Loving the Thrill
Once again Luxu can be seen travelling without actually knowing where he is going end up. He is not even doing his usual jog, in order to be faster. If there weren't a giant forest around him for Zeus knows how many miles, one would assume that he is simply going for a walk.
But his walk has already taken days now and at this point he has already gotten used to the lack of comfort he has at night. Sleeping on a bed made of tree-roots is already nothing new to him anymore.
*Now, what sound does a pumpkin even make? Can you even hear a plant grow?*, Luxu thinks to himself.
After he has finally decided to get up at the "impact"-site, he has been glad to see that all of his bones only feel broken. Despite the pain he has felt in his every move, he has forced himself to move as quick as he could.
But after running for a while, he still can't hear any sound that isn't supposed to be there. One time he has followed a strange hammering, just to end up looking at a woodpecker. Another time he has heard a river, where he at least has been able stop and drink for a while. In the end, he has given up on running so he can listen to things that are too quiet to hear otherwise.
He stops to listen to his surroundings from time to time, but no matter what he does he just can't hear anything remotely useful. What was he listening for anyways? Pumpkin-Leaves? Or some Bacteria? He just can't wrap his mind around the meaning of the prophecy. It is even less helpful than telling him to "go upwards".
"Aargh! This damn forest just won't end will it!?"
Luxu throws his hands upwards and kicks a tree in frustration.
"Tch-"
Just as he hits it, he hears a sound, as if someone isn't a fan of his kick.
"Did I just? …Nah it's nothing."
Luxu looked around, but as he can't see anything, he just shrugs it off.
"Let's see, another hour and I'll rest for today. It's not like I need to be anywhere right now."
He continues onward and is already too far away when a strange creaking can be heard, accompanied by the rustling of leaves.
It is in the middle of the night, when Luxu wakes up again.
"-stop! …?"
He hasn't slept well tonight. Waking up from a nightmare, he jolts upwards and scanned the surroundings. It takes him a few moments to realise it has just been a dream, but then something else takes his attention.
Looking upwards he sees, that the moon has strange shadows again and they seem to form an evil smile. And in the distance, he can hear rustling coming from bushes.
"What…? Isn't this way too fast!? Or was I just lazing around too much? Damnit, I need to-"
As he is getting up and starting to pack his things, he notices a light coming from beneath the roots he has been lying on. He sees two dark red lights and when Luxu stares at them, two rows of sharp teeth reveal themselves below, what now seem to be eyes.
Luxu takes a sharp breath and starts running. Not looking back, hoping that the monster won't follow him. There's no way he can fight that thing, when a storm is starting.
Then, in front of him, he sees another shadow moving forward from behind a tree. A hand with long fingers is grabbing the tree. Luxu hears a hissing sound and looks closer. It isn't fingers, but snakes holding the tree! And from the creature's feet a small horde of spiders crawl towards Luxu.
"Wha!?"
*Damnit, I need to get somewhere save!*
What has been a fast run before, now becomes a full-on sprint and he only stops after he is sure he has lost his pursuers. Hiding behind a tree, he tries to calm down.
"What was that!? I never heard of any darkness like that! And I really should have prepared any form of spell before sleeping!"
Suddenly he can feel a strangely strong gust of wind on his back.
"Who's there!?"
Luxu turns around and sees something that looks like a man without a face a few steps away. Something behind Luxu falls to the ground. When Luxu looks, he sees a pile of bones, that look like they have once belonged to a human.
Before he has any time to understand what is happening, he hears another rustling. The Faceless man is gone, and more skeletons are hanging in his place. Luxu tries to run again, but he slips on some green goo and falls to the ground.
From there he can finally see where the skeletons are coming from, as the tree he has intended to hide behind behind starts moving towards him! His branches, that are decorated with even more hanging skeletons start to surround him. And from the spaces between them more creatures come forward.
One even more terrifying than the other. One is halfway to becoming a skeleton, with rotting flesh falling from his bones. Others are white and transparent. Some more are just white, wearing black cloaks and baring their pointed teeth. Another has a Wolves' head and claws for hands.
Suddenly Luxu is grabbed from behind by two long and bony hands. He is forcefully turned around to look in the black eyeholes of a horrifying face. Its mouth is formed into a grotesque scream, with teeth that look like they are ready to bite Luxu's head off. Behind the creature fire suddenly starts burning, wrapping everything but the creature's face into flames. Faced with such a gruesome scene Luxu starts – Laughing.
