Jaune and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Chap 79: Curtain of Cruelty
Farmhouse
'Heavenly.' Courage said after taking a big whiff of Muriel's freshly dried apron.
"How did you get these clothes to smell so fresh and lovely?" Iris asked as I helped her fold some of her clothes.
"It's my homemade fabric softener." Muriel explained as she showed us the glass bottle containing the fabric softener before taking a whiff of it as well. "Ahh."
'EEE!' Courage said, excited as he took the bottle.
"Can you teach me how to make?" I asked as I folded and placed the last of the clothes in the basket.
"Of course, dear." She answered while pulling out one of Eustace's shirts from the dryer. Although, his shirt seemed stiff as a board. "Too bad Eustace won't let me use it on his clothes."
"I don't think that will be a problem." Iris said with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. Instead of answering, she merely pointed to Courage, who now looked like a pink could.
'MMM!' He moaned as he continued to rub the last of the fabric softener onto his fur.
"Courage, you look like a cotton candy now." I told him, smiling while Muriel extended her hand towards him.
'Heh, heh, heh.' He nervously laughed as he handed her the bottle.
"Well, it looks like I'll be teaching you the secret recipe right now, Jaune, as it looks like I'll be needing to make a new batch." Muriel said as she held the bottle upside down to see if there was any left. "But I'm all out of my special secret ingredients. Time for a trip to town."
Nodding, I grabbed the basket and brought it up to their bedroom before putting them away. Once done, I went back to my room to grab my hoodie as it was supposed to get cold later. Zipping up, I made my way downstairs, where Iris was waiting for me. Smiling, we grabbed each other's hands before making our way outside, where we saw Eustace, Courage, and Muriel already in the truck waiting for us. Heading to the truck, we got into the back before letting the others know we were set. Grumbling, Eustace started the vehicle before driving towards Nowhere town.
One Hour Later
"So, what the first stop?" Iris asked as was exited the truck.
"Oh, our first stop is Dil's general store." Muriel answered as we started making our way there. However, we were greeted by a familiar face as we reached the store.
"Good day to you, Muriel. Hello, Courage." The lady greeted with a smile before petting Courage on the head. She then turned to us and smiled even wider. "And good day to the love birds as well. Big day coming your way soon."
"Hello, Amelia. Good to see you." Iris and I said at the same time while blushing heavily.
"And good day to you too." Muriel replied with a gentle smile before we entered the store.
"I got it." I said when I noticed a lady and her child were about to exit the store, so I held the door open for them.
"Morning." The lady said as she exited the door before turning to me. "Thank you, Jaune."
"No problem." I said as I let the door close.
"Nowhere has to be the nicest place in all of existence." Iris said as we followed Muriel to one of the aisles in the back.
"But you wouldn't expect that if the first person you met was Eustace." I said, annoyed when I saw Eustace cut the line in the deli meats section.
"Courage, be a dear, and get that vial on the top shelf." Muriel said, getting our attention.
'Okay.' Courage said before climbing up the shelves to retrieve a bottle that vaguely looked like the bottle that Muriel kept her special secret fabric softener in.
"Thank you, Courage." Muriel said as she placed the bottle into her handmade basket.
'You're welcome.' Courage said, smiling. However, we became confused a sudden pink wall went through the store and us before leaving.
"Oh, my." Muriel gasped in surprise.
"What was that?" I asked, confused and worried.
"I don't know. I- JAUNE! YOU'RE GLOWING!" Iris exclaimed.
"What?" I asked, confused as I looked over myself to see that my aura was flaring intensely. But after a moment, it died down and disappeared. "What just happened?"
'You okay, Jaune?' Courage asked, confused.
"I feel fine. Not sure what that pink wall was or why my aura flared all of a sudden." I answered.
"I think it's best if we leave now and head back to the farm just in case." Iris said, worried.
"Yeah. I don't have a good feeling about this." I agreed as I checked myself over.
'Me neither.' Courage added nervously.
"Oh, all right. We can get going now. But first, let's get some ground beef for tonight's dinner." Muriel said, unaware of what just happened. Nodding, we made our way to the deli section, where we noticed that Jean Bon was working here today.
