*I still don't own Legend of Korra or Nightmare Before Christmas!*
Kidnap the Sandy Claws
"Patience, everyone! Jack and Korra have a special job for each of us!"
All of Halloween Town's residents were lined up in front of City Hall as they eagerly awaited their turn to be assigned a job from their beloved leaders. After Korra announced her idea of having the citizens of Halloween Town handle Christmas for a change, why the whole town jumped right on board. Well, almost the whole town. Sally isn't quite sure about this whole thing after having the same premonition from a Forget-Me-Not that was the same premonition Jinora got. So rather than waiting for an assignment like everyone else, she's trying to speak to Jack and Korra and stop them from making a horrible (not in the good way) mistake.
"Doctor Finkelstein! Your Christmas time is reckoning!" announced the Mayor.
Sally immediately hid at the mention of her creator, not wanting to deal with the fallout of her sneaking out the night before. And the doctor himself doesn't look happy. As he wheeled along in his motorized wheelchair, Doctor Finkelstein barely missed Sally as he searched for the ragdoll woman.
"Doctor Finkelstein, to the front of the line!"
Doctor Finkelstein grunted in irritation. He'll focus on finding Sally later. Right now, he's got to see what it is that Jack and Korra need him to do.
Inside of Town Hall, Korra had just given the Vampire Brothers a job of making toys to give to the children for Christmas. But the creatures of the night were admonished at the baby doll as the eldest brother tilted it back as the toy let out a rather loud "Maaaa!" sound.
"What kind of noise is THAT for a baby to make?" asked the eldest Vampire Brother.
"Do you think it can be improved?" Korra asked in return.
"No problem!" the four brothers replied.
"I knew it!" Korra exclaimed with joy.
"Doctor! Thank you for coming!" Jack said as the doctor wheeled up. "We need some of these."
The skeleton took a Christmas storybook out of the chest full of Christmas items that he and Korra were passing out to the citizens. He opened it up to a certain page and showed it to the doctor. It was a picture depicting three flying reindeer pulling Santa's magic sleigh. Doctor Finkelstein hummed as he took a closer look at the image of the creatures flying through the night. After a moment, he came to a conclusion.
"Their construction should be exceedingly simple, I think."
"How horrible our Christmas will be!" cheered the Mayor.
"No, how jolly." Jack corrected.
The Mayor was quick to switch to his pale, worried face upon hearing such an unfamiliar phrase. Jolly isn't a word one associates with Halloween. And for good reason. But he didn't argue.
"Oh. How jolly our Christmas will be." the Mayor said, sounding unsure.
Only to yelp as he was hit by a ball, a bone, and a tin can. He growled as he searched for the offender, only to recoil in fear at who he saw walking up onto the stage.
"What are YOU doing here?!" he asked frantically.
Three children, two boys and one girl, walked up to the podium. Each one is dressed in a Halloween costume that makes them look absolutely hideous. One is a redhead with two bangs styled like devil horns, which is kind of ironic considering the fact that he's dressed as a devil. The girl is dressed as a witch. And the last boy is dressed as a grinning skeleton.
"Korra sent for us," said the devil boy.
"Specifically," added the witch girl.
"By name." finished the skeleton boy.
In order from devil to witch to skeleton, each child removed their mask as they introduced themselves. And now, we see that they don't look too much better without their masks. The devil boy has yellow eyes with slit pupils and blue lips, the witch girl has pale skin, and beady little eyes, and the final boy has pale skin, green hair, and a mouth full of huge, white teeth that may as well be bricks in his mouth.
"Lock!"
"Shock!"
"Barrel!"
Barrel took a lick of the sucker he'd brought with him, some of the candy he'd saved from last Halloween, as he finished the group's introduction. The Mayor was freaking out at this point.
"Jack! Korra!" he whispered loudly into his megaphone. "It's Boogie's boys!"
"Oh, right on time! Halloween's finest trick-or-treaters!" Korra said as she walked up and knelt down to eye level with the kids. "The job I have for you three is top secret. It requires craft, cunning, mischief."
"And we thought you didn't like us, Korra." Shock said with fake sadness.
But she and her cohorts started giggling with unrestrained mischief at some sort of inside joke. They did, however, pull themselves together when Korra started to give them their instructions for their assignment.
"Absolutely no one is to know about this, not a soul!" Korra said, giving emphasis on the last three words.
The four huddled up as Korra started to whisper the kids their job. The Mayor tried using his megaphone to listen in on the conversation, but he couldn't hear anything. He gave the small end of his megaphone a couple of hits in an effort to dislodge the obstruction that was preventing him from hearing, but it didn't work. So he reached in and…
"OW!"
...Pulled out a black widow spider.
So that's where his spider tie went.
The Mayor put the spider back where it was supposed to be and slapped it to keep it in place, growling from irritation at missing out on the juicy details of the job Korra gave to the child. But one particular person didn't. Jinora had followed Korra to Halloween Town and was amazed at the prospect of a whole world dedicated to a single holiday, and one of her personal favorites. But when she followed Korra to the Town Hall, she was astonished that Korra actually decided to combine Christmas with Halloween… and amazed that she healed so fast from all of that burning glass that pierced her arms and face.
Seriously, before coming to Halloween Town, Korra looked almost like she'd gone up against an army of flaming Flamingo-Porcupines! But, more to the point, she heard every word about the job her friend has for those three stooges. And she can already tell that it's gonna be bad. As for how she hasn't been noticed? Well, it seems the people of Halloween Town aren't so observant when they're excited. All Jinora knows is that this has to be stopped before it begins and anyone can get hurt! But before the kids could leave, Korra grabbed Lock by his tail and pulled him back before mentioning something.
