I'm you all remember the episode "It Came From the Nightosphere." I wasn't sure if I wanted to genderbend Aberdeer, so it was a little tough to write, especially with Marshall's voice. So I hope you all like it! And don't forget to review!
Chapter 6
Fiona strode into the cave, humming to herself. It had been a while since she'd been to the beachside cave. It was the same place she and Cake had settled after Marshall Lee had kicked them out of the tree house. Now Marshall was living here. He had a two-story house at the edge of the water, a little dock at the back of the house. He had hung up a basketball hoop on the dock and put down fake grass around the home. Since he lived in a cave, real plants couldn't grow very well.
She walked up to the front door and knocked. It was a few hours until sunset and Marshall had invited her over to help him work on a new album. He was into music and wrote his own songs. But sometimes he needed a little help.
The door opened and Marshall leaned his head out. He wore his usual checkered shirt and jeans. "Yo. Thanks for comin' over, Fiona." He floated aside so she could come in.
"No problem, Marshall!" She walked in and he closed the door behind her.
Marshall hovered over to the corner of the room and picked up his red axe-bass. The inside of his house was pretty empty and a little messy—as per usual for a bachelor pad. The only things in the room were a coffee table, couch, and television set. He strapped on his bass and started to strum it, adjusting the strings so that it was properly tuned.
"Thanks for helpin' me record," he said.
"My pleasure." She pulled an old tape recorder and headphones from her backpack.
"Now, I'm gonna sing something super personal, so don't laugh! Got it?"
"I'd never dream of it." She snickered.
He nodded. "Okay. Now start a slow beat and keep it steady, or it'll mess up everything!"
"You got it!" She put on the headphones so she could still hear him with one ear. She slowly beatboxed a tune that was mellow yet upbeat. Pressing the record button, she kept up her pace.
Marshall started to play. He took a deep breath and started to sing. "Mommy, why did you eat my fries? I bought them, and they were mine. But you ate them. Yeah you ate my fries. And I cried, but you didn't see me cry." His voice was smooth and dark. "Mommy, do you even love me? Well I wish you'd show it, 'cause I wouldn't know it. What kinda mommy eats her son's fries and doesn't look him in the eyes? Mommy, there were tears there. If you saw them, would you even care?"
Fiona's beat slowly faded. The song was sad and depressing. She felt bad for Marshall. It sounded like his mom was a real jerk and that he missed her. She sighed. Marshall stiffened. He rounded on her, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Fiona, what the heck?! You messed the beat up!"
She stopped the recording and stuffed the tape recorder in her backpack. "Marshall, if you're thinkin' about your mom so much, why don't you just go and see her?"
Marshall leaned back as he floated in midair. He continued to strum his bass. "Nah, she's not worth the effort," he said, not looking at her.
"Not worth what effort?"
He floated lower until he was sitting on the ground. He sighed. "Well it's pretty complicated, you know? I gotta do all this stuff just to go to the Nightosphere to see her."
"Yeah? Like what?"
He shrugged. "First I gotta draw a circle with a happy face in the center." Fiona pulled out a marker and doodled the picture on Marshall's wall. "And then, uh…I'd have to douse it in bug milk." While he was distracted, Fiona darted into the kitchen and snatched a carton of bug milk from his fridge. She threw the milk on the wall, soaking the happy face. The picture sucked up the milk and started to glow.
"Oh yeah? Then what?" she asked.
The candles in the room flickered to life. Marshall sighed. "Then you're supposed to chant something stupid like Moloso vobus come es spiridum."
Fiona giggled excitedly.
Marshall strummed his bass and frowned. "But I-I don't wanna see her…I'm still mad at her for the thing with the fries and stuff."
Her eyes widened. "What?!"
The ground began to shake and the lights blew out. Marshall gasped and sat up straight. An eerie growl echoed in the room. Red light from the smiley face made the room look like it was painted with blood. Fiona toppled off the couch, scuttling backward. Marshall stood up quickly as his wall started to crack. From the smiley face a huge doorway split his wall open. Beyond it was a stairway leading straight into a pit of fire. A shadowy figure materialized beyond the smoke. A woman in a business suit and pencil skirt appeared in the doorway. She had pale skin and curly black hair, red eyes gleaming.
"Marshall Lee," she said, surprise evident in her voice.
