Chapter 44: there's only one pumpkin king
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. Now for the conclusion of halloween town! I hope jack Skellington will bring halloween to the stars if the original (darius almighty's work) and the remake (spiderfan626's work) comes to a close.
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
"Look, I don't know anything about any missing orphanage funds, and I think it's very rude of you to ask!" the Mayor of Halloween Town snapped at Sora.
Sora looked startled. "I just want-"
"Alright! Alright! It was me! I used the funds for the orphanage to buy myself a pool of goo! I was weak! Do you understand!? There! I admit it! And I'm glad! Glad I tell you! GLAD! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"I wasn't gonna ask you that...," Sora said slowly.
The Mayor's face switched to a worried expression. "Oh. Uh...I see. I knew that. Hehehe. Just a joke you see. Oh, would you look at the time! I must go sign some papers!" With that he jumped into his black car and screeched down the streets in a hurry.
Sora sighed. This wasn't getting him anywhere. The other Keybladers had split up around town to see if anyone knew anything about a Keyblade here. So far they had come up with zilch. The freaky citizens of Halloween Town didn't seem interested in helping them out, and much preferred to enjoy themselves. He was beginning to think that there wasn't a Keyblader in this world.
"Hello Sora." Walking up to Sora was the living rag doll named Sally, whom he thought was the only rational, sane person in this world. "It's nice to see you again," Sally said upon reaching him, her features smiling.
"Nice to see you too, Sally," Sora smiled, relieved to see her. Maybe now he could get some straight answers. "How have things been around here?"
"Things have been just fine," Sally confirmed. "There haven't been any problems for quite some time now. Other than Jack's performances, everything is in order." She then looked troubled. "By the way, Sora, have you seen Jack? I seemed have lost him."
"Well..."
"Behold!" Sora sighed in exasperation, because standing on the roof of a building while striking what he thought was a very heroic pose was Jack Skellington. He quickly leapt off the building and landed gracefully before Sora and Sally, his skull practically bursting with excitement..
"I've figured out what I've been doing wrong, Sora!" Jack announced. "After chatting with one of your friends over there..." He pointed at Jack Sparrow, who grinned and waved in return. "I finally know how I'll be able to attain my Keyblade!"
"Jack, are you sure you should go about doing this?" Sally asked worriedly.
"Of course I should, dear Sally! Only with a Keyblade will I be able to be a hero! Relax! It's not like I'm attempting anything that will end up destroying us all...this time!" Sally gave him a disapproving look. "So anyway, after my research, I learned that your pirate friend gained his Keyblade after it changed from his sword. Don't you see? Before I can be proven worthy, I must first have a weapon that my Keyblade can use as a medium! It's so simple!" Sora sent Jack Sparrow a venomous look. "And look! I've already found one!" He pulled out a stick. It wasn't big stick, or a pointy stick; it was just a stick. "All villains shall cower before the might of my blade! I just need to search them out!" With that he ran off, waving his stick about.
Sally watched him go and sighed in hopelessness. "I haven't seen Donald or Goofy around, Sora. Are they not here?" Sora bowed his head sadly. "Oh! I'm sorry! It wasn't my place."
"No, it's fine," Sora replied, rubbing his eyes clear. "But I'm not here alone." He pointed out each of his friends, all of them questioning the citizens about the whereabouts of the Keyblade. "That's Kairi, that's sonic, that's Mulan..."
"So your sword turned into a Keyblade as well?" Jack Skellington asked Mulan while she was trying to question the clown with the tear-away face. "Excellent! My theory must be right! All the facts point towards it! Soon my weapon will blossom into a beautiful Keyblade and my boredom will be cured! See my weapon? See it? Huh? See it? See it? Huh? See my weapon? See it?" He repeatedly thrust the stick in Mulan's face until she was all but fed up. She summoned her Keyblade, lit the tip with a flame, and burned Jack's stick to ash. Jack stared at the smouldering pile of ash at his feet, then shrugged. "Oh well! Back to the drawing board!" He jogged off to try something else. Sora sighed and continued to introduce his friends.
"That's Beast, that's Jack Sparrow-"
"Captain Jack Sparrow!" Jack called from across the town square.
"And that's..." Sora paused. Someone was missing.
Where was po?
KHKHKHKH
"WAAHHHH!" po screamed, plowing into the ground and getting a mouthful of white fluffy snow. Though it cushioned his landing, it was still painful. That tree had spat him out like a bad raisin.
"Uggh. Hurt like a mother-ACCKK!" His impact in the earth deepened when a walking bathtub landed on his back.
"Quit fooling around!" Making the bathtub all the heavier were Lock, Shock and Barrel, riding inside. "We have a job to do, remember?" Shock scolded.
"So quit laying around like an idiot!" Lock snapped. po whimpered under the tub. These kids weren't very nice at all. Crawling out from under the tub with Barrel slamming the pumpkin door in the tree they had come through, po gazed out at where they had appeared. He could only describe it as a winter wonderland; he had never seen so much snow in his life. It all sparkled under the light of the moon. Below the hill from which they overlooked was a town. The houses were painted bright colours, lit by lanterns in the dark of night.
"What is this place?" po asked.
"Never you mind that!" Shock shouted, making him wince.
"Yeah. All you need to know is that the most important part of our prank is down there," Lock continued.
"We've got the everything else we need," Barrel giggled, patting the large sack that contained hundreds of icky creepy crawlies they had gathered in Halloween Town. "Now all we need is one more ingredient!"
po looked uncertain. "If you say so."
"You bet we do!" they chorused. They then grew a bit more sinister. "You're not thinking of backing out, are you?" Shock asked suspiciously.
"If you don't want to take part in the greatest prank ever...," Lock shrugged.
"No! No problem!" po pleaded waving his hands back and forth. "I want to help! Really! Just tell me what to do!" The trio shared knowing grins.
"Follow us." The bathtub's legs started walking on their own through the snow with Lock, Shock and Barrel riding inside. po fell into step behind it and down the hill they walked to the town below.