"Hello, Jean." I greeted, to which, surprisingly, he only huffed in annoyance. 'Odd.'
"Could I get to pounds of ground beef, if you please?" Muriel asked.
"GRIND IT YOURSELF!" Jean growled out before picking up a slab of beef and throwing it at Muriel. Luckily, I managed to grab it before it hit her.
"DARN KIDS!" We heard Eustace growl out behind us. Thankfully, he stopped when Iris zapped him with lightning.
"Well, it will stay fresher that way." Muriel said, unsure of what to make at the moment.
"What was that for?" Iris asked, pissed. Yet, instead of answering, he turned to Courage.
"HEY, DOG!" He shouted before turning around and grabbing a marker. We were confused about what he was doing but realized that he changed the special on the menu today from fresh pork to fresh dog.
'AAAHHHH!' Courage screamed in fear before running out of the store.
"Jaune. Go and check on Courage while I deal with this lard of bacon." Iris ordered while cracking her knuckles. Not wanting to risk her wrath, as I have seen it upfront before, I nodded before dashing out of the store. Looking around, I saw something that I'd never thought I would see in Nowhere.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused as I saw people needlessly arguing with each other and, in some cases, brutalizing each other with weapons.
'I have no idea.' Courage said as I walked up next to him.
"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" We heard Eustace shout. Turning around, we saw him running towards his truck, where a police officer was taking off the truck's wheels.
"OH!" The office gasped before running off with the tires.
"Why you lousy tire-taking-" Eustace began but stopped when he spotted a stroller.
'Even taking from a baby. His greed knows no end.' I thought, annoyed. Hearing footsteps coming from behind, we turned around and saw Muriel and Iris walking towards us. Muriel seemed distraught at all that was happening while Iris was still steaming mad about what Jean Bon did.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" We heard someone shout. Turning to the voice, we saw the lady that always wore a parachute chasing down a scared man. And in her hands was a rocket launcher that she fired to try and kill the man.
"Oh, my." Murial said, worried and confused at what was happening.
"Alright. This is getting too dangerous. We need to get out of here now." I said when two cars crashed against each other nearby.
"You're right. And I could use some time to cool off what dealing with that pig." Iris added while trying to calm down. Smiling, I grabbed her hand a gave it a little squeeze, hoping to help her calm down a bit. Smiling, she squeezed back as we made our way back to the truck. Unfortunately, the anger returned tenfold when we saw Eustace attempting to put stroller wheels on his truck.
"Eustace! Everyone's gone daft." Muriel said as she opened the truck door.
"Muriel! Shut up, and let's git." He shouted as he kept on trying to use the stroller wheels. However, as soon as he finished installing the first wheel, a man in a blue suit walked up to him.
"Stealing from a baby, huh?" The man asked.
"YEAH! WHAT OF IT!?" Eustace challenged while standing back up. Yet, to our surprise, the man smiled and shook his hand vigorously.
"That's what Nowhere needs in a leader." The man answered. "I nominate you for mayor!"
"WHAT?" Courage, Iris, and I shouted, shocked at what we had just heard.
'Oh, this ain't good.' I thought as the man led Eustace to the corner where a conveniently decorated banner that read mayor was hanging.
"IDIOTS AND SLIMEBUCKETS!" The man announced over the microphone, getting everyone's attention. "The meanest creep in Nowhere."
"SHUT UP! YOU STUPID PEOPLE!" Eustace demanded, which only caused the people to cheer for him.
"I'm going to get Eustace." Muriel said as she exited the truck, only to hit a young girl accidentally. "OOH!"
"Are you okay?" I asked as Iris, and I moved to help her up. Only to freeze when she began to shout.
"HELP! THIS CREEPY FAMILY IS BEING NICE TO ME!" She shouted, getting everyone else's attention.
"OH!" Everyone gasped.
"The candidate wants the woman captured and reeducated so she'll learn how to be cruel and rotten." The man in the blue announced.
"Just like me." Eustace added with a smug tone that caused the crowd to cheer.
