Finally I finished this chapter of Back From Death! I hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT of The Loud House
Lincoln needed to cool off. The gentle breeze of the sky sprinkled on his face as he crossed the small town from above. Flying was the best thing he could do, hands down. The cheer freedom that it proportionated was better than every power he acquired since he became a ghost.
He felt so good. One of the few things that made him forget his situation.
Lincoln looked down as passed by Royal Woods park and descended from the sky, sitting on a bench, at the top of the hill. The boy sighed, looking at the town down below. For some reason, The boy felt he already did that exact thing. Sit on that hill, and look Royal Woods.
Lincoln closed his eyes, tilting his head up. Maybe Lincoln did that before he died. On the little time frame he didn't had memory. Lincoln had a short but wonderful life. He sighed again. He couldn't stop feeling like he was stealing Lincoln's life. A faker that took the life of a dead kid.
"Can't sleep bud?" Lincoln looked at his right. Sitting along with him in the bench was Reaper. Lincoln made a small smile.
"Hey Reaper. It's been quite a while." Greeted Lincoln.
"Yeah, I've been busy with work lately. The boss sure made sure of this." Lincoln took a better look at Reaper. He sure looked he was overworked. His hair was unkept, His skin still was blank white, but below his eyes, deep gray bags that made him look like a depressed panda. His posture was arched and he was using what Lincoln only could describe as black pajamas.
Although his tired expression, Reaper still kept his warm smile that Lincoln came to associate with him. "I think both of us have been busy I guess." Said Lincoln. Reaper snorted.
"Well, your little help here in Royal Woods sure made my job a little easier, but... I don't know... I think that since I broke some rules to keep you around for your family, the boss started making me work more and more..." Lincoln frowned.
"Jeez... Sorry for that." Lincoln apologized, looking down. Great, now he was feeling even worse. Reaper saw Lincoln and quickly realized what Lincoln could be feeling.
"Hey Linc, don't worry buddy! I don't care about it! It's my job after all!" Said Reaper, patting Lincoln on the back. "Ahem... Lincoln, there's a thing I need to tell you..." Lincoln's eyes widened.
"What?" Asked Lincoln slightly in the edge of curiosity.
"Well Linc, about your powers..." The boy tilted his head in a tiny disappointment. "For the past few weeks, since you fought that ghost bull, why will robbed the powers of the ghosts you defeat." Lincoln raised a eyebrow.
"I though it was because of the amulet." Replied Lincoln.
"Nah, all the amulet should do, is send the ghost to the other side, nothing more." Reaper explained. "I didn't said anything because I thought you would freak out If I said anything without a answer why. Then I had a conversation with the boss and I thought, hey, I still didn't figured out why Lincoln was able to do what he is able to do, so I told him. At first he was like, 'Hol'up Reaper, What you said the boy could do?' Like, it was the first time in ages that the boss spoke to me with that tone, I got scare ya'know, the last time was when Je-"
"Reaper." Called Lincoln seeing that his friend was getting sidetracked "Focus."
"Oh, right, right. The thing is, All ghost have a gimmick, a power or quirk. Some can Teleport, others haver telekinesis. And once, it was a guy, a ghost that it's gimmick was that it could absorb others ghosts." Lincoln's eyes widened upon hearing that. "He absorbed everything. It's energy, it's memories, powers, and even it's soul itself." Lincoln gulped a lump in his throat.
"Are you trying to tell me that..." Lincoln stopped speaking. Reaper waved his hand.
"More or less, we can't say for sure if it's the case. Well, only if you try it yourself... But I think you wouldn't try it. Right?" Asked Reaper with a serious tone. Lincoln shaked his head.
"Never. I'll never do it. Never. This... Is horrible." Said Lincoln frowning and crossing his arms. The boy looked down, in deep thoughts. "What happened to the ghost?"
"The standard stuff, got crazy and started to absorb innocent souls left and right. He got so out of control that the boss had to send a fleet of archangels to get him. Well... He absorbed then too." Lincoln gasped shocked.
"He absorbed all the archangels?" The boy asked, to make sure that he heard right. Reaper nodded.
"It was so bad that the boss himself had to intervene. And... Well. I can say tell ya, he'll never be a problem again." Said Reaper with a smirk.
