Chapter 21: Spooky
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. Now I know this one is out of order but I thought in the Spirit of Halloween I would kick it off with this holiday special. I hope you like what I have planned. And if any of you have seen the Little Mermaid TV show I think you'll be surprised by something I have in store. Please Review and Enjoy.
It was Halloween as we find a green experiment pod with the number 300 on the roof, as the wind blew the tree leaves it knocked the experiment pod down the storm drain and into a bucket of water causing it to glow.
From the light, an experiment with glowing green eyes emerged.
Looking around Experiment 300 spotted a mouse eating garbage. Grinning it snuck down and changed into a cat with glowing green eyes scaring the little mouse away.
Growling Experiment 300 saw a dog making its way towards it.
Hissing it changed shape again into the form of a scary dog catcher causing the poor dog to run away terrified.
"Nice doggy." It hisses.
That night at Ruby's hula school, a party for the little kids was set up.
As Moses in a sumo wrestler costume was putting down bobbing for papayas he noticed one kid dressed like a crayon crying.
"Come Keika, why so blue? It's okay, Halloween is just for fun. There's nothing to be afarid of. Have a papaya." Moses offers handing him one.
However, the door opened and almost instantly a few little kids screamed.
"Oh no." Moses groans having a good idea who it was.
Entering Moses saw Ruby wearing a costume that resembled Ursula. She had white hair, fake tentacles tied to strings on her hands, a black hula top, white paint on her face and a yellow hole painted in the middle of her chest
"I'm Ursula the sea witch." Ruby declares.
As she walks in Keika screams in horror and runs away.
"Ruby what is this?" Moses asks.
"Isn't it cool? I'm Ursula the scariest woman in the sea." Ruby smiles.
"Okay but why that?" Moses points to the hole.
"Oh this is where my brother and Ariel killed her." Ruby said.
"Killed?" Moses cringed before shaking it off. "Wouldn't you rather dress up like your friends?"
Gesturing to Myrtle, Elena, Teresa and Yuki, Ruby saw they were all dressed the same.
"Let's see princess, princess, princess or princess?" Ruby deadpans hating the thought.
"At least we're not a weirdo, weirdo, weirdo or werido." Myrtle mocks.
"Yeah." Her friends mock.
"Oh I wish I could take their dumb voices away like Ursula did." Ruby growls before getting an idea. "Okay I'll be a princess too."
"Good idea, why don't you go home and change. Then come back." Moses suggests.
"Or go home, change and don't come back." Myrtle calls out but Ruby just stuck her tongue out at her.
At the Marine Center, the whole place was decorated to be scary.
In the back near the ocean, Flounder and Seabastian were waiting for something.
"Okay guys you ready?" Ariel's voice calls out.
"Yeah show us." Flounder said excited as Ariel steps out dressed in a female pirate costume.
She wore a long-sleeve light blue blouse with a black corset over it, a pirate hat on her head, boots, and a fake sword strapped to her hip.
"Aaargh." Ariel said scaring them both.
"Ariel! You're a pirate." Flounder gasps.
Ariel giggles at their reaction before turning around. "Come on Leo it's your turn."
"No it feels weird. I haven't worn a costume since I was a kid." Leo said from behind the door.
"But it's my first Halloween, I want to experience it with you." Ariel said.
"Oh…alright." Stepping out, Leo was dressed like Jack Sparrow with everything but the mustache.
"You're both pirates." Sebastian said.
"That's right so all you mermaids better watch out or we'll be tying to our ship." Ariel smiles.
"Yep." Leo chuckles.
"I can't believe you humans actually have a holiday where you scare people for fun." Sebastian said.
"Oh come on Sebastian it's all in good fun…well most of the time." Leo said.
"I can't wait to see what Leo's mom is doing." Flounder said as Leo scooped up in a tank and Ariel picked up Sebastian.
"Well Flounder every year my mom does her Terrors of the Deep theme for the center. We just show scary fish and give out candy to the trick or treaters." Leo said walking inside to see Naia dressed in her marine outfit and Aquata and Arista were helping with the decorations. And both of them had decided to dress up as well.
Arista was dressed like an arabian dancer with veils on her face and Aquata had dressed up like a fairy.