The grimace on the creature's face changes from nightmarish to deeply offended and water rains down from above to extinguish the fire
"What!? How can you laugh!? I am the king of terror, the master of nightmares! I'm the pumpkin king! When we saw you, we had everything planned out! You're a guy lost in the woods – you should be terrified out of your mind by now!"
Luxu struggles for air, as he tries to calm down. He answers while still holding his stomach:
"Sorry, sorry! Anyone would be scared to death when they see this, don't worry! It's just when you made that face, you were shining so brightly, there was no way I could believe you would do anything to me!"
"Shining? Of course I was shining! I was on fire! Dammit!"
Luxu shakes his head, having somewhat calmed down, but the bone-man in front of him has no intention of doing the same.
"No, I don't mean that kind of light. I didn't realise with the others, but you could say I just saw how much fun you were having…?"
Seeing the appalled expression of the bone-man, he quickly adds.
"It's an ability I have, you weren't actually looking like you were having fun, of course!"
The man opens his mouth, but before he can say anything someone else interrupts.
"Jack, Jack, Jack. Good job, letting all our effort go to waste. I even gave him a nightmare you know. That's why I'm telling you guys, that I, Oogie Boogie, should do the final scare, or else something like this happens!"
A moving cloth bag walks through the crowd surrounding Luxu and Jack. Luxu stares a moment at the bag as if he recognizes him.
"Wait, didn't I see you on the moon?"
"Oh, yes! I hope you had some sweet dreams! Hehe."
Jack glares at the bag.
"You know just as well as me, that something like this has never happened before, Oogie. It was just this guy's strange ability, that he didn't get scared!"
Jack rebukes Oogies argument while pointing at Luxu.
"Power? I don't see anything like that. What are you talking about, Jack? Has your head gone wayhire? Uh, waytire? Uhhh, you know what I'm talking about. Fact is everything was fine, until your part came up and the guy started laughing. Seems like you wasted all of our time!"
Oogie looks around, for someone who would back him up, but when nobody says anything, he lets out a displeased grumble, turns around and walks away.
"Hmpf. Yall, don't see what you're missing out on."
Another person, smaller this time, steps out of the crowd.
"H-Hey, Jack! I know how it turned out, but I for myself thought that was one of your best scares yet."
Approving murmurs can be heard from around and the man continues.
"Well nothing can be done any more about it, so why don't we all just go home for now. You all did great! With this Halloween will be another success this year!"
With this the people start to disperse, with most of them going in the same direction as Oogie Boogie. Eventually, Jack and Luxu are the only ones left and Jack sighted.
"Haah, well looks like it's over, but Oogie will probably become a pain now…"
Jack looks at Luxu.
"I don't think I've properly introduced myself: My name is Jack Skellington, the-"
"Pumpkin King. You said that already. Hello, my name is Luxu, nice to meet you!"
Luxu smiles as he extends a hand towards Jack. Jack is dumbfounded for a moment, but he decides to shake the hand.
"You are a strange one, you know that? I don't think there was ever a target who was able to calmly shake my hand afterwards! But now I really wanna know. Who are you? What are you doing here? There aren't really any visitors around here so how did you get here?"
"Ah… I come from pretty far away actually. There was this guy, who threw me all the way over here… I'm honestly surprised that I'm still alive."
Jacks eyes widen as Luxu speaks and Luxu can see a faint spark lighting up in his eyes.
"He threw you here!? Where do you find people who can do that. Wait – don't tell me here! I want to know everything, so why don't you come to my place!"
Luxu, who is sure the man in front of him is the person he is looking for according to the prophecy, gladly takes jack up on his offer.
"Yes, but you'll have to tell me what's up with all that scaring and Halloween-stuff."
"Yes, of course. I'll tell you, but I asked first!"
Jack laughs and they both go in the direction where the other people have gone before. Going past a great number of trees, the surroundings slowly become darker and the trees look as if they are burned. The ground is becoming muddy as well, and any form of greenery gets more and more scarce until nothing grows at all anymore and there are only the burnt trees left.
Then they finally make it to a clearing, that is filled with many carved stones.
"Is that… a graveyard?"
Luxu frown as he asks this.
"Ah yes! Scary don't you think? We really outdid ourselves when we made this!"