All was quiet as they stalked through the snowy streets; there was only the sound of their muffled footfalls. There was no one out and about at this apparently late hour, the town occupants tucked away inside their homes, unaware of the four of them sneaking around. po noticed a few things about this town. There were colourful stringed lights decorating the houses, snowmen made by children were scattered around and, in the town square, there was a large pine tree that stood tall, coloured lights on wires wrapped around it, making it look beautiful. This place had a familiar feeling to it, a merry and joyous air that po loved. It was something he looked forward to all year long.
"Is it...Christmas time here?" he asked excitedly. There was only one holiday he loved more than Halloween and that was Christmas. And his trip to Halloween Town may have kept him off that holiday for good.
"Yeah. You can say that," Barrel chuckled.
"Uck! All this merriment and joy! Makes me want to vomit!" Lock hissed hatefully.
"What are you talking about? Christmas is great!" po exclaimed. Shock hit Lock in the face with her mask.
"Oh yes!" Shock smiled in spite of Lock's glare. "I agree with you completely! I simply..." She gritted her teeth. "Love Christmas." Her cohorts seem to cringe at her words but po simply grinned.
"Yup! Everybody loves Christmas! The toys, the carols, the good cheer, it just makes a guy happy to be alive!" po was oblivious to the three making faces behind his back.
Their destination was becoming clear. They had broken away from the rest of the town and were walking along the pathway to the largest house they had seen yet. The place was the size of a factory. Whoever lived there must have been either loaded, very important, or both. Light was flooding out of every window, so the people must have still been awake. They came to the door and Lock, Shock and Barrel dismounted their bathtub. Barrel hefted the bag of bugs with him.
"Alright. Let's roll," Lock instructed, the trio making for the door.
"Whoa. Wait. We can just walk right in?" po asked. "Isn't that, like, breaking and entering?"
"Yeah? So what?" Barrel scoffed.
"But-"
"Hey, you wanna be a master prankster or not?" Shock asked irritably.
"Sure, but-"
"Than stop being a loser and let's go!" Lock snapped. The three opened the door and went inside without any cares. po followed after, wondering if this was a good idea after all.
The door had taken them to a busy factory floor, filled with conveyer belts and large humming machines. The machines were producing parts of what looked like toys and rolling them along the conveyer belts to factory employees: tiny pointy eared people dressed in tights and pointy hats with little jingle bells. These child-sized men and women worked diligently, screwing heads on dolls, winding up jack-in-the-boxes and testing the wheels on the remote control cars. This was a toy factory, with tiny little people dressed in weird clothes as workers.
po scratched his head. "Where have I heard of this before?"
"HO, HO, HO!" The prankster team ducked behind a nearby piece of equipment. At the other end of the factory, up on a catwalk that oversaw the whole floor, was a large plump man dressed in red, with a big white beard, and a red and white puffball hat. It was the man known by nearly everyone in the world, a man that carried many names, but the most notable was-
"Santa Clause," po whispered, then broke into a joyous grin. "It's Santa! Santa's here! Hey, Santa! It's me! po-MMHHH!" Barrel snapped a mousetrap over his lips to silence him. They all hissed at him to keep quiet. All the workers also kept quiet and put their projects aside to hear what Santa had to say.
"You've all done a great job here today, everyone!" Santa called to them, a wholehearted smile on his face. "With all your hard work this is shaping up to be a very enjoyable Christmas! We still have a long way to go, though! But with determination we can meet that deadline!" The employees let out a big cheer and Santa laughed. "For now, though, everyone go home and get a good night's rest. There's lots of work to be done tomorrow! Have a good sleep!" Everyone gave another cheer and began filing out the door that po and the other had come through until the factory was all but empty.
Santa yawned and stretched. "I suppose I'll turn in as well. Those naughty and nice kids won't check themselves in the morning." He walked his way down the catwalk stairs and through the machines and conveyer belts to get to exit through a different door.
As soon as he was gone po tore the mousetrap off his lips. "Ouch! What are we doing here!? This is freakin' Santa's house! We can't break into Santa's house! I don't want to be on the naughty list for the rest of my life!"
"Relax, you dunce!" Shock shot back.
"That's not the real Santa!" Lock backed up.
"It's not?" po asked confused.
"What are talking about, guys?" Barrel wondered, totally oblivious. "I thought that was the real-MMHH!" They snapped the mousetrap over his lips this time.
"Yeah! That's not the real Santa at all!" Shock said again. "He's a con artist! A complete phony! He lives by his lies!"
"That beard of his? A fake!" Lock exclaimed. "He's nothing but a run of the mill mall Santa!" po frowned. He hated mall Santa's.
"But what about the elves?"
"Those aren't elves!" Shock said, slightly thoughtful. "They're, uh, children! Yeah, that's it. They're children with cosmetic surgery! The guy's running a sweat shop with forced child labour!"
"What!"
"The toy factory is all a front!" Lock went on. "He's not using this place to make toys! He only wants it to look that way! By making harmless toys, he can use them to...uh, smuggle firearms!" po gasped in horror.
"To orphans!" Shock added.
"Orphans with diseases!" Lock said softly. po was fuming. No one pretends to be Santa, forces kids to work and smuggles weapons on his watch!
"Alright! How do we take this guy down?" po shouted. Lock and Shock giggled mischievously.
"This way." They lead the way through the empty factory. Barrel tore the mousetrap off his lips and followed after with bag of bugs in tow; a more determined po came up behind.
They glided through the factory without incident, hopping over the conveyer belts and running along the floor. On the way po had yet to notice any firearms. They must stow them away every night, he thought. They reached a flight of stairs. They led up to a box where, through a window, they could see a room. They rushed up the stairs and entered through the door.
It was a well furnished room, empty of anyone's presence. A desk was at the other end, all sorts of nicknacks on it, a red leather chair behind it. A fire roared in the exquisite looking fireplace to the side, adorned with carvings of reindeer. Apparently this was 'Santa's' office.