"Do I have these one right?" Aquata asks gesturing to her fake wings.
"Hold still." Aquata said adjusting them.
"Wow you two look great." Ariel said.
"Thanks Pleakley made them for us." Aquata said.
"What do you think Leo?" Arista asks doing a small spin.
"You look amazing." Leo smiles making her giggle.
Nearby Stitch spotted the candy bowl and started digging in.
"Hey!" Naia calls out seeing him. "Those are for the Trick or Treaters."
"Blech." Stitch said spitting them out.
"Really Stitch? We talked about this." Leo groans when Ruby walks in.
"What Trick or Treaters? No one comes to the weirdo's place." Ruby frowns.
Sighing Leo put Flounder on the counter before going to check on her with Ariel, Aquata and Arista right behind him.
"What happened?" Aquata asks.
"They said my costume was too scary." Ruby said.
"Well…I definitely see why." Arista cringed pulling the fake trident off her.
"It scared Sebastian." Ruby said.
"Of course it scared me, I thought Ursula had come back from the dead." Seabastian said.
"Yeah you almost had Red shoot her." Leo glares scaring the little crab.
"Come on, let's get you fixed up." Ariel said leading her to the house where the others were.
Looking around Stitch made his way back to the candy.
"Hey!" Sebastian snaps his claws at Stitch. "Don't even think about it."
Narrowing his eyes Stitch threw Sebastian making him land in Flounder's tank.
As it turns out Red, Attina, Andrina, Alana and Adella had discovered another thing about Halloween to get absorbed into…the spooky movies.
"No. Don't open the door." Adella said terrified.
"Chances of them surviving if they go this route are very low." Red said when the front door opens scaring them.
"Geez still?" Leo said turning on the lights.
"Oh Leo it's just you." Attina sighs in relief.
"I told you, keep the lights on while you watch these things." Leo said.
"I can't believe you girls like this stuff." Aquata said.
"You humans definetly think up some scary things." Alana said.
"Just don't watch anything based on a Steven King book. That guy has some dark thoughts." Leo said.
"Stephen King one of Earth's most well-known authors famous for the horror genre." Red beeps.
"Take my word on it." Leo said.
In the back, Jumba was trying to put on a toga for his costume.
"I am absolutely not wearing this. It's too itchy." Jumba refused as his big belly flopped out. "That least of problems."
"But you have to." Pleakley steps out dressed like Cleopatra. "The Queen of the Nile demands it. Besides I am not missing out on trick or treating on my very first Hillowanee."
"It's Halloween." Ruby said as they walked in.
"Let me guess, you're Clepoatra and Jumba is Caesar?" Leo guesses.
"Correct." Pleakley smiles. "See Leo and Ariel are dressed in matching costumes."
"We are not them." Jumba points out.
"Speaking of costumes, I need a new one, a princess. Can you make it quick?" Ruby asks.
"Can I? I had the fastest fingers in my Primitive Earth Pleats and Pinking Shears class." Pleakley said going to his sewing machines.
"Ruby take it from real princesses it's not as glamourous as you think." Ariel said.
"Yeah it's nothing but rule-following." Aquata said.
"By the way Leo I saw a flyer your classmates from school are having a Halloween party. Are you going?" Pleakley asks and instantly a panicked look appeared on his face.
"Uh no thanks I'm good." Leo said.
"Party? You were invited to a party?" Ariel asks interested.
"Not exactly, it's just something they do at school. All the students are allowed to go." Leo said.
"Well then why don't we go together?" Ariel suggests.
"No th-that's not necessary." Leo said nervously.
"You see like me Leo is considered weird in his school." Ruby said.
"See? Besides this late at night? Who's gonna walk Ruby back to her party?" Leo asks.
"Aquata and Arista can." Ruby said.
"Thanks Ruby." Leo twitches annoyed.
"Come on please. It's our first Halloween and I wanna see what it's like." Ariel pleads.
"Oh…alright." Leo sighs in defeat. "Just let go grab something from my room."
Entering his room, Leo saw Stitch looking at a book.
"What are you doing Stitch?" Leo asks.
"Um, Halloween?" He asks pointing to a dictionary.
"It's a holiday. Basically, everyone dresses up to try and scare you." Leo said.