'Bastard.' I thought, pissed at having to deal with his crap again. But before either Courage, Iris, or I could react, two policemen suddenly appeared and dragged Muriel away.
"EUSTACE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Muriel shouted as she was dragged away.
'MURIEL!' Courage shouted as he chased after them to try and save her. Yet, he failed and only ended up tearing the basket Muriel still had with her. 'OH.'
"That dog is showing sympathy. Arrest and reeducate him." The man declared with another two policemen showing up suddenly. But, before they could grab him, they were struck with lightning and fell down unconscious.
"COURAGE! COME ON!" I shouted towards him. He looked towards us and saw that we were already on a cloud that Iris had created.
'EEE!' he creamed before running towards us and jumping onto the cloud.
"LOUSY INTERFERING DOG AND KID!" We heard Eustace complain.
"Hang on." Iris warned as she made the cloud fly away from the area towards the desert of Nowhere.
"Now your candidate will prove how mean he is by tracking down those kids and dog, bagging them, and sending them to be reeducated." The man announced. The microphone and amplifiers allow us to hear him easily.
"What?" Eustace asked, surprised. But then it seemed the man bribed Eustace with something, judging by what he said next. "CHOPPED MEAT! I'm tracking down the dog, and kids like the dog and kids they are."
'Jack ass.' I thought, feeling my blood boil as Nowhere town slowly disappeared from sight.
Unknown Location
'Welcome to rehabilitation.' A mysterious voice said over an intercom. In the center of the room was Muriel sitting down on an old, worn chair. And in front of her was a table with a hammer and a chained hamster on it.
'Now, Muriel. Look at the screen.' The voice demanded, with a projection appearing right after. Curious, Muriel looked towards the other side of the room and saw that the projection displayed some ordinary dolls. However, a boxing ring was heard after a few seconds, soon followed by a gloved fist knocking all the dolls down. Yet, it was apparently far from over as a baby crying and a chainsaw revving soon followed.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Muriel screamed in terror at what she was seeing. But soon, the light turned off and turned back on a second later with the projection now off.
'WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO TO THE HAMSTER?' The voice asked. Without hesitating, Muriel picked up the hammer.
'Better. Crumple the hamster.' The voice demanded with the hamster, apparently understanding what was about to happen, and started to tremble with fear. Muriel then lifted the hammer above her head and brought it down. But instead of hitting the hamster, she brought the hammer down next to the hamster.
"I don't want to hurt you, little thing. I only want to be your friend." Muriel told the hamster with a smile that radiated with warmth and kindness.
'MMM.' The hamster said, happy.
Nowhere Desert
One Hour Later
"Okay. I think you can let us down, Iris." I told her once I felt we were far enough from Eustace that was giving chase. Nodding, she had the cloud lower us to the ground, where we got off with the cloud disappearing right after.
'What now?' Courage asked while looking around.
"Find out what caused all the citizens of Nowhere to act like jerks." Iris answered.
"I think a safe place to start would be the strange pink wall that passed through us earlier." I added. "I have a strong feeling that's what caused everyone to become jerks."
'Speaking of which, if whatever that pink thing was caused all this, how come it did change us into being jerks?' Courage asked.
"I would have said that it's because you're an animal, but that wouldn't make sense as Jean Bon changed into a jerk. As for Iris, maybe because she's a goddess. But I'm not sure why I wasn't affected or why it caused my aura to flare up." I answered.
"Actually, I think I know the answer to that." Iris interjected.
"Really?" I asked, surprised.
"Remember when the Magic Tree of Nowhere allowed us each to have a wish?" She asked.
"Yeah." I answered, confused.
"Well, to put it as simple as possible, as it's pretty complicated, my wish was for me to be able to find the ingredients for an ancient recipe I have. Its purpose was to make the person that consumed it immune to certain effects that alter how they are to an extent. Kind of like the queen of the black puddle's siren call." She explained.
"When did you give me that?" I asked, surprised.
"Remember that candlelit diner date a couple of months ago? I placed it in the wine you made." She answered.
"Oh, thanks, Iris." I said, blushing and grateful that I had a caring fiancée.