"All right! Spread out and search!" Shock ordered the others. Lock and Barrel went out with her and began scouring the place, for what po didn't know.
"What are we looking for?" po asked.
"A secret passage," Barrel answered, looking around a wardrobe. "Help us look for a button or something!" po shrugged and went to help them. As he searched he noticed all the Christmas type things were around. The wallpaper was red and green, pictures of Christmas trees, elves and reindeer lined the walls, even the carpet he walked on was a picture of a Christmas tree.
"This guy goes through a lot of trouble to fool everyone into thinking he's Santa," po muttered.
"Found it!" Lock exclaimed by the fireplace, and pulled down a secret lever disguised as a reindeer antler. po expected the thing to slide away but to his astonishment the entire fireplace vanished in a show of sparks, almost like...magic.
"How did he rig that up?" po asked in surprise.
"Never mind that!" Shock snapped, pushing past him to get to what the fireplace had been hiding. In its place was a giant safe door, painted in candy cane colours, with a single keyhole in the center. Shock turned to po. "This is where your special skills come into play."
"Special skills?" po repeated. He looked at the door again, and the single keyhole in the middle. "Oh! I get it!" In a flash of light, his Keyblade Nindo appeared in his hand. He twirled it a few times and pointed it at the safe. A click was heard, and the door slowly opened before them. It was a large and empty, enough to fit a crowd of people, and there was only one thing inside. An empty sack laying on the floor.
"Santa's magic bag!" Barrel gushed.
po raised an eyebrow. "Magic bag?" Lock covered Barrel's mouth.
"What he means is Fake Santa's fake bag!" he covered. "Now bring in the bugs!" Shock carried in the huge bag of bugs with her and the three of them set to work. Lock and Barrel, meanwhile, took the bag from the safe and opened it up, allowing Shock to pour the bugs from one bag to the other. Gallons of insects and beetles flooded into Santa's bag, making it bigger and bigger the more it ate. po frowned and turned away, letting them do what they had planned.
He walked over to the desk and looked it over, his blue eyes stopping on something that stood out. Beside a pen, which looked like a candy cane, was a long piece of paper, with two columns titled NAUGHTY and NICE. All these names were listed underneath them. He took it in his hands and read it over, his eyes landing on one name in particular under the Naughty column.
"What! I'm in the Naughty?! What's the deal?!" he yelled, glaring at the piece of paper. Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. How did Fake Santa know his name? It was impossible. He was from an entirely different world. Unless... po bolted back to the safe as fast as he could.
"HEY!" Lock, Shock and Barrel were just finishing up filling Santa's bag when po barged in, eyes burning with rage. "What's going on here?! This is Santa's house! Why did you lie to me?!" The troublesome trio laughed together, one directed at po.
"Took you long enough, moron!" Lock laughed mockingly.
"You must be a complete idiot not to have figured it out sooner!" Shock giggled.
"You're stupider than me!" Barrel jeered.
"Of course we lied!" Shock shouted. "The only reason we brought you along is because we needed you!"
"What? Why?" po growled.
"Your key thing, dummy!" Lock sneered. "We heard you and your pals talking with Jack ,and we also knew you were the stupidest one among them! So we just used you to open up the safe for us!"
"And now we got everything we need!" Barrel laughed. Out of nowhere, he pulled out a shoebox with holes in it. He lifted the lid and reached inside, pulling out a mean looking black and green striped snake. It hissed and spat, flailing around in Barrel's grip, and Barrel placed it in Santa's magic bag, now filled with bugs.
"Alright! That does it!" po ran to them and grabbed them all by their collars. "Whatever you're planning, I'm not letting it happen!"
"Yes..."
po paused at the faint voice he heard. "Yes..." He, Lock, Shock and Barrel looked to Santa's bag; it was beginning to move, not just because of the bugs and snake inside of it. In fact, it began to stand up on its own, and arms took form in the folds, and the opening at the top stitched itself closed. "YES!" Two holes opened in the top and one large hole at the bottom of the two to make a mouth and eyes. The mouth formed a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Oogie Boogie's back in town!"
po gawked at the bag that was walking and talking before him. This was the weirdest day of his life. "Mister Oogie!" Lock, Shock and Barrel exclaimed, wrestling out of po's grip and running to the bag. "You're back, Mister Oogie!" Barrel said.
"Damn right I'm back!" Oogie Boogie chortled. "And I'm looking for trouble!"
"How do you feel?" Lock asked.
"How do I feel? How do I feel?" Oogie laughed into the air, stretching his body left and right. "I feel like a million bugs! This is the greatest body ever! Much better than my old and flimsy sack of crap! I can feel the power flowing through me! Sandy Claws' magic bag indeed!"
"I bet you can do plenty of bad things now, Mister Oogie!" Shock said.
"Ha! I bet you're right!" Oogie Boogie took a deep breath and exhaled, blasting a ball of ice from his mouth and blowing the safe wall to pieces. "Oh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! I'm a whole new Boogie Man! I knew it was a good idea to have a back up plan! I just never thought you three would be able to pull it off. Hehehehe. Time to get back to business." po was creeping up behind him with Keyblade drawn, then charged to cut Oogie down to size. His blade fell.
CLANG
And it did nothing. It barely even made a scratch on his baggy body. Oogie seemed to notice him for the first time. "You dare lay a hand on Oogie Boogie!?" po was slapped across the face and shot out the safe and into the opposite wall with a crash. Oogie laughed and so did his minions, walking out of the safe to look down at him. "What part of magic bag don't you comprehend, boy? I've learned from my past defeats! I require nothing but the best! And what's better than Sandy's magic bag?" The snake po saw from before hissed out of Oogie's mouth as his tongue. "In this thing, I'm indestructible! It ain't just for carrying presents anymore!"
"What are you gonna do next, Mister Oogie?" Lock asked eagerly.
"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do! What's a comeback without revenge? I've got a bone to pick with a certain someone! Or several bones if I can do anything about it!" He growled hatefully and the bugs inside him stirred violently. "Jack Skellington!" The door to the office slammed open.