Jack proudly presents him the Graves and Crypts as they pass by them. Some of them also seem to be occupied, because Luxu can feel eyes watching him, from the shadows of the buildings. Jack stops abruptly, when a small ghost appears before him.
"Zero! Didn't I tell you to wait at home!? You couldn't wait for me, could you? Well come here you!"
At first it has seemed like Jack has been intending to reprimand the ghost for not following his orders, but his voice quickly softens, and he tries to hug it instead. But instead of cuddling against Jack the ghost goes straight through him and flies towards Luxu.
Now, that he gets a better look at him, Luxu realises that the ghost is a dog, that now seems to inspect him thoroughly.
"Oh, may I introduce you? This little guy here is Zero, and this is Luxu. He's staying over for today, is that alright Zero?"
The dog finishes his inspection, that has consisted of flying around Luxu and sniffing him from all sides and barks in approval of Jack's words.
"Alright we're almost there now! And before I forget it: Welcome to Halloween Town, the scariest town you'll ever see!"
"Your travels are amazing Luxu! Compared to that my little town is just a single thread in a cobweb!"
"No way! I've never seen any place, that is even remotely like this! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed anyone who told me about it."
"You're exaggerating. We just love to scare. Speaking of which – the day after tomorrow is actually Halloween, our town festival! When you're here you'll have to see it!"
The conversation goes in an interesting direction and Luxu digs deeper.
"Halloween? What is that? What are you doing there?"
Jack opens his eyes wide in disbelieve, over what Luxu has just asked.
"You don't know what Halloween is!? It's just the single most awesome festival of the year! We're all taking part in it, trying to be as nightmarish as possible! We even went outside of town, to scare you as training!"
"Oh, so that's what happened, huh?"
"Ah, yes. Now that I think about it again, that was one of our best performances so far. How did you see through it again?"
Luxu takes out a necklace from underneath his coat. Attached to it is the Box, that Zeus has hit with his spear. But instead of shining brightly like before, it is now pitch black, with only a few sparks shining inside it.
"It's this device here. It lets me sense… the intentions of the people around me. If they have good or bad ones. Before I could only sense light from you, but it was the opposite from what you looked like, so I couldn't help myself and I started to laugh. Sorry about that again."
Jack shakes his head and starts to look over the device.
"Never mind that. But this device is really interesting! How does it work?"
Jack inquires about the device, but Luxu can only shrug his shoulders.
"Things would be a lot easier if I actually knew that, but unfortunately telling me that was apparently 'too dangerous'."
Jack starts pondering over something.
"Hmm, well if you want someone to look at it, I could introduce you to Dr. Finkelstein. He's pretty holed up in his Lab lately, but I bet he would be eager to look at something like this."
"That would be great actually! Thank you very much!"
Luxu smiles and jumps up from his chair when he says this.
*I don't think anyone but the master could ever really understand how the device works, but any little information helps.*
"Alright, then it's settled! But for now, we'll have to wait, it's the middle of the day after all. Let's just sleep for now, and don't worry there won't be any nightmares this time!"
Just now noticing, how tired he is, Luxu looks outside the window.
"Hey, shouldn't the sun be up then?"
"Ah, well. You see, around here the difference between day and night is just if it's more or less dark. You won't see the sun anytime soon."
Scanning the sky for a few moments, Luxu really is unable to find any trace of the sun, so he shrugs his shoulders and follows Jack who shows him to his bed.
Luxu is woken up by a strange sensation around his nose. When he opens his eyes, he sees the ceiling, but it's obscured by a white silhouette that drools some sort of ectoplasm on his face.
Luxu jolts upwards wanting to push away the dog that is hovering above him, but he goes right through. Zero on the other hand, gives off a happy bark and flies towards the door, urging Luxu to come with him.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming. Just… give me a minute."
Luxu yawns and stretches himself before he gets up and follows the dog. Zero guides him to another room where Jack already tinkers with a strange pot, wearing what somewhat resembles an apron.
"Oh, Luxu you're up! I woke up early today, and thought, that you might be hungry after your journey. So, I made you my favourite meal, I hope you like it!"
Luxu peeks inside the pot and everything he sees almost screams death and poison. All sorts of chunks are swimming in a dark green steaming broth and Luxu is sure some of those chunks are still moving.
He looks back up at Jack who seems to expect a compliment and tries to think of anything he could say to get out of this. Unable to come up with anything honest, he resorts to a lie.
"Could you turn up the heat some more? I like my food almost burned."