"Stitch never scared of anything." Stitch scoffs.
"I don't know about Stitch, there are quite a few things that scare me. Like that." Leo said gesturing to the window to show an old house. "That creepy old house on the abandoned hill."
Looking at it thunder echoed.
"When I'm scared I try to think of the good things I have to make me feel better." Leo said before leaving.
Downstairs, Pleakley was putting Ruby in her new costume.
"There you go, Storybook Princess." Pleakley said.
"How do I look?" Ruby asks.
"Very cute." Arista giggles.
"Yeah you could fit right in." Aquata said.
In town, many teens were hanging out a Halloween club filled with costumes, music and food.
"Ariel I don't know about this." Leo gulps.
"Come on let's go have some fun." Ariel said nudging him forward.
As Leo stumbles in some teens spotted him.
"Hey look it's Fish Boy Rivers." One guy mocks.
"He actually came out of his bowl? Wow it's a miracle." Another bully snickers when Leo turns around and Ariel walks in shocking them. "Whoa, who is that?"
Taking Leo's hand the two of them went to the photo booth causing Leo's bullies to drop their jaws in shock.
"What in the?"
"How did Rivers get a girl like that?"
"Whoa she's beautiful. Look at her hair." A girl said.
"She could be a model." Another girl said.
"Ariel everyone's staring at us." Leo said nervously.
"Don't worry just focus on me." Ariel said calming him down.
Back at the party, Myrtle was looking at her friends.
"We shouldn't all be princesses. One of you has to go chance." Myrtle orders.
"But this was your idea. I wanted to be a hokcey player." Yuki said when the door opens.
"Hey guys." Looking to it they saw Ruby with glowing green eyes and her head in her hands.
Screaming the four girls ran under a table.
"What's going on?" Moses turns around Ruby's shadow changes to a giant spider making him scream. "Spider! I hate spiders!"
Screaming in fear him and all the other guests stormed out.
A few minutes later, Aquata, Arista and Stitch were walking Ruby to the party.
"This the place?" Aquata asks.
"Yep, hey Stitch think you can scare Myrtle for me?" Ruby asks.
"Myrtle Nalah kweesta." Stitch smirks.
But when they opened the door they saw the whole place was abandoned and trashed.
"Well Ruby you said it was fun. Looks like it was too fun." Arista said.
"They totally trashed the place." Ruby said surprised.
"Where is everybody?" Aquata asks.
Sniffing around Stitch caught a scent and headed towards the back.
Flipping the cloth up, Ruby saw Myrtle and her friends still hiding.
"There you guys are." Ruby said scaring them.
"Keep away from us!" Myrtle yells.
"Look I'm a princess too." Ruby said.
"Keep your head on!" Myrtle said.
"And they call you weird?" Aquata asks.
"I know right." Ruby said.
"Weird? You're the one with your head in your arms." Yuki said.
"My head?" Ruby said confused.
"You had glowing green eyes." Theresa adds.
"You were the scariest thing I ever saw." Elena said.
Suspicious Aquata and Arista made their way to the back to get Stitch.
Looking around for Stitch they heard something moving in the closet.
Smirking Arista points to it and giggles as both girls get the same idea.
"Now where could Stitch be?" Aquata asks.
"I don't know, hey maybe he's in here." Arista opens the door and they look in horror to see it wasn't Stitch but a large slender manta/humanoid creature with a thin mustache on his face and glowing green eyes.
"Hello mermaids." He grins.
"Manta?!" Both girls scream in horror before making a run for it.
Running back out they grabbed Ruby.
"Ruby we need to get out of here!" Aquata panics.
"It's not safe!" Arista panics.
"I knew it!" Myrtle said as she and her friends ran out screaming.
"What's going on?" Ruby asks.
"Evil Manta!" Aquata panics.
"Who?" Ruby asks.
"Manta he used to be locked up in daddy's jail. He's one of the worst criminals in Atlantica." Arista said.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asks.
"It was him. He had that evil face and these glowing green eyes." Arista said.
"Wait, where's Stitch?" Ruby said looking around.
In the back kitchen, Stitch made his way to the fridge when the door closed behind him.