"What's going on up here?" Santa shouted, barging into his office to find it a mess; his eyes fell on Oogie. "You!"
"Howdy Sandy Claws!" Oogie laughed derisively. "Happy to see me again? Of course you are! And thanks for the bag. Fits me like a glove! How did you know my size?"
"B-but how?" Santa gasped.
"Hehe, sorry, Santa!" po called, struggling to stand back up. "I kinda accidentally helped them. Big fan by the way!"
"Get him, boys!" Oogie commanded. Lock, Shock and Barrel giggled and ran for the Santa
Laa, la, la, la, la, laa!
La, la, la, la, laa!
Laa, la, la, la, la, laa!
La, la, la, la, laa!
Hail to Mister Oogie!
Jack will never win!
When you find our booby traps
They will do you in!
Santa tried in vain to catch the quick trio, running all around him.
[SHOCK
First we brought the Master back
To take the town away from Jack!
We know he'll fight to set things right
So we got bad guys who attack!
[SANTA
Stop! I've had enough of you!
Your punishment is overdue!
You've instigated chaos here
And turned a town onto its ear!
[LOCK, SHOCK AND BARREL
Hail to Mister Oogie!
Put Jack to the test!
Keep him guessing all the time!
Never let him rest!
The three grabbed ropes and ran around Santa faster than he could stop them, wrapping him up tighter than he could move. Soon enough he was bound up. He collapsed to the floor, tied in a ball, with the henchmen laughing at his expense.
[BARREL
Then Mister Oogie Boogie Man
[SHOCK
Can take the whole town over then!
[LOCK
He'll be so pleased, I do declare!
[LOCK, SHOCK AND BARREL
The whole world should beware! Wheeee!
[LOCK
With Mister Oogie as the king
We'll get away with everything!
No more scolding for our pranks!
The new King Oogie, let's give thanks!
[BARREL
A trick a day, oh, why stop there?
We'll do whatever! We won't care!
And everyone will come to know
We run the show! Hey, life's unfair!
[LOCK, SHOCK AND BARREL
Hail to mister Oogie!
This is so much fun!
We make mischief day and night
Our work is never done!
[SHOCK
Because Mister Oogie Boogie
Is the meanest guy around!
[LOCK
If I were on his Oogie list
I'd get out of town!
[BARREL
He'll be so pleased with our success!
[SHOCK
That he'll reward us too, I'll bet!
[LOCK, SHOCK AND BARREL
I wonder what it's going to be?
We cannot wait and see!
po flew against the wall again after going one on one with Oogie Boogie. The bag of bugs was too much for him to handle alone. No matter what po attempted, he couldn't break through the Christmas magic material. Kung fu skills, even his Keyblade was useless. Oogie really was indestructible now. A pair of red dice struck the ninja in the face, rolling off him into double ones. "Oh! Snake eyes! It's your lucky day, squirt!" Oogie drawled laughing, retrieving his die. "I've love to stay and thrash you around some more, but I've got a town that's just been dying to see me again! My homecoming is gonna go off with a bang! Get ready, Jack, Oogie Boogies' comin' to town! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Oogie, Lock, Shock and Barrel were swept up in a swirl of ice and snow, vanishing on their way to the town of Halloween.
po and Santa Clause were the only ones left in the room, an awkward silence hanging in the air. "So is this a good time to discuss me being on the naughty list?" po asked sheepishly.
KHKHKHKH
Kairi giggled as she played around with the little ghost dog with the bright red nose, yipping happily, retrieving the ball she had thrown. "Good boy, Zero! Now go get it again!" Zero barked eagerly and flew off to catch the ball again. Kairi sighed contentedly, and when Sora came to meet her she smiled. "I should get a dog."
"We have a naked mole-rat and an over talkative dragon back on board the Shera and now you want a ghost dog? You're spoiled, you know that?" Kairi stuck her tongue out at him.
"Any luck finding anything?" she asked.
"Nothing, nada and zip," Sora sighed tiredly. "The others haven't found anything either. sonic drank the green water in the fountain and is currently vomiting but that's about it. No news of Heartless or anyone with a Keyblade. Weird. This has never happened before."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, usually there's a villain or something to threaten the peace when I show up." Sora sighed hopelessly. Jack was right, he was like a plague. "Everything's fine here though. I guess it should be expected. The only bad guy I defeated here was-"
An explosion went off in Halloween Town square alerting everyone in the vicinity. "JACK SKELLINGTON!" screamed a figure in the smoky debris that followed. When it all cleared , there he stood, madder than a bat outta hell. Oogie Boogie. "I'm a callin' you out!"
"Oogie!" Sally gasped in horror.
"But how?" Sora whispered. How many times was that bag of bugs gonna come back? Most of Halloween Town was now gathering in the square and peeking out of their homes to see what all the commotion was about and discovering it to be the infamous Oogie Boogie. Nervous whispers carried among them, since the gambling villain was supposed to be gone. But he stood there, good as new, with his three little helpers flanking his sides.
"Well? Where are you, Jack?" Oogie called through the nervous crowd around him. "Where is the Pumpkin King? Is he afraid to face his old friend Oogie again? I'll put my money on that! Ahahaha!"
"N-Now see here, Mister Boogie," the Mayor stammered, stepping out of the crowd to confront him, his face in its worried and panicked position. "I'm afraid I m-m-must insist that you desist. W-We don't want you in Halloween Town! Now leave before I...I... impeach you!" Oogie took a deep breath and blew freezing cold air over the quivering Mayor, encasing him in a block of ice, his face frozen in a surprised look. The crowd gasped in shock and Sora gaped. Oogie could never do that before!
"Come on, Jack Skellington!" Oogie called again, looking around the gathered monsters. "You and me! Mano-a-mano! We're gonna settle this once and for all! The winner gets the town! The king of terror isn't scared himself, is he?"
"You're on, Oogie!" came the cry from the crowd as the Pumpkin King himself emerged. Jack Skellington stood tall and proud in the square, looking confident and not the slightest bit worried that his old foe had returned. "Looking for me?"