"How are you sure?" Questioned Lincoln.
"Well, he can't harm anyone if his soul is shattered in 16 parts and scattered in a hidden land that the boss hid himself. Believe me Lincoln. The work to make him come back isn't even worth." Reaper assured patting Lincoln's shoulder. Lincoln frowned and looked to his feet. Great. Now he knew that he had the same power of a maniacal ghost that only the boss could defeat. That definitely was great for Lincoln's spiral of self harm.
Deducing what Lincoln had in mind, Reaper looked down to the town below, trying to think something to cheer the kid up. Reaper had observed him lately. He already saw this before. Lincoln had a severe case of impostors syndrome. Reaper couldn't help much, he wasn't a psychologist. And anything that he said would only worsen Lincoln's situation. About that, Lincoln needed to help himself. He couldn't just force Lincoln to talk, or force him to go seek help. Lincoln is the one who needs to make the first step.
Reaper sighed. That boy was making his post life just worries. Reaper didn't broke the rules to Lincoln do that. He wanted Lincoln to be happy. Lincoln is just a kid. He needed to live like it. "Lincoln." Called Reaper. The ghost boy looked up to the friend. "Hear me. I don't want you to go after ghosts anymore, ok?" The Presence ordered.
"What? Why?" Questioned Lincoln confused.
"Look. I know you want to help, and if you come across a bad ghost, you can still beat him up, but I don't want you to actively seeking ghosts to fight. Do you hear me?" Asked Reaper serious. Lincoln frowned mad.
"But it's my fault that Royal Woods have ghosts! It's my responsibility to-" Reaper cut Lincoln off.
"No Linc, it's my responsibility, I know you and your friends started this alliance with that TV show to stream it to TV. I personally like the new ARGGH!!, but I'm worried that you is wasting your second chance and the rest of your childhood in doing... Well, my job." Lincoln sighed.
"I see your point Reaper... All right. When the equipments that I requested Lisa are ready. I'll stop going with them. Good?" Reaper nodded. Lincoln then raised his index finger to Reaper. " But. If they eventually need my help. I won't think twice before going to help, capish?" Reaper snorted and nodded.
"You're just too good Linc." Said Reaper. The two stood in silence for some time, before Lincoln spoke.
"You know Reaper..." The presence looked at the boy. "Sometimes... I... Just... Want... to go apeshit." Said Lincoln with a sadistic smile. Reaper swallowed drily as he saw that Lincoln's eyes shined red for a moment as he said that. Reaper needed to think something. Oh, he had an idea!
"You know pal, I think I know what will make you forget those thoughts in your gnogging." Said Reaper knocking his knuckles on Lincoln's head.
"Hey, stop that!" Said Lincoln smiling. "What do you have in mind?" Reaper made a mischievous grin. That smile made Lincoln shiver, he knew very well that look. It was the same smile Luan sported when it was april's fools. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Reaper, I don't know if I like this Idea." Lincoln was right behind Reaper at the alley between two buildings. Reaper was peaking through the corner while making silent giggles.
"Relax Linc, It'll be just a harmless prank! And as a ghost you should at least try spooking people sometimes. Ya know, have some fun with your position." Spoke Reaper still peaking the corner. Lincoln sighed defeated on the argument.
"I guess. What is the plan again?" Reaper pointed at the pile of empty cans on the corner of the alley.
"You can't shape shift, your appearance isn't what I would describe as scary." Reaper looked back, tooling a glance on the boy. Lincoln wasn't by any means ugly or scary. The entity would describehim as a fairly handsome kid that is a little sick or something. "So, you will use your telekinesis to make those cans move around, then, I'll sneak behind them and make my magic!" Lincoln's eyes imagining what 'his magic' was.
"You're not going to kill someone, right?" Asked Lincoln apprehensively.
"Wha? No, no linc, it's a expression! It'll be just a scare." Assured Reaper looking back at down the street. "Oh, I see a couple walking in this direction! Get ready!" Reaper whispered, before he vanished in a black cloud of smoke.
Lincoln raised his hands in the direction of the pile of cans as he started hearing the footsteps of two people.
"Ron, I think we shouldn't go to the movies so late, now its past midnight! And there's nobody here!" Said the girl, who was holding the arm of her partner. Ron was also apprehensive, looking around to make sure nobody would rob them.