"Fiona, what the heck did you do?!" Marshall shouted angrily.
"Um, I-I…reunited you with your family?" She laughed, uneasy.
Marshall glared at her. She backed up nervously.
Marshall's mother leaned down, scrutinizing the little human. "Is this little girl your evil servant?"
"I'm not evil, Marshall's mom!" she cried. "I'm super good!"
"Hm. Super good, huh?"
The woman snatched her by the shoulders. She opened her mouth wide, rows of sharp fangs gleaming in the red light. With a large gasp, she breathed deeply. It felt as if Fiona's body suddenly went cold. She was paralyzed. Fiona screamed. A translucent shroud surrounded her and was slowly being sucked into Marshall's mother's mouth.
"What are you doing?!" Fiona screamed.
"Stealing your soul," a voice echoed from his mother's throat.
She screamed in terror, arms flailing in a fruitless attempt to free herself. She could feel herself getting weaker. Fiona felt faint. But she couldn't find the strength to fight back. Marshall rushed forward and shoved them apart.
"Cut it out!" He groaned. "The heck! Man, you always do this!"
Fiona sat gasping on the floor, eyes wide.
His mother laughed. "Oh sweetie, I never know what's going to set you off." She gasped, her eyes resting on the bass in Marshall's hands. "Is that the family axe?" She snatched it from him.
"Hey! Yo, that's mine!" He glared at her.
Marshall's mother strummed it, curious. She frowned. "Did you turn it into some kind of lute?"
"Give it back, and get the heck out!" he shouted.
"Okay, okay." She jerked the axe out of Marshall's reach. "You know that's no way to speak to your mother, Marshall. But I'll go. Besides, I have business to attend to—sucking up all the souls in Oo."
Fiona's eyes widened. "W-Wait, w-what?! No!"
Marshall's mother threw open the door, axe in hand. "See you kids later." She stormed out of the house, door slamming shut behind her.
"Uhg! She jacked my bass!" Marshall shouted angrily.
"Oh my glob, I've unleashed evil unto Oo!" Fiona cried. "We've gotta stop her, Marshall!" She opened the door to chase after his mother.
He sighed. "Fine!" He scowled. "But I'm only coming with you to get my bass back…."
V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V*
Marshall held her by the arms as he flew her over the forests and hills. He was pouting as he carried her. Night had fallen, casting everything into darkness. Fiona squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of Marshall's mother somewhere. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know how she should handle his mother. The only vampire she'd known was Marshall, so maybe she'd have to stake her or something.
"Hey! So how do I kill this guy anyway?" she asked.
"Fiona, you can't kill my mom!" he shouted.
"Oh, I-I didn't mean…I'm sorry, I—"
He shook his head. "No! I mean you literally can't kill my mom. She's like, you know, the demon empress of the Nightosphere. She's deathless."
"Oh. Dang it!" Something odd caught her eye down on the hill below them. A group of fluffy people were gathered at the top of the hill. "There! Below us! A gathering of Fluffy People! Maybe they've seen your mom." She glanced up at Marshall. "Let's check it out!"
Marshall shrugged. "Whatever." He flew down toward them, holding onto Fiona tightly. He set her down beside the group of Fluffy People. They all leaped back in surprise, trembling in fear. They muttered to each other, all huddled in one group. There was one, however, that stood apart from the others. "Whoa, they're all so freaked out."
"It's 'cause they're all scared of him."
Marshall jabbed his thumb toward the one Fluffy Person that stood apart from the others. The little guy turned slowly, rubber ball in hand. His eyes were wide and vacant. He moaned. Apart from the fact that he was still breathing and moving, he looked lifeless. Marshall nudged the Fluffy Person with his foot. The little guy didn't even react. He leaned closer and stared deep into the vacant eyes.
"Yup. The old lady's been here," he said. "C'mon. Let's go."
"Wait! We can't just leave the poor guy like this," Fiona protested.
Marshall folded his arms and sighed. He rolled his eyes. Fiona rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a small case of Tupperware.
She opened the lid. "I've got some soul food that Cake packed for me." Fiona glanced at the souless Fluffy Person beside her. "You like collard greens, or country fried steak?" She pulled out a piece of the country fried steak and tried to stuff it in the person's mouth. He merely moaned, not budging an inch.