"There he is!" Lock shouted.
"We've been waiting for you, Jack!" Shock giggled.
"Ready for another round?" Barrel asked coyly.
"As if you had a choice!" they chorused.
"Why hello, Jack! Remember me?" Oogie drawled, snake tongue hissing out of his mouth. "Of course you do! Nobody forgets the Oogie Boogie Man! Not even your empty skull! You and I have a score to settle." Lock, Shock and Barrel giggled along with their master's fun.
"I've had it up to here with your wrong doings, Oogie!" Jack shot back. "I'm taking you down!"
"No Jack!" Sally pleaded, she and Sora running to stop him from doing anything drastic. "Don't do this! Oogie's changed somehow! I'm not sure you can beat him!"
"She's right, Jack!" Sora backed up. "Let us help you! You don't have to do this on your own!"
"Fear not, Sora and Sally!" Jack assured his friends. "You forget, I'm a Keyblader!" Sora ground his teeth so hard he thought they would turn into dust.
"Jack," he growled. "I'm only going to say this once. You are not-"
"No time to talk! Must fight evil!" Jack ran in before they could stop him, Sora slapping his forehead in disbelief.
"Alright Oogie! Now we fight! I must warn you though, I am just recently the owner of the powerful Keyblade! Come to me now!" Jack began his battle with Oogie with an undignified dance number. "It's all a matter of summoning it now! Then you're in for a world of hurt! Ooooooo!" He pranced around the square, waving his hands about wildly, trying to make his nonexistent Keyblade appear. The Halloween Town residents apparently found this entertaining, as they were clapping and cheering Jack on. The Keybladers and Sally, however, found it all downright embarrassing. "Oh! Fear my power! I shall smite thee down!"
"What is he doing?" Oogie asked his henchmen as Jack made a total idiot of himself. Barrel twirled a finger by the side of his head. Oogie shrugged. "Oh well." Drawing on the power of the Christmas magic coursing through the bag, Oogie blew freezing air again, fashioning himself a mallet made entirely of ice. "Oh Jack!" Oogie called in a sing-song voice, momentarily halting Jack.
"Yes?"
WHAM
Everyone winced. Jack skidded across the ground and stopped just before Sora and Sally's feet, unmoving as he lay face down in the dirt.
"Oh Jack!" Sally gasped worriedly. "Are you okay?" Jack pried his head out of the earth and gave a wide, somewhat dazed, grin.
"Oh I'm fine, Sally! Merely a bump on the noggin. Just one question. Why are there six of you?" Sally groaned in sympathy.
"Jack, are you sure you don't need help?" Sora asked as Jack began to stand up again.
"Not at all!" Jack assured, dusting himself off. "There's no need to worry. My Keyblade will appear soon enough! You can be sure I'll trounce Oogie then!" He stood up and faced the Boogie Man again when Oogie fired balls of ice that were harder than steel from his arms.
CRASH
Jack skidded yet again, this time on his back to come to a halt at Sora and Sally's feet. "Jack, please let us help you!" Sora cried. Skellington still managed to grin weakly.
"It's all fine, Sora. It's all according to plan. I've heard from your friends that Keyblades could appear in times of crisis, so it's only a matter of tiIIIIIIIMMMMMEEEE!" Oogie had grabbed Jack by his ankles and now slammed him into the ground repeatedly by his feet.
"My, this is even easier than I thought!" Oogie guffawed in frivolity. "What's the matter, Jack? Not feeling up to standard? Well, too bad!" He mercifully stopped slamming the Pumpkin King and tossed him aside. He then blew ice breath over his fingerless hands to make himself a pair of frozen boxing gloves. He slammed together and grinned maniacally.
Jack's sockets widened. "Oh dear."
BAM
POW
BIFF
All of Halloween Town winced as their leader was made a punching bag before their very eyes, those with weaker constitutions unable to watch. Even Lock, Shock and Barrel had to cover their eyes at some points. Blow after painful blow fell upon Jack Skellington.
"He sure is devoted," Kairi said offering some hope, and wincing as another hit landed.
"And he can sure take a punch," Mulan said.
"And a mallet," Beast grumbled.
"And a roundhouse," sonic muttered.
"And an icicle to the gut," Jack Sparrow gulped.
Jack Skellington dislodged the icicle from his stomach; he was dazed and wobbling after the huge beating he had just received, barely able to stand on his own two feet. "Jack Skellington, our long standing friendship is now over!" Oogie laughed. He tossed his favored dice along the floor where they stopped on double ones before Jack. Oggie scowled at his poor luck, blowing hard to overturn the dice to the six face. "Oh! Double sixes! It must be my lucky day! Which means it's a bad day for you!"
The dice exploded at Jack's feet and that sent the Pumpkin King soaring into the sky at a fantastic rate. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOHOOHOOOHEEEEEEEEE!
"JACK!" Sally cried. Jack soared farther and farther until he was no longer in Halloween Town and no longer visible. Jack Skellington was gone. Zero barked in a state of worriment and zipped off in the direction he went, still calling out.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! So long, Jack!" Oogie waved mockingly even though Jack was long gone. "And don't worry, I'll take good care of Halloween Town while you're gone! The Pumpkin King has been dethroned! Long live the new king! King Oogie Boogie! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"You're not the king yet!" Sora yelled and Oogie found himself surrounded by Keybladers, weapons drawn to put Oogie in his place. All he did though was laugh at Sora.
"Well, if it isn't Jack's sidekick. This really is my lucky day! If you want a slice of revenge pie, all you had to do was ask! Bring it on!"
KHKHKHKH
Zero whisked through the night, quick as he could manage without feet. The little ghost dog flew through tombstones and memorials, barking and yipping through the never ending night. He was calling out through the graveyard, looking for something or someone. He came across it soon enough with the help of his sharp nose. The largest monument in the yard, a statue of a beautiful angel, held in its outstretched arms Jack Skellington, sprawled across it like he had died again. Zero approached slowly and nuzzled Jack's cheek. Jack eyes opened, but from the look on his face, he wished they hadn't. He sat up, still in the arms of the angel.