Confused Stitch turns to see Evil Manta glaring at him.
"Chutta?!" Stitch gasps when Evil Manta changed into water causing Stitch to panic as the whole room floods.
"Stitch? Stitch?" Down the hall Ruby was looking for him while Aquata and Arista had a folding chair and lamp rod as weapons.
"Where are you?" Arista asks in a scared tone.
"Ruby!" Stitch yells.
Looking down the hall they saw puddles of water near the door.
"Stitch!" Ruby gasps.
Seeing it was about to have company Experiment 300 disappeared into the vents leaving Stitch on the ground.
"Stitch are you okay?" Ruby gasps.
"Hissing green eyes! Hissing green eyes!" Stitch panics.
"Was it Evil Manta?" Aquata gasps.
"Green eyes." Stitch shivers.
"We better go get Leo and Ariel." Arista gulps in fear.
At the party, Leo and Ariel were having fun dancing until the song ended.
Laughing both made their way to the snack table.
"I gotta tell you Ariel. This is the most fun I've had at a school event in a while." Leo said.
"Glad I could make it worth your while." Ariel smiles when she noticed the chocolate fountain. "Whoa what kind of water is this?"
"It's not, it's chocolate. See?" Taking a strawberry Leo dips it under the chocolate and holds it up for her.
Opening her mouth Ariel takes a bite and smiles. "Mmm that's tasty."
"Right." Leo smiles.
Little did they know Leo's bullies had cooked up a plan to try and embarrass him in front of Ariel.
"That'll show him for upstaging us and bringing a babe to this party." One said.
"Yeah I think it's time for fish boy got back in the water." The other said handing him a bucket.
As Ruby, Aquata, Arista and Stitch open the door they look to see Leo's bullies with a bucket over him.
"Leo look out!" Ruby yells.
"Huh?" Leo said.
But it was too late, Leo ended up getting a bucket of water dumped on top of him.
Gasping Ariel looked to see Leo get soaked to the bone.
"How do you like that fish boy?!" They laughed.
Groaning Leo grabs some napkins to wipe some off his face.
"Leo are you okay?" Aquata asks.
"I'm fine." Leo said
Growling Stitch looked up at them.
Grabbing the punch bowl Stitch leaped up and crawled along the ceiling.
"Did you see the look on his face?" They laughed until punch was dumped on top of them.
"Ha ha." Stitch laughs.
"Well this wig is ruined." Leo said taking off the Jack Sparrow dreadlocks and putting the hat back on his head.
"I can't believe they treat you like this." Ariel said.
"They're just jerks. It's best to just ignore them and be the bigger person." Leo said turning to Ruby. "What happened to the party?"
"Later, Leo I think there's an experiment on the loose." Ruby declares scaring him.
"Oh no." Leo groans.
Back at the house, Pleakley had changed costumes so that he and Jumba were Scarley and Rhett from Gone with the Wind.
"I do declare, we look simply marvelous. Don't we look marvelous? I think we do." Pleakley said.
"Frankly my dear I don't give a darn. I hate this costume." Jumba said walking away.
"Fine, I'll just start over then. I'm thinking sequins, satin, spade. Ooh Matador." Pleakley said excited.
Nearby Ruby was scrolling through the experiment laptop with Aquata nearby.
"No that's not it." Ruby said.
"Not that one either." Aquata said.
"Are you sure it was experiment?" Jumba asks.
"Yeah it had glowing green eyes. Scared Stitch and us." Aquata said.
"Impossible, nothing scares 626." Jumba said when they heard banging.
"Stitch stop nailing the windows!" Attina yells.
"You were saying?" Aquata deadpans.
"Here it is! Experiment 300." Ruby said showing the image.
"That's it! Those are the glowing green eyes we saw." Aquata points.
"Oh no wonder, Experiment is programmed to turn into your worst fear. Scare entire populations into submissions." Jumba explains.
"And on the scariest day of the year." Ruby gulps.
"I hope he doesn't come here, his impression of ex-wife is very scary." Jumba said.
In the kitchen, Leo was sitting with Ariel and Arista as he toweled himself off.
"So you've been bullied since you were Ruby's age?" Ariel cringed.
