A/N: I'd be lying if I said this segment wasn't influenced by the amazing fanartist Twisted Wind and her Mickey/Minnie steampunk comic, which can be found at twisted-wind (dot) deviantart (dot) com.

8. Ghostbusters Theme – Ray Parker Jr.

"She went up there alone? And you let her?" Mickey pounded up the spiral staircase. His legs were too short to take them two at a time, but he propelled himself faster and faster by grabbing the handrail and hauling himself up in leaps and bounds.

"But Mickey –" Goofy could have easily overtaken, but chose instead to stay behind his king. Right now, however, the tone between them wasn't one of Royal Guard and monarch. Mickey was talking to one of his oldest friends. You didn't sound that angry with your employees unless that had sent the enemy a gold-edged invitation and let down the drawbridge with a welcome mat that read 'Welcome Heartless'.

"Everyone knows that tower is haunted!" Mickey snapped.

"Mick –"

"That's why nobody goes there. Nobody!"

"But –"

"I can't believe you knew what she was up to and let her go there anyway."

"Wait a second –"

"When did she go?"

"She was just –"

"An hour?"

"She told me not to tell you –"

"Half an hour?"

"She said it was stupid to waste an entire tower like that –"

"Three hours?"

"Mickey, slow down!"

"Five minutes?"

"Uh, about an hour ago. But Mickey –"

Mickey skidded to a halt outside a tiny door. It was old, studded with metal spikes and draped with chains that had been padlocked in place until recently. The padlock lay on the floor, the last pieces of a powerful binding spell fizzling from it. The door was shut, or had been closed after someone went through. No sound came from inside. Mickey recognised his father's insignia on the padlock. The old king had locked away these spirits when Mickey was just a boy. He had told his son never to unlock the room or open the door, saying that he would unleash terrible monsters if he did. Mickey had cowered under his bedclothes for weeks afterwards. Though he had outgrown his childish nightmares, he had still followed the instructions faithfully – until today.

His keyblade coalesced into his hand. Raw power flowed through him. He booted open the door and landed inside the room in the same step, ready to do battle. "Minnie, where are you?"

"I'm right here." Minnie beamed at him. "I'm glad you're here, Mickey. We were just having tea."

Mickey stared. Goofy appeared in the doorway. He stared too. It was a very stare-worthy scene.

"Mickey, this is Gilbert, Ian, Gabriel and -" Minnie nodded at the last of the glowing figures on the other side of a table lavishly decorated for afternoon tea - "Screechin' Sam."

"Hi."

"Howdy."

"Hey there."

"Wooo!"

The one called Gilbert bopped Screechin' Sam so hard his bowler hat flew off and fell thought the floor. "Numbskull. Remember what the lil' lady said? We'll never be allowed outta this here room if we don't play nice an' act agreeable an' stuff. No more hauntin', y'hear?"

"Ow!" Screechin' Sam clutched his head. Could ghosts feel pain if it was delivered by other ghosts? He looked as far from Mickey's childhood nightmares as was possible to be. "Sorry, Gil. Force of habit."

"Now boys," said Minnie, "you have to play nice with each other, too."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sorry, your highness."

"Yeah, sorry."

"Wooo – uh, I mean … please don't hit me again, Gil. She said you ain't allowed to no more."

Mickey continued to stare. "Minnie?"

"Honestly, Mickey," she smiled, taking another sip of tea. "I don't know why you were so scared of these four. They just need a firm hand and a little kindness, that's all. They're sweethearts, really."

Goofy summed the situation up in one word. "Gawrsh!"

A/N: The ghosts' names are canon, taken from their appearance in Epic Mickey – en (dot) Wikipedia (dot) org (slash) wiki (slash) Epic (underscore) Mickey.