"Look," Marshall said angrily, stalking over to her. "You wanna help him? Then help me get my bass back!"
"Wait, how will that help hi—"
"MY MOM STOLE MY BASS GUITAR, FIONA!" His eyes flashed red and a dark aura surrounded him. "And when I get it back, I'm gonna break it over her neck and slam her back into the Nightosphere!"
"Yeah, but first we gotta return the souls your mom sucked out of these poor little husks. Right, Marshall?"
He tossed his hair out of his face and grumbled to himself. "Uh, sure, whatever. We'll do that too."
V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V*
Marshall flew her to a deep gorge close to the village of roughhousing women. The rocks were all made of red clay. Ruins lay in the bottom of the valley. The area was known for avalanches and rock slides. There were many loose boulders along the edge of the gorge. Fiona leaned over the craggy ledge. She couldn't see much below.
He folded his arms, staring down below. "Red Rock Pass," he muttered. "If my mom wants to make it through the mountains, she'll have to go through here."
"We can work together!" Fiona said enthusiastically. "We can smash her with one of these huge boulders when she walks by! And once she's smushed, all the stolen souls will go back to their rightful bods."
The sound of light whistling echoed off the rocks. She leaned close to the edge straining her ears so she could hear better. Marshall's mother's voice echoed in the empty gorge. She could hear her high heels clacking against the stone.
"Suckin' them souls, and stoppin' on them," his mother sang softly. "Souls souls souls!"
Fiona rushed toward a particularly large boulder. She rammed against it with all her strength, trying to push it down the gorge to crush Marshall's mother. She grunted with the effort.
"Marshall, a little help?!"
But when she looked up, she realized he was gone. She leaned over the edge, trying to get a better view. Marshall was sailing down toward his mother. He hissed, eyes glowing brightly. He swiped at his mother, but she avoided him easily. Clicking her tongue, she kicked him aside. He slammed into the rock wall with a painful thud.
"So," she said. "Trying to take a crack at your mother, are you?"
Marshall launched toward her. With a swift strike, she knocked him away with the axe.
"Marshall! Keep her there!" Fiona shouted.
She tried to push the boulder over with all her might. Down below, Marshall fought against his mother. But no matter what he did, she always had the upper hand. She chuckled as she knocked him aside. His mother slung the axe over her shoulder.
"You can't destroy me," she chuckled.
Marshall hesitated. "What? N-no, mom, I don't wanna destroy you." He shook his head, fists clenched. "Look, just give me back my bass and stay the heck out of my life!"
"You're not even alive! And that's no way to speak to your mother, Marshall Lee." She shooed him away. "Now go on, mother's busy."
He growled in frustration but obediently floated up to the top of the gorge. He plopped down beside Fiona with a groan. He propped his chin up in his hands.
"You blew it, dude," Fiona said. "We're supposed to be a team! A team who's smart, and'll stop your mom from sucking souls!"
"Whatever. Like I give a flip." Marshall sighed. "I just want my mom to care about me, ya know?"
V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V*
As they chased after Marshall's mother, a dark shadow loomed over Oo. She had been on a soul sucking rampage for hours, and now the fruits of her labor were showing. She towered above the trees, growing almost as tall as the mountains. Souls were flying from every corner of Oo, headed straight for his mother. Fiona's eyes widened when she saw her.
"Aw, man! She's growing huge!" Fiona cried.
Marshall's mother laughed darkly, enjoying the fresh souls.
"That's it!" Fiona cracked her knuckles. "I'm gonna take her down!"
Marshall arched an eyebrow. "Fiona, you're like an ant to her."
"Oh yeah? Well this ant is about to get in her pants!"
Marshall snickered. "What?"
"W-well I meant—you know! 'Cause I'm gonna make her uncomfortable while I release those souls!" She pulled her sword out of her backpack.
With a war cry, Fiona charged. She climbed up his mother's enormous leg, determined to make it to her head. She had to figure out where the souls were being stored and release them. The woman didn't even seem to notice that there was a little human girl crawling up her suit. Finally Fiona pulled herself onto Marshall's mother's shoulder.
"Give up those souls, Marshall's mom! In the name of justice!"
The sound of her voice seemed to startle the woman. She glanced down at the vampire at her feet. She frowned. "Oh. Marshall. Are you still following me?"