"Yeah, You're right Jessie, this wasn't my brightest idea." Ron spoke as the couple passed in front of a alley.
Both stopped when they heard a metal clanking. They looked down the alley. It was empty. Ron swallowed drily.
"W-what was that?" Spoke Ron.
"I am sure it was nothing!" Said Jessie trying to convince herself of what she said. "Ron, can you stop breathing in my neck?" Asked The girl annoyed.
"I'm right beside you." Said Ron. Jessie looked at him and her eyes widened.
"So what is breathing in my shoulder?" the couple swallowed and slowly looked back.
Right behind them, stood a tall hooded creature that was partially obscured by the shadows, what they could see from the create was a bony snout and sharp teeth, it was breathing heavily and was drooling. Yellow eyes shined from the darkness inside the cowl.
The creature opened it's mouth and secreted a black substance from it. The smell of said substance was putrid, like a highly decomposed corpse that was left in the sun
The couple screamed in complete horror as the creature raised it's mummified hands at them. The two ran down the street, screaming for their life.
Reaper started to laugh while still in that horrifying form. He held the sides of his body from all the laugh. Lincoln reappeared with a engrossed look in his face.
"Oh, that was fun!" Said Reaper wiping a tear of his skull like face.
"Don't you think you exaggerated a little with them? This appearance is horrifying!" Said Lincoln.
"Come on Linc, you have to admit that the face these two made was hilarious!" Said Reaper. Lincoln shruged.
"I guess it was a little funny." Said Lincoln making a shy smile.
"Ata boy! Come on, let's make more spooks!"
"Ok, but just one more, them, I'll go back home!"
The sun was already out when the first Loud woke on their house. Lori walked off her room rubbing her eyes, she walked up to the bathroom door when she saw, in her peripheral vision, the door of Lincoln's room wide open.
The eldest Loud looked back raising a eyebrow. Was Lincoln already up? It was 8:45, normally he would still be sleeping. It's Sunday, Louds tended to sleep till around 9 o'clock on weekends.
Lori walked down the hallway and peeked inside his room. Yep, he wasn't there. Lori shruged. Maybe he was downstairs. After she took a shower, Lori went downstairs. "Lincoln?" Lori called, expecting Lincoln to be in the living room watching TV. He wasn't there.
"Ok... Maybe he's preparing breakfast..?" Muttered Lori, walking to the kitchen. "Lincoln?" nothing. He wasn't there. No notes on the fridge, all the doors where still shut. Well, Lincoln doesn't really needs doors anyway. "Lincoln?" He wasn't in the backyard. "Lincoln!?" Nor the front yard.
"Lincoln!?" He wasn't on Lisa's bunker.
"Lincoln!!?" Nothing by the boiler.
"Lincoln!!" The attic was empty.
"Lincoln!" She said, bursting through the door of Lisa's and Lily's room, walking Lisa and scaring Lily awake.
"LINCOLN!" She burst into Luan's and Luna's room.
"LINCOLN!" The sound of Lori entering the room made both twins scream as they woke confused.
"LINCOLN!!" The scream that Lori made Lynn wake in a jump and also woke Lucy, who, differently from her roommate, didn't jumped.
"WHAT THE HELL LORI?" Barked Lynn grumpily.
"Yeah, Sis, that's not the way to wake your siblings!" Said Luna rubbing her eyes.
"What's all the fuss?" Asked Leni yawning as she walked of her room.
All the Loud Sisters were united in the hallway, glaring at the eldest.
"GIRLS! LINCOLN'S MISSING!" Spoke Lori concerned.
"WHAT?" The sisters spoke in unison.
"Poo poo? Lily also spoke.
"HE ISN'T ON HIS BEDROOM! I LOOKED FOR HIM IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE! HE'S NO WHERE TO BE SEEM!" Exclamed Lori.
"Oh no!" Said Leni. "You don't think he is gone forever, right?" Asked Leni, rubbing her hair frantically to calm herself. This made the sisters shiver.
"Is... Is he gone?" Asked Lana, starting to tear up.
"We need to Inform our parental units immediately!" Said Lisa. Almost instantly after, the girls rushed downstairs. Calling and shouting for their parents.
Three hours had passed, and none news about Lincoln. Rita was in the phone, while the rest of the family waited in the living room for the response.