Luxu doesn't care how stupid it sounds. He is hungry, but not hungry enough to die for a meal. However, Jack reacts different from what he expects.
"Really!? That's some strange taste you have, as expected of a traveller! Alright! Just tell me when I should stop!"
After that Jack puts some more wood in a fire beneath the pot and only when Luxu can't see any movement at all inside the pot anymore, does he tell him to stop.
A while later two people can be seen walking out of a grey house on a plaza made of dark rocks. The tall one is lost in thought, pondering about whether the meal he has had, has had any of its usual taste, or if it has simply been too bland.
Whereas the other just wishes to forget the terrible meal and hopes he will survive the next few hours. Together they walk towards another house on the plaza and the tall one starts talking.
"Well, I haven't actually seen Dr. Finkelstein as of late. Sometimes he just holes himself up inside his laboratory for weeks at a time. He is probably snowed under with research, so it might be difficult to get his attention… But on the other hand, there's no way that this box of yours will not get his attention!"
Having said that, Jack knocks on the door. When he gets no answer, he doesn't hesitate to just go inside. It seems, as if he has done this many times before, because he signs Luxu to follow him and together they go up the stairs. Up there, he knocks on another door, but doesn't wait for an answer this time and just goes inside. However, there he abruptly stops, so Luxu can't see inside the room.
"Dr. Finkelstein!? I… didn't know you were into that kind of thing."
"What do you mean 'that kind of thing?', can't you tell I'm busy!? Who let you in anyways?"
Luxu peeks past Jack inside the room and sees a small person in a wheelchair turning around and furiously gesticulating at Jack. On his lap is an arm that twitches when one of the gesticulating hands accidentally hits it.
"Father? Who are these people?"
Behind Dr. Finkelstein a one-armed figure gets up from what looks to be an operating table. Jack on the other hand is unable to comprehend the scene that unfolds before his eyes.
"Father!?"
Dr. Finkelstein turns around.
"Sally, why are you getting up!? I told you to lie down! You're going to fall apart if you're not careful! Look! Your arm is already coming loose! I wasn't finished there, so stay still, ok?"
The small man sounds angry at first, but his worry is quickly taking over.
"Hey, you two! Help her lie down, will you!?"
Jack and Luxu quickly follow his commands and help her. Sally looks a little scared at the two people who came towards her.
"Don't worry, Sally."
Dr. Finkelstein glanced at Luxu.
"You don't have to be afraid of them. I'll have you fixed in no time, so let them help you, alright?"
Sally looks at her father, and then gives Jack and Luxu a hesitant nod. Those two take it as permission to come closer and they help her lie down. After they are finished, Dr. Finkelstein signall them to step aside.
"Sally, you can't just stand up when I'm in the middle of redoing your stiches. You don't want your limbs to fall off!"
The Doctor keeps reprimanding her, while fixing her arms and Jack and Luxu both decide to wait until he is finished. But Luxu is lost in thought anyways, as he has already noticed something else: The device reacts to Sally. So, he tries to think of a way to get her to activate it while waiting.
After a while Dr. Finkelstein is finished with his stitching – and his lecture. When he finally turns away from the table, Jack starts questioning him.
"Dr. Finkelstein, I never knew you had a daughter. And since when is she living with you? I have never seen her before!"
"Of course, you haven't, I just made her two months ago."
Luxu, who is preoccupied with his own plotting, doesn't have the capacity to think about what Dr. Finkelstein has just said. It would have been pointless anyways. There's no way he would understand someone who talks about making a person.
But to Luxu her origins aren't important. The only thing he has to know, is that she could save this place. So, he tries to lead the conversation instead of Jack.
"So she is a little child? She sure doesn't look like one-"
"Now, you better watch your mouth boy!"
Luxu is interrupted before he can say anything else.
"Who are you anyways? I haven't seen you around town either."
Jack answers Dr. Finkelstein instead of Luxu
"Doctor, I haven't had the chance to introduce a visitor of our town, yet! This here is Luxu. He wandered around in the woods, when we found him."
"Hmm, and I don't suppose you just took him here just to introduce us?"
Dr. Finkelstein is quick to catch on and gets to the point.
"Yes! You're right, when we found him, we tried to scare him – you know – as training for the festival. But according to him, thanks to this device here", Jack points at Luxu's chest, where the now-glowing box is hanging, "he managed to see through us and I, uh, we failed to scare him."