What have I done?
What have I done?
How could I be so blind?
All is lost, where was I?Spoiled all, spoiled all
Everything's gone all wrong
What have I done?
What have I done?
Find a deep cave to hide in
In a million years they'll find me
Only dust and a plaque
That reads, "Here Lies Poor Old Jack"
Jack pressed his face into his hands to hide his face from the world and Zero whined in sympathy. When Jack removed his hands, his eyes were pressed in a frown, and that worried the ghost pup.
But I never intended all this madness, never
And nobody really understood, how could they?
That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great
Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?
A light chuckle split the brief silence and Jack suddenly threw back his head and laughed loudly, surprising the ghost dog.
Well, what the heck, I went and did my best
And, my God, I really tasted something swell, that's right
And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky
And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did
And for the first time since I don't remember when
I felt just like my old bony self again
And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King
Jack paused. "Wait a minute. I am the Pumpkin King!" He laughed and jumped off the statue and began dancing around the graveyard in a spectacle. Zero danced along with him, yipping as if congratulating Jack. He had forgotten all about his role as Pumpkin King! He had craved adventure and Keyblades so much that he forgot his life already was an adventure! The King of Halloween was the most exciting title he could have!
Jack abruptly stopped dancing. "Oogie!" He had to get back. And quick! Halloween Town needed his help!
It was at that moment, he heard the sound of jingle bells.
KHKHKHKH
"Dance the Boogie dance! Hahahahaha!" Oogie Boogie was a Christmas wielding nightmare. If anyone could use Christmas magic for a weapon it was him. Power over ice and snow were only one of his abilities. His snake tongue shot out of his lips and wrapped around Kairi's arm, yanking her into him and together they danced, albeit forcefully. He pulled her close to him and smiled lecherously. "Lovely," Oogie whispered, maggots hanging from his mouth like teeth, nearly making Kairi throw up. He spun her away as if bored with her.
Mulan stepped up, Keyblade in one hand, witch's broom in the other. Her Keyblade shot fireballs which Oogie cancelled out with balls of ice, then followed up with a barrage of icicles. Mulan's broom pulled her off course from the projectiles of its own accord when they whizzed passed her. Jack Sparrow's wind powered Keyblade blasted propelled air, but all Oogie had to do was suck it all in. Once full, he blew it all back at Jack and sent him flying. Jack sighed after he landed, about to take a gulp of rum until he noticed something was missing.
"Anyone seen me arm?" Jack called, looking at the stump that used to host his drinking tool.
"You're ugly!"
"You're hairy!"
"You smell!"
Beast struggled to keep his calm, he really did, dealing with the evil trio known as Lock, Shock and Barrel, but they were officially working his last nerve. They ran around him, over him, through his legs, as all the while he tried feebly to catch them. He didn't use his Keyblade, they were just kids after all; evil kids. It was made all the worse with them beating him with sticks, pulling on his cloak and snapping a bear trap on his tail. And of course, there was the verbal abuse.
"You're not only big, you're fat too!" Lock laughed meanly, kicking his shin.
"And you're stupid!" Shock cackled, pulling his fur.
"You give monkeys a bad name!" Barrel giggled, biting Beast's arm. Beast snapped then.
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Lock, Shock and Barrel bore the full front of the bellow, their masks flying off from the sheer power of it, spittle flung in their now exposed faces. When it was over, all three were frozen with fear, their eyes wider than dinner plates. Beast smirked. He blew lightly, and toppled the three petrified stooges like trees.
"Oh, that tickles! Really, is that all you got?" Oogie mocked, sonic clawing over and over again at his stomach, not getting any results. Nothing could break through that bag. "If you're gonna be scratching me, could you do my back? I've got an itch I just can't reach." sonic snarled and in a flash summoned his Keyblade, slapping Oogie with the back of it so hard the Boogie man skidded across the asphalt. "Well if you're gonna be rude about it!"
Sora jumped in, charging with his Keyblade, and Oogie created his own weapon, a candy cane sword. "En guard!" Oogie shouted and they clashed blades. Although Sora was a better swordsman, Oogie could still hold his ground, surprisingly agile for a guy full of bugs. And a little cheating never hurt either. Oogie's ice breath froze the floor Sora stood on, making him slip up and slide along the ground. "HA! Am I cool or what! Who knew Christmas could be so nasty!"
"OOGIE BOOGIE!" All eyes turned to the sky above where a sled pulled by eight tiny reindeer flew above, silhouetted by the full moon. Jingle bells rang as it soared overhead, the big man in red controlling the reigns. Someone jumped out of the sled and fell to the earth, flipped in mid-air, and landed gracefully on the ground. After his flashy entrance, Jack Skellington felt the need to take a bow.
"Jack! You're okay!" Sally exclaimed, relieved. Jack didn't respond, his sockets fixated on Oogie Boogie, as he stood across from him in a standoff.
"Everyone! Stay back!" Jack shouted, not taking his eyes of his enemy. "This is between Oogie and I." Zero floated up beside him, growling hatefully at Oogie.
"But Jack-" Sora began, but stopped himself. Jack didn't look the same as when he first fought Oogie. He looked strong, he looked terrifying, he looked like the Pumpkin King. Something told Sora that Jack knew what he was doing now. Oogie just laughed at him.
[OOGIE
Well, well, well!
What a pest, you are!
Still around, huh?
Oh, can't say I like that!
So why don't you just give up?
You know, surrender!
Oogie flung candy canes at Jack, sharper than butcher knives, but Jack's dance moves dodged each one. As more came, he caught them between his bony fingers.
[JACK
It's over! It's over!
Your scheme was bound to fail!
It's over, you're finished here!
Your next stop will be jail!
Jack flung the candy canes back where they came from and Oogie knocked them away with the back of his arm.
[OOGIE
He mocks me! He fights me! I don't know which is worse!
I might just split a seam now
If I don't die laughin' first!