'Do you feel any different?' Courage asked, slightly concerned.
"From when she put that in my drink, no. But I have felt my patience wear then quicker since the pink thing past through us." I answered before adding. "But then again, it's Eustace, and he can make anyone's patience run out in a matter of seconds."
'That's good. But now comes the question, where should we start looking for the pink thing?' Courage asked. However, before we could say anything, we heard Eustace shouting.
"HERE I COME! I'M A DOG AND KID BAGGIN' MACHINE!" He declared while running at us with a giant net.
"This should buy as a few minutes." Iris said before striking him with lightning again.
"Okay, with him out of the way-" I began before being cut off by an animal snorting. Turning around, we saw a deer eating a bush. "Oh, it's just a deer grazing."
'Huh?' Courage suddenly said, getting our attention. Looking at him, we saw that he was staring wide-eyed into the distance. Following his gaze, we noticed that he spotted the same pink wall from earlier returning. 'AAHHH!'
'Please don't be painful.' I thought as we braced ourselves. Luckily, the pink wall passed through us without incident after a few seconds. Although, my aura did flare up for a few seconds again, leaving me drained afterward. "Is everyone okay?"
'I think so.' Courage answered as we checked ourselves over. However, we soon heard snarling nearby. Looking towards the source, we noticed that it was coming from the same deer that was grazing on the bush. But this time, it became near-feral and snarling before ripping the bush out of the ground before kicking it away and letting out a cackle afterward.
"Okay, so we now can confirm that whatever that pink wall is caused everyone in Nowhere Town to become jerks." I said, relieved that we now know the cause of it. We just need to find where it's coming from, though.
"Hey, look. It's going back into that mountain." Iris said, getting our attention.
Looking to where she was pointing at, we indeed saw that it was going back into the mountain. Not wanting to lose it, we quickly made our way up the mountain, where we found the entrance into the mountain. Seeing that it was about to close, we entered before it did and nearly gasped when we realized we were in a secret laboratory. However, we quickly looked around for a hiding place in case the owner was here with us.
'Huh?' Courage said, confused. Following his gaze, we saw a man watching in admiration as the pink wall went back into its device.
"My cruelty curtain is a success. And tomorrow, I shall unleash it everywhere." The man declared.
"Floyd?" I said, confused as he was a lovely man helping me set up the plans for the wedding not too long ago. However, he heard this and turned around before quickly spotting us.
"INTRUDERS! WELL, I GUESS IT'S CURTAINS FOR YOU!" He declared before activating his machine again. The cruelty curtain came out of the rod and quickly made its way towards us. However, like the previous times, we were unaffected by it. Although, I did nearly fall to my knees when my aura flared for a few seconds again.
'Whew.' Courage said, relieved.
"You all should be cruel! What keeps you all warm and soft and fluffy? When everyone else is clod and hard?" Floyd weirdly asked. However, despite how weird the question was, it did give me a possible solution to fix this. And it seemed like Courage thought the same as he pulled out all the supplies needed to make Muriel's homemade fabric softener.
'EEEE!' He cheered before showing Floyd the ingredients.
"Surely, you don't think those common items alone could thwart the effects of my cruelty curtain." Floyd said, almost in disbelief that we would suggest such a thing.
"We need a distraction." Iris whispered to us as Courage tried to convince Floyd that it would work. Lucky, it seemed fate blessed us with a distraction as we heard someone banging on the metal door with Floyd going to see who it was.
"I KNOW YOU'RE ALL IN THERE! I'M GOING TO GET YOU!" Eustace shouted while using his net to bang against the door.
"YOU CAN'T JOIN THE CRUELTY COMMISSION! IT'S JUST ME!" Floyd shouted once he opened the door.
"Quick. While he's distracted." Iris said as we rushed over to the control panel. Only to remember that we hadn't the slightest clue how to reverse the effects. Luckily, it seemed that Courage had the solution as he opened one of the consoles and dumped the ingredients into it before pulling a red lever.
"OH!" Floyd gasped when he heard the sound of his machine turning on. "YOU'RE A MEANIE!"