Jack staggers at the part of the story, where he has been unable to give Luxu a scare, still being flustered about it.
"Luxu himself doesn't know how it works, so I took him to you, because there's nothing you don't know, right?"
When Jack points at the device, he has already lost Dr. Finkelstein, as he starts to closely inspect it without paying attention to Jack anymore. Luxu keeps quiet, hoping that the Doctor could tell him something useful if he doesn't interrupt him.
"Interesting… Hmm… You said this device lets you see people's intentions?"
Dr. Finkelstein doesn't look up, when he asks this, however Luxu still answers.
"Not exactly. It just lets me see if a person's intent is malicious or not, but not the full extent of its nature. If a person is shining brightly, it could have many reasons. It generally means they are good-hearted, however."
That about sums up everything the master has told Luxu about the device's detection-ability.
"But is that the only thing it does? It feels like there's more to it…"
Surprised about how Dr. Finkelstein can see through the device, Luxu explains further.
"Yes, that's right. It's also there to absorb Light and change it into a power to fight darkness."
He omits the part, where it is meant to fight a specific kind of darkness.
"Yes, it does seem like that. Honestly, I have no idea how this thing works, I'm sorry I can't help. But wouldn't the light it gives off mean, that it's leaking all the time?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it… That might be a problem, actually… Thank you for noticing that, I never thought about it like that!"
After Dr. Finkelstein rolls backwards in his chair, Luxu looks at the device himself.
*I could use the leaking energy for something else, if I draw some runes around the device. Or rather I should do that. During a storm, the darkness might find me if the device shines too brightly. But I'll think about it, when I have the time. For now, I have something else to do.*
"So, are we finished here?"
Dr. Finkelstein has already turned around and is driving back towards Sally, who is still obediently sitting on the table.
"Come Sally, I'll have you read some more books."
Jack still looks conflicted about what to think of Dr. Finkelstein's daughter, so Luxu steps forward.
"Dr. Finkelstein, I'm interested: How did you get the idea to make your daughter, Sally?"
"What do you mean how? I had the parts, so I made her. Also, these old bones of mine, could really need an assistant!"
Luxu is sure, that there is more to it that Dr. Finkelstein is willing to say, but that isn't the point he wants to get at anyways.
"She may be an assistant someday, but right now she is still just a child, isn't she? But children also need to get outside a little, wouldn't you agree? She might not become the kind of dependable help you want, if everything she does all day is reading books."
With Luxu's words Sally's eyes begin to sparkle.
"Nonsense! My Sally doesn't need something like that. Besides, you saw what happened before – she isn't ready for that!"
Now Jack joins in on the conversation.
"Dr. Finkelstein! If she is already here, the Halloween-Festival tomorrow is a must-see! I know she'll love it!"
"And if you're worried about her, I'll keep her save. See it as thanks for looking over the device."
Dr. Finkelstein's glance darts between Jack and Luxu and when he looks at Sally, whose eyes are begging him to say yes, he gives in.
"Pah. Alright, alright. She can go, but I'll be going as well, just in case."
Sally stands up, beaming with joy, and kneels down to hug Dr. Finkelstein.
"Thank you, father! Thank you so much!"
Dr. Finkelstein starts lecturing her again.
"Careful now Sally! You won't be able to make it until tomorrow if you rip all your stiches today!"
Jack and Luxu look at each other and smiled. But then Jack remembers something and sprints towards the door.
"Oh, right! I still need to rehearse with the others. Halloween's tomorrow after all! Well then, have a great day today and I shall see you all tomorrow!"
He is already running down the stairs, when he has said that. And then a door can be heard closing downstairs.
"…Aand, he's gone. Well, it seems like I'm free right now. Doctor, is there anything I can help you with, in order to prepare for tomorrow?"
"Well, there actually is…"
And like that Luxu spends the rest of the day with Dr. Finkelstein and Sally.
"What's this father? It looks so strange!"
Sally is walking into the plaza and is running towards the fountain in the middle as soon as she has seen it.
"Sally! Be a good girl now and don't overexert yourself. You do want to see the festival in the evening, right?"
Sally looks back at Dr. Finkelstein and is startled when she hears what he had to say.
"Yes of course. I'm sorry father."
When she looks around, she notices, that other people she doesn't know, are looking at her as well. She quickly returns to Dr. Finkelstein to push the wheelchair, who starts to talk again
"When, we're already outside, I'll show you around town for today, so you won't get lost if I send you out to fetch something. And you, boy, just watch out in case something happens, alright?"