Ha, ha, ha!
Oogie laughed loudest he could so everyone around them could hear. At first everyone thought he found himself really funny, until mountains of bugs from all corners stampeded their way for him. Under the ground, out of houses, every bug in town swarmed their way to Oogie, rushing to him in droves, crawling up his body and entering through his mouth and eyes. With the growing amount of insects inside him, Oogie grew bigger and bigger until everyone had to crane their necks to look at him. With Santa's magic bag, his new body could take it, and now he towered above all, looking down at Jack with amusement.
[JACK
What's this? A trick? I'm not impressed!
You're bad, and now you're tall!
It makes it all the more worthwhile
To see a giant fall!
Giant Oogie attempted to step on Jack like he was one of the millions of bugs inside him.
[OOGIE
Talk, talk, talk! But I tell you
This giant's goin' nowhere!
If I were you, I'd take a hike!
There's danger in the air!
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Ha Ha Ha!
I'm the only Pumpkin King!
Jack was so nimble and quick that he whisked around Oogie's feet like they were his dance partners. Oogie was trying so hard to crush him that Jack actually caused him to trip over his own feet. He fell to the earth with a resounding crash, shaking the foundations around him.
"Go Jack! You can do it!" Sora called, joining the rest of Halloween Town in their support of Jack Skellington, cheering their loudest. Jack momentarily looked away from Oogie as he was getting up again, eyes scanning the crowd until he found what he was looking for. He ran to Mulan, grabbed her flying broom, and jumped on it like a board to take off to the air. Surfing the sky he glided down the streets and grabbed a torch from a street lamp. He then swallowed it whole and made for the again standing Oogie. He flew around Oogie like a gnat before blowing fire from his skull, nailing the bug bag in his face. Screaming in anger, Oogie flailed his arms to swat Jack away, only for Jack to avoid it all and continue spitting fire. A classic battle between giant monster and flying pest.
[JACK
Well, I'm feeling angry
And there's plenty left to do!
You've had your fun with all my friends
And now I'm after you!
[OOGIE
Even if you catch me
You could never do me in!
I'm ten stories high, and just as strong!
Which means I'm gonna win!
Oogie fired icicles at the flying Skellington, Jack just barely avoiding them.
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh oh!
[TOGETHER
Whoa oh!
[JACK
I'm the only Pumpkin King!
Jack grabbed the broom from under him and plummeted down to where Oogie waited, falling like a rock until he was close enough. When he was, he plunged the broom's hilt into one of the only exposed parts of Oogie's body, his eye. Jack pushed off and Oogie screamed in agony with a broom sticking out of his face, Jack landing on a building as the giant thrashed about.
"Halloween Town is mine!" Jack declared loudly. Oogie pulled the broom out of his eye and snapped it in his grasp.
"Well, aren't we confident!" Oogie laughed. Jack jumped down to street level again and pulled from nowhere flaming jack-o-lanterns in each of his hands.
[JACK
It's over! You're finished!
You'll never get away!
You, the King of Halloween?
That will be the day!
He chucked each pumpkin and they exploded on Oogie to anger him more than he already was.
[OOGIE
How feeble! How childish!
Is that the best you've got?
You think that you're a hero, Jack!
But I think you are not!
And Oogie puffed his chest up, inhaling and inhaling until he could no more. He released it all at once, not as air, but as swarms of flying bugs. Thousands of them blasted from his mouth as a black mass and buzzed for their target, Jack Skellington. Jack tried to fight back but the bugs numbered too many. Oogie's trump card was his best gamble yet. They crawled all over him, consuming his body to the point he was no longer visible, suffocated him inside a ball of bugs. Everyone watched in horror while Oogie's huge laughter boomed.
[OOGIE
Now it's time for you to see
What it really means to scare!
'Cause I'm a gamblin' Boogie Man
Although I don't play fair!
It's much more fun, I must confess
When lives are on the line!
Not mine, of course, but yours, old friend!
Now that'd be just fine!
The ball of bugs exploded in a brilliant and bright light, abruptly ceasing Oogie's laughter, his insects rushing back into the safety of his bag. The light was blinding, but soothing, enveloping everyone present in its warmth. Jack Skellington stood inside, his eyes glowing, with a long shadow of something in his hand. As the light started to fade, they could remove their hands from their eyes, and Jack now had a certain something in his hand.
"No...freakin'...way," Sora stammered in complete disbelief.
Pumpkin King whistled through the head of every Keyblader in town, including the head of Jack Skellington. Because now clutched in his hand was a Keyblade, his Keyblade. It was pitch black, leathery wings as the hand guard and the teeth of the blade the shape of a bat. The keychain was that of a jack-o-lantern. Where the blade met the hilt, the miniature head of Jack himself grinned.
"Jack...," Sally whispered in awe.
Oogie Boogie, meanwhile, was just plain pissed.
"I'm the King of Halloween!" he screamed at the top of his voice. Jack shook his head and smiled almost in pity.
"You're king of nothing!"
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Whoa oh!
[OOGIE
Whoa oh!
[JACK
Whoa oh!
I'M THE ONLY PUMPKIN KING!
They eyes of the miniature skull on Jack's Keyblade flashed for a second, and Jack changed, making the scariest face he could manage and emitting a terrifying wail that sent chills done everyone's spine. Jack seemed to change and grow larger. Shadows wrapped around him, bats flew out his mouth, snakes slithered from his eye sockets, his teeth grew sharper and more defined; he had become the embodiment of all things scary. Halloween Town watched in awe, the terror of this not directed at them, but all of it directed at the unfortunate Oogie Boogie.