"Stay back, Floyd." Iris warned as she shot lightning at the floor in front of him. He seemed like he was about to try again but stopped when we heard rumbling coming from his machines. For a moment, we thought it was going to explode but were proven wrong when the curtain came back, except this time it was blue in color instead of pink. Plus, it seemed like the effects were reversed as when it passed through Floyd, he smiled like his old self again.
"My clothes... My hair... So soft and cuddly. I never felt like this in my life. I want everyone to feel this way." Floyd said as he pulled each of us into a hug.
"What happened, Floyd?" I asked as he let us go.
"I have felt nothing but cruelty towards myself for so long; I guessed it must have overtaken me." He explained before pulling us into another hug.
"Well, at least you're all better now and happy again." I said as we hugged him back. However, we were quickly reminded that while we did solve one problem, we had another one that we needed to deal with right now.
"I'M COMIN' TO GET YOU!" Eustace shouted before laughing. Yet, he became confused when the curtain passed through him. Unfortunately, it seemed like he was immune to the effects of the curtain. "YOU'RE MINE!"
'AAHHH!' Courage screamed as we moved out of the way to avoid getting caught in his net. Unfortunately, Floyd was caught in the net, yet, he didn't seem to mind as he continued to smile. Annoyed and tired of him, Iris zapped Eustace with lightning again. He laughed in pain for a moment before passing out on the floor. Now that he was out of the way, we bid goodbye to Floyd while Iris created a cloud for us to head back to Nowhere Town.
Half an Hour Later
"Looks like everyone is back to being their kind old selves." I said as we arrived back in town and hopped off the cloud.
"Although, it seems they are confused as to what happened recently." Iris commented when we noticed their confused expressions. Yet, after a few seconds, their smiles returned, and they began to converse with each other.
'But we still need to find Muriel.' Courage reminded us.
"Right. Let's talk-" I began but was cut off when we heard Eustace laughing. Looking down the street, we saw him running towards us with the net again. Sighing, we were about to stop him, but it seemed the rest of the citizens of Nowhere noticed this him as well.
"WHAT'S THAT CRAZY MAN GOING AFTER THOSE SWEET KIDS AND ADORABLE DOG!?" The man in the blue suit from before asked, shocked. "DO WE WANT A MAYOR LIKE THAT!?"
"NO!" Everyone shouted.
"ARREST AND REEDUCATE HIM!" The man said with a police officer arriving next to us and grabbing Eustace by his shirt just as he reached us.
"HUH?" Eustace asked, confused.
"YAY!" The townsfolk cheered as the officer took him away.
"Well, that takes care of him. Now, let's go find Muriel." I said as we made our way over to the man.
Farmhouse
8:00 P.M.
"Isn't our new mayor the sweetest man?" Muriel asked as we finished folding the clothes while watching Floyd get inaugurated as mayor.
'MM-HMM.' Courage agreed.
"He sure is." I added as Iris and I cuddled up next to each other while drinking tea.
"I just hope Eustace gets home in time to eat the hamburgers I made him." Muriel said, worried.
"Unfortunately, he won't be back for a while." Iris said with a smirk before leaning into me. Smiling, I gave her a light kiss on the cheek before grabbing her hand.
Unknown Location
'PET THE CUTE LITTLE CRITTER! MAKE NICE.' The mysterious voice ordered. However, unlike when Muriel was in this strange, mysterious location, Eustace was the one chained by the neck and not the hamster.
"OH!" Eustace grumbled, irritated. Yet, the hamster didn't seem to mind as he climbed up Eustace before snuggling into his cheek.
'BETTER.' The voice said.
"LIKE THIS!" The hamster suddenly shouted while reaching into its back pocket and pulling out a hammer. It then smiled wickedly before raising it over its head and bringing it down on Eustace's head.
"AAHHHH!" Eustace shouted in pain as the sickening sound of bone breaking resonated inside the concrete room. And before Eustace passed out, he said one last thing. "CHOPPED MEAT!"
Note:
Next Chapter: Feast of the Bulldogs with Weiss, Willow and Winter.