Luxu, who is walking beside those two gave him a small nod.
"Yeah, but what is supposed to happen anyways?"
"You never know. Folks around here tend to get… overly excited for the festival. Sally, drive through that gate, will you?"
Dr. Finkelstein leaves his statement vague like that and points Sally in the direction he wants to go.
They continue to stroll around town, and Dr. Finkelstein talks a lot about where to find witch ingredient, or who is living in which house. But with people he limits it to the ones, that he sometimes needs to get stuff from. They continue to walk until they reach the edge of the forest, that surround the village.
"…and here's the last part of the trip. This is the furthest you will go, you hear me Sally? Don't you get lost in the woods now."
"Yes Father…"
With this never-ending stream of information, Sally's gaze has become somewhat blank. She is still looking around attentively from time to time. But it seems she has reached her limit. Or so Luxu thought, but when she realizes that it is over, Sally reawakens her excitement.
"Really!? So we're going to see the Festival now?"
"Yes, yes. I take it you still remember the way back, Child?"
Dr. Finkelstein asks her a final question which she answers gleefully, "Yes! I do!" They both turn around and walk towards the Plaza.
In the meantime, Luxu glances at the device in his hand, being relieved that Sally's light is rekindled, as it is absorbed and reflected in the device.
When he looks around the place it feels strangely familiar. There are tall tombstones, that look like coffins, which are standing upright, gathered around a gate. He tries to remember what it is, but whenever he thinks he had it, the memory slips away again. After a while he gives up and goes after the other two.
"Huh, the plaza looks different now."
"Well, like I said people get overly excited for this every year… We just came at the nick of time though. The festival is already starting."
While Luxu and Dr. Finkelstein are talking, Sally is gaping at everything around her. The whole plaza has been decorated with little pumpkins and there are many more spiderwebs than before, hanging like garlands from fence-pole to fence pole. Every free place has been stuffed with candles as well, so there are flickering shadows everywhere.
"Sally, your mouth will fall off if you open it any further. Let's go over there."
Dr. Finkelstein points at a bench, to the side of the plaza. When they arrive there, the music already begins and from everywhere, creatures come into view.
At first it is an incoherent mass of claws, fangs and glares, trying to outperform each other, but then the ghosts start singing. After that the other creatures join in on the tune and the big choreography can be discerned.
Sally watches it all, mesmerized by it and Luxu secretly glances at the device, that begins shining brighter and brighter.
Suddenly Jack emerges from the crowd, once again wrapped in flames. During his performance he slowly makes his way towards Sally, who can't take her eyes off him. Then the time for the grand finale comes and Jack jumps through a waterspout towards Sally, with the scariest face Luxu has seen so far.
Luxu takes the opportunity and holds the device towards Sally.
Jacks face freezes and everything becomes silent, while the light of the device wraps the whole town and beyond in a bright light. Sally and Luxu are the only ones still moving and she gives Luxu a bewildered look. She covers her face in embarrassment as she starts talking.
"What…!? I just felt that I wanted to be with everyone in this town forever! …and now… I can help everyone to make sure it happens!? Thank you! I'm so glad that you found this place, Luxu!"
Still ordering her thoughts, she looks at Luxu for a moment and then starts walking towards Jack, who stands before her with raised arms and a horrific grimace on his face.
"But I really just wanted to look at you for as long as I could, didn't I?"
When she raises an arm to touch Jacks face, it suddenly falls to the ground lifelessly. Luxu jumps towards her, in order to catch her, as she loses her balance.
"Sally! Be careful, the spell really drains people, so don't move!"
Sally smiles at Luxu, while he lowers her to the ground. Her legs have already fallen off and the strings around her neck are coming loose.
"I think it's a little late for that. I can barely hold on to my consciousness anymore. But don't worry, I'll be alright… I'm sure father will be able to fix me. He… always… does…"
When she closes her eyes, Luxu is suddenly shoved aside.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SALLY! Get away from her, you brute!"
Luxu hasn't noticed that time has started running again and can only watch when Dr. Finkelstein jumped out of his wheelchair, to look at Sally. Blood starts leaving Luxu's face as he starts to realize what just happened.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen…! I really didn't!"
Luxu tries to apologise, but Dr. Finkelstein just glares at him.