"W-W-What is this!?" Oogie stammered, actually taking a few large steps back. The entity was bigger than he was now, and growing fiercer and more terrifying by the second. Everything that one could fear was coming from the thing in front of him. "STAY BACK! G-GET AWAY FROM ME!" Oogie felt something rumble inside him, many somethings. His bugs, his lifeforce, they started spilling out of his mouth and eyes. "WHAT?! NO! STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET BACK INSIDE ME!" They wouldn't stay in Oogie even if he'd paid him. Jack had become so frighteningly terrifying that even the bugs were scared and were flooding out of Oogie just to get away from him. Oogie wilted as more and more of his bugs ran away, shrinking down to size. "NO! NOT AGAIN! NO! NOOOOOOOooooooooooo..." As the last of the bugs scurried off into hiding, Santa's bag sagged to the street lifelessly, Oogie Boogie no longer maintaining any presence.
The only thing left was the snake, slithering its way out of the folds of the bag, hoping to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, it slithered its way to someone's shoe. The snake looked up to see Sora smiling down at him, a little to sinisterly. Sora reared back and kicked the serpent with all his might so it flew through the sky until it was all but out of sight. When that was done, all eyes turned to the three causes of all this. Lock, Shock and Barrel gulped in unison.
"I, uh, think we left the oven on!" Lock stammered.
"Must be going now!" Shock said nervously.
"Please don't kill us!" Barrel whimpered. And they ran off as fast as their little legs could carry them.
The incredibly scary being that saved the day reverted back to the slightly less scary Jack Skellington. He shook his head clear after the whole ordeal, then took a bow. It was after that when everyone cheered loudly and gave their praise to the Pumpkin King.
"You did it, Jack!" Sally exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together. "You won! You saved the town! I'm so proud of you!"
"It was nothing," Jack replied, all though a little tiredly. "Just doing my job."
"Way to go, Jack!" Sora congratulated, patting him on the back. "You beat him all on your own! It was incredible! And you even got a Keyblade!"
"I did?" Jack Skellington questioned. He looked around blindly before he noticed he was holding his latest obsession. "Wow! I did, didn't I? This is mine! I never had any doubt!" Once again the sound of jingle bells sprinkled in the air. The red sleigh pulled by eight reindeer descended to the ground and landed not too far off. po was inside for some reason, along with the big man in red. Santa Claus, looking rather disgruntled, marched past the gaping and astonished Keybladers mumbling in annoyance.
"Told you he was real!" Kairi said with a smug grin to the others.
Santa picked up his pilfered magical bag and inspected it of any remains of Oogie, satisfied when he found none. "Honestly, insects do not belong here."
"Sandy Claws!" Jack exclaimed, waving to the bearded man. "Good to see you again! Is that yours? You know, you shouldn't leave stuff like that laying around where anyone can take it."
"Well I obviously never expected this to happen!" Santa exasperated. "Using Christmas to do evil! I would never have imagined such a thing!" He marched off towards his sliegh with his bag in tow again. "I'll make sure this never happens again. I don't know why I keep having to come back to this place."
"Say, uh, Santa mate!" Jack Sparrow suddenly said, running to him. "I might as well ask right now, did you happen to receive my list this year?" Santa looked at him for a second, then scowled.
"Oh, it's you. I'll tell you what I say every year. I cannot give you a bottomless bottle of rum! So stop asking me, Captain Jack Sparrow!" Santa walked off again, leaving a heartbroken Jack in his wake.
"And where have you been?" sonic asked as po approached. He scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Yeah, what would you guys say if hypothetically someone helped the bag of bugs become alive again and beat you guys up?"
"I can honestly say I'd skin him alive," Beast answered nonchalantly. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, uh, I, uh...took care of that guy! Yup! That's where I was all this time! Haha...ha." Beast gave him a suspicious look.
KHKHKHKH
"Really?" Jack gasped in wonder, a big smile on his face. "You guys want me to come with you?"
Sora nodded, also smiling. "That's right."
"You did it. You really did get a Keyblade," Kairi replied.
"And you really kicked butt back there," sonic complimented.
"We could use someone like you," Mulan said.
"No we couldn't," po whimpered, once again in his hiding place from Jack Skellington under Beast's cloak.
"Just remember I'm the number one Jack on this team," Jack Sparrow informed.
"Wow!" Jack beamed happily, looking more pleased than he had in a long time. "This is much more than I expected! I'm honoured! I don't know what to say!" He looked at his new Keyblade and grinned with excitement. "I'll do it! I'll go with you! But first!" He turned around to where all of Halloween Town watched. "My friends! I have news for you! I'm afraid I must be leaving Halloween Town." The scary citizens were shocked at the news. "But do not fret for I have learned something! I was selfish. As the Pumpkin King it is my duty to uphold the beauty that is Halloween, but in my excitement I lost sight of that. However, there is still something I must do, for I am still very selfish! We have been keeping Halloween to ourselves for years when the rest of the worlds don't know its majesty! Therefore, it my duty as Pumpkin King to travel the worlds and spread the joy! I'll bring Halloween to the stars!" It was enough to inspire righteous applause through all the people.
"Yes, Jack! Yes!" the Mayor shouted in support. His head was thawed out of the block of ice that incased him but the rest of him was still frozen, several children chiseling the rest of him out. "We support you all the way! Spread our joyous holiday! You're always thinking of others, Jack! If anyone can do it, it's you!" Zero barked eagerly in agreement.
"Jack." Sally slowly walked to Jack Skellington and, as expected, looked very sad. "Is this what you really want to do, Jack? Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Sally, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. If I can help people that need help, I must do everything I can." He paused for a second. "Unless you think that this is a bad idea!" Sally smiled.
"No Jack. I'm proud of you. I'm happy that you want to help them." She smiled again. "And I'm glad you're finally asking for my opinion."
"Just another thing I've come to learn." Jack took Sally's soft hands in his skinless ones and they both smiled. Then suddenly Jack pulled Sally into a dip and planted a kiss on her face, one that lasted several seconds. Her spun her back up, leaving her in a dazed and stupefied state. "I'm off then, everyone! But I shall be back soon! Until then, farewell!"
"W-wait a minute," po trembled, peeking out from behind Beast. "Y-You mean this guy is c-coming with us?"
"I know!" Jack Skellington exclaimed, sweeping po off his feet in a hug. "Isn't it great!"
po's scream was heard all the way to the Shera.
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!