"Yeah when I decided to spend more time helping mom at the Marine Lab I earned the unfortunate nickname Fish Boy because I preferred to spend my time around sea life." Leo sighs.
"That's terrible." Arista said.
"No they're just jerks. People who like messing with others because it makes htem feel good. I'm not gonna lower myself to their level. This is how I teach Ruby to not lash out at her bullies." Leo said.
"Well you don't deserve to be treated that way." Arista said.
"Thanks Arista." Leo said as Ariel puts his now dry hat back on his head.
"There you go, all better." Ariel smiles.
In the main room, the others were watching the latest scary movie.
"A thing is at the door!" An actor said when the doorbell rang scaring them.
"Okay I think you've all seen enough." Leo said getting up and answering the door only to see Cobra at the door. "Cobra? Wow I didn't know you were working today."
"I'm here to take you away." Cobra declares.
"What?!" Leo said horrified.
"Leo what's going o—" Gasping Arista saw Cobra in front of Leo. "Oh no not him."
"Leonard it's time to go." Cobra said.
"No! Please I thought we worked this out!" Leo said when Ruby and Stitch came in to see Leo begging. "Don't take me away!"
"Stay away from him!" Grabbing Ariel's fake sword Ruby throws it at Cobra knocking the glasses off his head to reveal green eyes.
"What in the?!" Ariel gasps.
"Grab him!" Aquata yells as she and Ruby tackled Cobra.
"What's going on?!" Naia said as everyone ran in to see Cobra transform.
"Experiment 300! But I'm calling him Spooky!" Ruby yells as he wiggles out their grip and escapes.
"We go from horror movies to actual horror monsters." Adella cringed.
"You girls stay here, if that thing can become our worst fears the less people going after it the better." Aquata said.
"Come on girls!" Leo said as he, Ariel and Arista ran to the door.
"Wait for me!" Ruby said as she, Stitch and Aquata followed.
"I have container to capture." Jumba said following them.
"Wait for me!" Pleakley said running out in a matador costume.
"Stop!" Turning around they saw Naia with Sebastian on her shoulder. "No one is leaving until we hear the house rules."
"I stick with Leo and Stitch." Ruby said.
"I make sure Ruby and the girls don't do anything dangerous." Leo said.
"And you three?" Sebastian points.
"We don't let Ariel wander off on her own." Aquata said.
"We don't do anything that can expose Atlantica to humans." Ariel said.
"We don't do anything that's too dangerous or that draws too much attention." Arista said.
"I guard them as if they were being delicate flowers." Jumba said.
"And?" Naia asks.
"And dog food is for dogs, not children." Pleakley said.
"Well?" Naia looks to Sebastian.
"Okay they can go." Seabastian said as they ran out.
Racing through the forest they followed after Spooky until they saw him entering the old abandoned house on the hill.
"Oh no not this place." Leo gulps.
"Leo…I'm scared." Ariel gulps.
"Same." Arista said when thunder echoed causing both girls to hug him close in fear.
"Why did it have to pick that place?" Aquata gulps.
"Come on we're going in." Ruby said.
However Stitch ran behind Leo's leg instead.
"Come on Stitch in movies the hero always has to face the monster." Ruby said.
"This is real life Ruby." Leo said.
"Come on we all gotta go." Ruby said.
Slowly they made their way up not realizing Jumba and Pleakley were way behind them.
"These Matador slippers are not made for running." Pleakley pants.
Entering the house, the 6 of them looked around nervously.
"Stay close together everyone. Stay in the same room." Leo said as he and Ariel had their fake pirate swords ready.
Suddenly the door slammed behind them startling them. They were about to turn around when Ruby spotted a shadow running away.
"There it is!" Ruby points.
Racing after it they find themselves in front of the indoor pool.
Shivering in fear Stitch hugged Leo's leg close.
"I know you don't like water Stitch but you gotta pull yourself together. Think happy thoughts." Leo said.
"Happy thoughts happy thoughts happy thoughts." Stitch said nervously when something started glowing in the water.
Gulping in fear everyone looked see King Triton emerging from the water.
"Daddy?!" Ariel panics.
"Ariel it's time for you to come home! You cannot be with a human boy!" Triton snaps.