"Oh, and one more thing. Leave that no good bag of bugs, Oogie Boogie, OUT OF IT!" Korra ordered while yelling at the end.
"Whatever you say, Korra." said Barrel.
"Of course, Korra." added Shock.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Korra." finished Lock.
Unfortunately for our beloved Avatar, the three stooges cackled to themselves as they had crossed their fingers behind their backs. As the three left, music began to play in the air again. Lock, Shock, and Barrel left the town completely unaware of a certain Airbender following them to their lair. A treehouse on the far outskirts of town. As the three climbed into a cage that looks like a makeshift elevator, the three began to sing their evil plan.
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Kidnap Mister Sandy Claws?
[Lock]
I want to do it!
[Barrel]
Let's draw straws!
Barrel held up three different sized bones (please tell me they're from a chicken) upon suggesting they draw straws. But Shock quickly shot down the idea as he smacked Barrel with her mask.
[Shock]
Korra said we should work together
[Barrel]
Three of a kind!
[Lock]
Birds of a feather!
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Now and forever!
WHEEEEEE!
The Terrible Trio went up their elevator while Jinora used her Airbending to follow after them. She landed outside an open window, keeping out of sight as she listened to them singing about their evil plans. And trust me when I say they're plenty evil.
La la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight
Throw away the key and then, turn off all the lights
[Shock]
First we're going to set some bait
Inside a nasty trap and wait
When he comes a-sniffin'
We will snap the trap and close the gate
As Shock sang that part, she and Barrel rigged a trap with a piece of candy. A cockroach went inside to get to the treat, only to be caught when the little witch girl used an axe to cut the rope holding open the door to the trap. However, she turned her attention to Lock as he poured some sort of chemical into a cauldron and was tossed the caged roach.
[Lock]
Wait, I've got a better plan
To catch this big, red, lobster man
Let's pop him in a boiling pot
And when he's done, we'll butter him up
He put the whole thing into the cauldron for a few moments before pulling it out, revealing that the roach had been rendered nothing more than a dropping, green noodly thing with eyeballs. Shock took the cage as she and her cohorts walked to what appears to be a crudely made altar. While Lock and Barrel bowed to it, Shock tossed the caged roach down the altar's chute.
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, throw him in a box
Bury him for ninety years, then see if he talks
[Shock]
Then Mister Oogie Boogie man
[Lock, Barrel]
Can take the whole thing over then
He'll be so pleased, I do declare
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
That he will cook him rare
WHEEEEE!
The roach landed in a new room where a giggling shadow moved all over the walls. The poor insect stood no chance as a strange vacuum sucked it up along with part of the cage. And that particular vacuum belonged to the creature that made the shadow. Back topside, Lock was loading Barrel into a catapult as he sang the next verse of their plans.
[Lock]
I say that we take a cannon
Aim it at his door, and then
Knock three times, and when he answers
Sandy Claws will be no more
Lock shot Barrel through a door and the boy came stumbling out with his head stuck in a smaller cauldron. Shock and Lock each took Barrel by one arm and lifted him up while he was upside down, freeing his head from the cauldron in the process. Then they took him to a bathtub full of water, and tossed him in as they sang their next verse. Unaware that Jinora was listening in on the whole thing.
And she doesn't know why, but she felt compelled at that moment to sing about her discomfort with the trio's plans.
[Shock]
You're so stupid, think now
If we blow him up to smithereens
We may lose some pieces
[Lock, Shock]
Then Korra will beat us black and green
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, tie him in a bag
Throw him in the ocean then, see if he is sad
[Jinora]
This mister Oogie Boogie
Must be the meanest guy around
If I were on his boogie list
I'd get out of town
"Santa!"
Knowing what she had to do and remembering when she discreetly followed Korra into the forest while she was sleep walking, Jinora ran for the clearing where the holiday doors are. Even as she ran, she could still hear those three little monsters singing about the evil things they planned to do to the jolly old elf. She can even visualize just what they're doing through their lyrics alone..
[Barrel]
He'll be so pleased by our success
That he'll reward us too, I'll bet
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Perhaps he'll make his special brew
Of snake and spider stew
We're his little henchmen
And we take our job with pride
We do our best to please him
And stay on his good side
[Shock]
I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb
[Barrel]
I'm not the dumb one
[Lock]
You're no fun
[Shock]
Shut up!
[Lock]
Make me!
Jinora ran even faster to the clearing, frantically trying to think of something to stop those three little monsters from getting their hands on Santa Claus. It only got worse as she heard the remainder of their song, visualizing them gathering various weapons, torture tools, and even a burlap sack.
[Shock]
I've got something, listen now
This one is real good, you'll see
We'll send a present to his door
Upon there'll be a note to read
Now in the box we'll wait and hide, until his curiosity
[Lock, Shock, Barrel]
Entices him to look inside
And then we'll have him
One, two, three!
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick
Lock him up for ninety years, see what makes him tick
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, chop him into bits
Mister Oogie Boogie is, sure to get his kicks
Kidnap the Sandy Claws, see what we will see
Lock him in a cage and then, throw away the key
Jinora stopped to catch her breath as she finally made it to the clearing. Thinking fast, she started taking a bunch of natural materials and began to make several signs to try and lead the three stooges astray. And she needs to hurry. She can hear their cackling laughter getting louder the closer they got.
"Sandy Claws, huh?"
Back at Lock, Shock, and Barrel's treehouse, the mysterious figure laughed as he rolled a pair of dice which landed on snake eyes. And a really tiny snake hissed as it slithered out of one of the dice.
***To Be Continued…***
Thank you all so much for reading! I'll try to have this finished by Halloween this year. May the Force be with you, and have a great day.