"I'll stop following you if you just frickin' give me back my guitar!" he shouted angrily.
His mother flicked Fiona off her shoulder. Hands on her hips, she stared down at Marshall. "Now, Marshall. You know better."
As Fiona fell after being flicked, she poised her sword to strike. Falling down on top of his mother, she plunged her sword into the enormous vampire's forehead. As she slid down her front, the sword sliced Marshall's mother's head down the middle. The vampire released an unearthly wail and the skin of her face peeled aside. Underneath was a devilish face with hundreds of tiny bubbles around her neck. They looked like large fish eggs with lofty, floating centers. But as Fiona looked closer, she realized they were souls. She lifted her sword to strike, but his mother batted her aside. Instead she accidentally cut the cord holding the axe-bass around the mother's neck.
Marshall snatched it out of midair. "In your face, mom!" he shouted.
"Give back that axe, Marshall Lee!" she demanded, wagging her finger. "You don't respect it enough."
"Yeah, well—you don't respect anything!" He started to float away. "I'm outta here!"
Fiona tried to stop him. "But—"
"Fine, go!" his mother shouted. "I'm too busy sucking souls to deal with you!"
"No! Wait!" Fiona cried. "Marshall, wait! Keep talking to her! When she's talking, she's too distracted to steal souls!"
"I said, I'm outta here!" He glared at her.
Fiona rummaged in her backpack desperately. "I gotta find a way to distract her," she muttered. She threw things out of her bag as she dug through it. She spotted the tape recorder and yanked it out. Marshall had said the song was super personal, but maybe it would be just the thing to stop his mom? It was worth a shot. She yanked the headphones out of the auxiliary jack and pressed play. The song crackled to life through the speakers and Marshall's singing voice echoed in the night air.
"Mommy, why did you eat my fries? I bought them, and they were mine. But you ate them. Yeah you ate my fries. And I cried, but you didn't see me cry. Mommy, do you even love me? Well I wish you'd show it, 'cause I wouldn't know it."
His mother hesitated. She stopped dead in her tracks as she listened. Marshall froze, his face flushed with embarrassment. She turned and faced her son.
"Marshall, do you really feel this way?" she asked.
Marshall turned around hesitantly. While they were distracted, Fiona crept up behind his mother.
"Mom, I…" he mumbled.
"Marshall, of course I love you!"
"Mom?"
"I'm sorry I ate your fries. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's okay, mom. Really…it's okay," he said, embarrassed.
"No, it's not okay!" She sighed. "They weren't even very good. They were really cold. I love you Marshall Lee. Don't you ever doubt that."
"Yeah. Me too, mom."
She smiled. "Oh Marshall, I am so—"
With a loud war cry, Fiona leaped at her. She drove her sword into the soul sacs, the blades ripping through them like butter. The souls shot out of her at record speed. Marshall's mother shrieked and thrashed about in pain. Swords still impaled in the vampire's neck, Fiona dropped to the ground. Snatching a stick, she drew a circle around Marshall's mother with a smiley face in the center. She threw a carton of bug milk in the center and shouted "Moloso vobus come es spiridum!"
With a shrieking wail, Marshall's mother was sucked downward. She screamed angrily as she was pulled back into her own dimension.
"I'll see you in the Nightosphere, you sick freak," Fiona muttered darkly.
"Fiona, how could you?!" Marshall shouted angrily.
She grinned. "How could I save the day?"
"Uhg!" He punched her hard in the arm.
"Ow!"
Marshall sighed. "Uhg…I'm emotionally exhausted."
"Yeah…I'm exhausted too." She fell back on the grass with a tired sighed.
Marshall sat beside her. "Man…swear you'll never do that again."
"I swear on my honor! No way I'd release evil like that onto Oo again."
He chuckled. "You know, I've never really met anyone as odd as you."
"Is…that a good thing?"
Marshall laughed. "Well, I don't think it's a bad thing." He stood up, bass in hand. "See ya later, doll face."
"Bye, Marshall!"
Fiona sighed, laying there staring up at the stars. After those horrifying events, she was ready for a nice long nap. She never imagined Marshall's mother would be quite like that. Then again, he did say he was the Vampire King. It should have been expected. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a much needed sleep.
Chapter 7 will be up on Monday!