"Just get her to my lab RIGHT NOW! And you, Jack, put me in my chair!"
Jack who has been frozen stiff in shock, quickly follows his orders. And while the two of them rush towards the laboratory, Luxu takes off his coat and uses it to carry all of Sally's body parts into the lab as well. But before he can say anything more, he and Jack are quickly thrown out of the Lab.
"As if I would let you touch one more leaf of Sally's body! Scram! Both of you!"
And like that Jack and Luxu keep sitting in front of the door for a while. Jack is the first one to break the heavy silence.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Dr. Finkelstein will fix her in no time. He is a genius Doctor after all."
Despite his confident words, the look on Jacks face is worried. Luxu on the other hand is still caught up on his guilt.
"I'm sorry for what happened. I really didn't think the toll it would take on Sally to cast the spell would be so great. I really shouldn't have come near her."
Jack, who doesn't get what exactly Luxu is talking about, focuses on the last bit.
"No matter what happened, that's just wrong. I don't know why, but suddenly Sally is lying before me and what do I see? She is smiling at you, before she closes her eyes. And then you did everything you could to help. So, I know, that whatever that was, meeting you was a good thing for her"
Hearing Jacks words, tears start running down Luxu's face.
"Thank you, Jack… You're right."
Luxu wipes them away.
"What Sally did, was good. And I just need to remember this, so I don't make the same mistake another time."
He stands up and looks at the door for a moment. Then he turns around and takes a few steps away from it.
"Hey, Jack I wish you all the best. I think it's time for me to move to the next place."
"You're travelling again? Oh, I really wish I could come with you."
Luxu turns around.
"What's holding you back?"
Jack raises his arms to decline Luxu's offer.
"You know, the people here depend on me. I can't just up and vanish on them. Also, I'll have to stay behind and apologise to Dr. Finkelstein and Sally for the both of us."
"Oh, alright. Please do that for me. But instead of an apology, tell Sally I said thank you."
Luxu already knows it won't come to that, as he will be forgotten. Still he feels it is necessary to at least say his thoughts out loud.
"Will do. But do you already know where to go from here?"
"Yeah, I think I have an idea… So, I guess this is farewell. It was nice meeting you!"
"The honour is all mine. I wish you best of luck on your travels!"
With those words, Luxu leaves the plaza behind and goes towards the graveyard. He has finally understood why the place with the massive gravestones has seemed strangely familiar. He starts repeating another prophecy inside his head.
Sadly, you must run in shame,
as there is no one else to blame.
You are overshadowed by a grave,
but at least another place is save.
Run along the trees into the night
and escape this town of fright,
until you make it to a clearance,
where the trees have a different appearance.
Each of them marked with another door,
but all of them you can ignore,
as they have been saved just before.
So, walk past them once more
and look beneath a tree,
there lies another path for thee.
After a while he finally makes it to the clearing with the strange trees. On each of them is a different picture and a doorknob. Being curious, he peeks inside one and is greeted with a gust of cold wind.
*Looks like I really don't need to worry. The spell even reached inside here… And it looks like the kind of place where even Jack can have his adventure…heh*
With a smile on his face Luxu closes the door and started looking for a hidden passage. After finding it, he takes a deep breath to prepare himself and goes through.
Author's Gibberish:
Looks like I finally managed another chapter… I'm kinda proud of this one, as it feels like it really makes sense as an origin-story for many of the characters. Of course, there are still a few missing parts, but I feel like this is a good base for imagination… But that might just be me ^^°
By the way, did you know that Hercules had a TV-Series? Well I didn't. At first I thought I could do what I want with Poseidon – the third brother – as there never was any mention of him. But in an effort to stay as canon as possible, I had to give up on my first character death. It wasn't easy, I tell you. Also, Chronus' appearance was based on a single picture of a stone that appeared in the TV-show.
Regarding references, I tried to base the scene where Luxu was "hunted" in the woods on the intro song to "Nightmare before Christmas". Some – but not all – elements made it into the final scene though… And the biggest leap of faith I made was, that Oogie Boogie's relationship with the rest of the town had been better in the past. But then again, he was part of the intro of "Nightmare Before Christmas" so I thought, he had to work together with the others sometimes. But I still didn't mention him after his first appearance, because I wanted to focus on Sally and he didn't fit in her story, sadly.
Also, I like how the prophecies themselves have become the passageways to the next worlds. It's as if they themselves have the power take Luxu where he needs to be.