"Daddy please don't! I love Leo!" Ariel said terrified.
"I am taking you all back home to Atlantic forever! You will never be involved in anything human ever again!" Triton said aiming his trident at her.
"Please no!" Ariel begs.
"Ariel that's not daddy!" Arista said.
"Stop right there!" Ruby said when Triton turned into a scary clown causing Ruby to scream and bump into Stitch knocking him into the water.
"Stitch!" Leo gasps when the clown turns into a combination of Evil Manta, Triton and Cobra Bubbles.
Consumed by fear the five of them backed up.
"You will never come back again." The Nightmare trio said when they slipped on some loose tiles and fell through a hole in the floor.
Screaming they dangled for their lives as Stitch grabbed onto a board to stay afloat.
"Stitch help!" Ruby yells as Leo and Aquata held onto their sisters for dear life.
"Can't hold on. Much longer." Aquata said.
"Leo! Ruby!" Pleakley calls out getting Spooky's attention.
Near the front door, Jumba and Pleakley walk in.
"You and your ridiculous slippers." Jumba said when Pleakley let out a loud gasp. "What is it?"
"I have never seen such amazing craftsmanship." Pleakley said admitting the carvings above the door. "They just don't make it like that anymore."
"This not being time to admire architecture it's time to catch monster." Jumba said walking ahead.
"Honestly, you think you'd have a little more appreciation for—"
"Pleakley is that you?" A female voice calls out. Stepping out of the shadow we see an elderly green alien like Pleakley. "How come you never call?"
"Mother!" Pleakley panics.
"Stitch!" Leo yells as Stitch started to paddle over.
"Leo I'm scared." Stitch said.
"I know you are but try to block it out. Think of good things uh candy and uh coffee." Leo said getting his attention. "And uh coconut cake, and being a part of our ohana. Ohana look out for each other!"
Inspired Stitch climbs out of the water and ran as fast as he could.
As Leo and Aquata struggle to hold on they lose their grip but at the last second Stitch grabs them.
"Stitch!" All of them smiled as he pulled them to safety.
"I knew you could do it little buddy." Leo smiles rubbing his head.
However the moment was ruined by Pleakley's scream echoing throughout the house.
"Pleakley!" Ariel gasps.
"Spooky!" Ruby gasps.
In the other room, Pleakley's mom was bashing Pleakley hard.
"I give you the best years of my life and this is the thanks I get? You spend more time with your robot than your own family!" She yells making Pleakley sob.
"Oh no it's Pleakley's worst fear." Jumba said running in only for Spooky to turn into his ex-wife making him. "It's my worst fear! Ex-Wife!"
"When are you getting real job? It's not like you help around house!" She said when Stitch tackles her to the ground.
Transforming back into Spooky the little alien tried to scare Stitch but thanks to Leo's advice he completely ignored all of them.
Confused, Stitch used this opening to nail Spooky in the face allowing him to capture him in a containment pod easily.
"You got it Stitch." Ruby smiles as they came in.
"But what are we going to find one place it belongs? It's too scary." Jumba asks.
"Yeah I mean what kind of place would keep something that becomes your worst nightmare?" Arista asks.
"I know a place." Leo grins getting an idea.
Back at the Marine Center, Naia looked in shock and awe to see a huge line.
"Ruby what's going on?" Naia asks.
"Halloween." Ruby smiles as Spooky was turning into everyone's worst fear making them scream and laugh.
"This place is awesome." A kid said.
"I gotta come here next year." Another said.
"And I know a great year long Haunted House for him to stay." Ruby smiles.
In the back Leo was sitting with Ariel, Arista and Aquata as they each were eating some candy.
"Oh wow I can't believe you guys have stuff like this." Arista smiles eating some chocolate.
"How do you humans think of this stuff?" Aquata smiles looking at a ring pop.
"We just do." Leo smiles.
"I think I'm getting a bit of a sweet tooth." Ariel smiles holding a lollipop.
As Arista eats some chocolate it smudges her face making them giggle.
"What? What is it?" Arista asks.
"Hold still." Licking his finger, Leo wipes it off her face causing her to blush slightly.
"So do you humans have more holidays?" Ariel asks.
"Tons." Leo smiles making them excited to learn what they were.