go back through but Aunt Spitzy grabbed him. He trashed and struggled against her grip.
"We gotta go back!" He cried.
The trio watched in shock as Aunt Spitzy pulled him against her chest.
"We can't, Casper. I'm sorry. There isn't anything we can do." She sighed.
Casper shoved her away and stumbled on his feet. His face twisted in pain and outrage.
"What do you mean? We could have fought it! We… we could have done something. Instead of running away again…"
Casper turned towards the portal but didn't make a move, his shoulders tense.
"What happened in there?" Ra asked in a gentle voice. Mantha whacked his shoulder and he gave her a glare.
Aunt Spitzy shook her head sadly. "Now's not the time, kid. From what I understand right now, my nephews need my help."
Casper's head shot up, "My uncles!" He turned around, face turned to fear. "We gotta go save my uncles!"
In case you didn't catch it the Valley of the Shadows was less fun and nice and more of a sinister lotus-eater idea where they can't leave this perfect paradise or they die OOP
Also editting out that icky homphobia cause gay rights
Anyways have fun bye