"Ok, Thanks Mr. Roswell. Please contact of you see him." The mother of eleven said and rung the phone, looking to her family with high expectations. She sighed. "The ARGGH!! Crew also didn't got anything. But they said they received numerous cases of spirits attacking and frighting people all night." Rita explained. The Louds made a defeated sigh.
"None of the Mysterians saw him, Mrs. Johnson, Principal Huggins, Even Flip and Mr. Grouse! None of them got any notice of him! And with Nathan, Mabel and Gideon, we don't have no one left to ask." Said Luna.
"We still have the Casagrandes." Remembered Lynn.
"Oh, that's right! How we forgot them!" Said Rita dialing her phone and waiting.
" Hello?" The voice of Rosa Casagrande came. " Buen dia Rita!" Greeted Rosa. " How nice for you to call so early!"
"Rosa, is Lincoln there with you? We can't find him anywhere and no one here in Royal Woods have seen him!" Spoke Rita. Rosa made silence.
" Sorry Rita, but Lincoln didn't appeared here. We haven't seem him since the seance." Explained Rosa. Rita sighed.
"I see. Thanks anyway Rosa." Said Rita. The matriarch rung the phone and shake her head to the family. The Louds were in silence.
"So... Maybe... He... Finally... Passed on...?" Asked Luna, starting to tear up.
"Maybe... He just went out and didn't came back... Only that." Suggested Luan, trying to fight the thought of Lincoln being gone out of her mind.
"He would never just let us in the dark like that." Said Lynn. "He would at least leave a message, or a note, or something!"
Luan frowned. She was right. "So... It only lasted for a month." Said the comedian somberly.
The Louds frowned in silence. Trying to remain calm. Maybe they were overreacting. No. They already passed through that in the past, on Lincoln's death. They were so devastated when Lincoln died.
In some way, they didn't had time to overcome his death, seeing that just a two weeks after his death, Lincoln came back and their grief ended prematurely. Now that he was gone again. And maybe for good this time, their grief returned like a bullet train hitting a unexpected bird that landed in the tracks.
"He he he." A cold shiver struck the spines of the family as the low laugh echoed through the walls of the house.
"W-what was that?" Muttered Lynn Sr, hugging his wife.
"It didn't sounded like Lincoln." Said Lola, who was also hugging her twin.
"He he he hi hi ha ha!" The laugh echoed again, more loud this time, like it was closer.
The family was starting to hyperventilate, the atmosphere started to darken, the temperature started to drop, and even the clock was telling them it was almost noon, they could swear it was dead in the night of a snowstorm. "Hahahaha!"
Slowly, from the front door, they saw. Slowly phasing through the door, two white hands, dripping a very dark red substance from them. The thing slowly phased through the door completely. "HAHAHAHA!"
It was Lincoln. He has laughing like a maniacal. He had his skin almost entirely white, just a few shades darker than his hair, that was damp and was dripping the same red substance from his hands. Honestly, Lincoln was completely dampened in that substance. Lincoln laugh as he contorted inhumanely, contorting his spine back by almost 180 degrees, making the aspect that Lincoln had his back broken into an U.
"HAHAHA!" Lincoln shit his spine forward, assuming a more natural instance, he still holding the sides of his body from all the laugh.
"Li-Lincoln?" Called Luna scared.
Slowly, the laugh stopped, and as slow, Lincoln looked at his family. His eyes were red.
N/A: The first part of the chapter is a little exposition dump, since I needed to explain Lincoln's ghost power really is, I had the idea that Lincoln was able to suck everything from a ghost from the beginning, but I didn't was able to explain it in any other way, so, Reaper explaining it was the way to go.
I like the idea of Lincoln enjoying his life post death, and him pulling pranks with Reaper is what I came with to start the new Arc of the story.
Oh, yeah, with Lincoln stopping fighting with ghosts, the Mysterian Arc is ending. but don't worry, they will continue to appear as usual, and will have more "Villains of the week" but the hunt part will be over.
I want to start a new Arc that I'm calling "Lincoln's melting point" that already started in some ways last chapter.
Next Chapter will be the finalle of the Mysterian Arc, with Lisa's gadgets finished, Lincoln starting to loosing it Ronnie Anne