Chapter 11: A Trip to the Magic Kingdom Part 3
Coming out of Fantasyland, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie were met with an immediate change of scenery.
Instead of the small quaint village that made up Fantasyland, they were immediately met by tall rocky cliffs that looked like something out of an old western cowboy movie. On the cliffs above, they could even see people riding a small train while screaming and cheering as they zoomed by on the track.
Sonic gasped, eyes sparkling as soon as he saw this before he zipped over to Tom and Maddie. "Mom, Dad, which ride is that?!" He asked, excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Oh, that's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad." Tom said, he and Maddie being slightly startled by their hedgehog son's enthusiasm.
"Big Thunder Mou – what the crap?! That's the coolest name for a railroad ever!" Sonic exclaimed, to which Tails covered his mouth to muffle his laughter while Knuckles simply rolled his eyes.
"Language." Tom said sternly, causing Sonic to shrink back a bit. "But, yeah, we can go on it."
"Yes!" Sonic, pumping his fist triumphantly. "Tails, I'll race ya to the line!"
Tails grinned eagerly. "Oh ho, you're on, big bro!" He said as he and Sonic quickly ran off as fast as they could to find the line, with Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie right behind them.
As they rounded the cliffs of Big Thunder Mountain, the Wachowski family was greeted by the sight of the Rivers of America, with Frontierland, New Orleans Square, and Critter Country all lined up along the water as a massive steamboat sailed around Tom Sawyer Island.
"Woah…" Sonic and Tails gasped as Knuckles and their parents caught up with them.
"This is totally different from Fantasyland." Sonic remarked.
"Yeah…" Tails numbly nodded in agreement before turning his head to the left and spotting the line for Big Thunder Mountain.
Noticing Sonic was still distracted by the grandeur of the park, Tails quickly zipped over to the line.
"I win!" Tails grinned smugly.
Sonic finally snapped out of his dazed state, whipping his head over to Tails. "Hey, no fair! That does not count!" He exclaimed, zooming over to his little brother with Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie following him.
"Yes it does!" Tails replied cheekily.
"You are a dirty cheater you!" Sonic said, though he couldn't keep the joking grin off his face as he pulled Tails into a playful noogie, earning a blunt of giggles from the young fox.
Waiting in line for several minutes, the Wachowski's eventually got to the front of the line as the train approached before the gates opened, allowing them to get on the ride.
Sonic and Tails sat together in a cart near the middle while Tom sat alone in the cart in front of them and Knuckles and Maddie sat together in the cart behind them.
As the ride started, Tails peaked over Tom and noticed something about the train. "Hey, there's no conductor." He nudged Sonic's shoulder, turning his big brother's attention to the front. "Who's driving this thing?" He asked, giggling nervously.
Sonic smirked. "Maybe it's a ghost, OoooOoooh!" He said teasingly, wiggling his fingers at the little fox in an almost ticklish manner.
Tails giggled adorably, shoving Sonic's fingers away. "Ah! Stop it!" He laughed, earning a cackle from Sonic.
Focusing back on the ride, the train began to speed up a bit as it entered a small pitch black tunnel.
"Once again, another coaster where I can't see anything!" Sonic joked in the darkness.
However, the train quickly slowed down, starting up a steep incline and towards a bright light above where a little waterfall flowed down from above, diverted only by a small roof above the train.
"I sure hope there's no yeti on this ride." Tails giggled nervously, recalling the Matterhorn.
"Worse, we'll get Bigfoot!" Sonic said jokingly
Tails laughed cutely. "If we do, I know we can take care of it."
"You bet, little bro!" Sonic grinned, giving Tails a playful jab to the shoulder.
Reaching the top of the incline, the train emerged from the tunnel into the daylight, causing most of the passengers on the train, including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie, to shield their eyes from the brightness.
Now out of the tunnel, the train began to speed up as it went around, bobbing up and down on the hills as they raced around the track like a rocket.
"Yeeee-HAW!" Sonic and Tails cheered, sticking their hands in the air along with several other people on the ride.
After going down into another dark tunnel, the train took a sharp turn to the right before slowing down and going up another incline, this time going under a tall wooden water tower.
"Hoo boy, here we go!" Sonic exclaimed, bouncing in his seat as he and Tails grinned excitedly.
Reaching the top of the incline, they passed by a small sign that read, 'Danger! Blasting Area Ahead'.
"'Blasting Area'? What does that mean?" Tails questioned, glancing over at Sonic.
Sonic shrugged nonchalantly. "The train's just gonna be robbed later on." He said jokingly, to which Tails rolled his eyes.
As they continued down, Sonic and Tails raised their hands again and cheered with the other passengers as the train began to go fast again, rounding another bend and bobbing over another hill before making another sharp turn, this one much longer than the previous ones, and going into another tunnel that led to another incline.
Upon entering the tunnel, Sonic and Tails were quick to notice that the tunnel was filled with red lanterns and barrels of dynamite, the fuses to which had already been lit.
"Okay, this is much worse than a train robbery!" Sonic stated while Tails giggled nervously as they started to go up, the hissing of the lit fuses growing louder and louder while they higher and higher up the incline.
Lights began to flash at the top of the tunnel as the loud booming sounds of explosions echoed through the tunnel as they reached the top of the incline.
Emerging from the tunnel and into broad daylight once again, the train began to go down, going faster than it had before as they raced down the track.
"Whooooooo!" Sonic and Tails cheered, along with Tom, Maddie, and several other people as they around a couple of sharp turns, even passing through the fossilized ribcage of what seemed like a dinosaur, before they began to slow down.
Coming back to the station where they started, the laps bars lifted up, allowing Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie to get off the ride.
"Gotta say, that was not as intense as the Matterhorn." Sonic remarked as they walked back into the park.
"Yeah, but it was still fun, right?" Tails pointed out with a smile.
Sonic grinned. "Yeah, it was." He said, affectionately ruffling Tails' bangs a bit.
"How about we go on Pirates of the Carribean next?" Maddie suggested, pointing over to said ride in New Orleans Square.
"Pirates?" Sonic and Tails both gasped excitedly while Knuckles looked intrigued.
"Oh, I love pirates!" Sonic exclaimed. "Yar! I be Captain Swift of the Seven High Seas!"
"And I be his first mate, Sails!" Tails added, playing along with a grin on his face.
"Along with our cabin boy, Knuckles the Dread!" Sonic also proclaimed, gesturing to Knuckles.
Knuckles frowned slightly. "I am no cabin boy, hedgehog."
"Yeah, but I already called dibs on captain and Tails already called first mate." Sonic said apologetically.
"Yeah, sorry, Knuckles." Tails apologized sheepishly.
Heading over to the ride and getting in line, the Wachowski family was forced to wait much much longer for this ride then the ones before they entered the building the housed the ride.
Upon entering the building, they were immediately hit with the strong scent of bromine water as boats with people in them slowly sailed by in the dark room, lit only by a series of warm lanterns.
"This place has an indoor river?" Tails questioned in surprise as they moved further up the line. "Awesome!"
"The water's not too deep, right?" Sonic asked Tom and Maddie, looking slightly nervous.
"No, it's not, so don't worry about it, bud." Tom said, giving the blue hedgehog some reassuring head-scritches.
"And besides, we're gonna be in a boat the whole time so we'll be fine." Maddie added.
Eventually getting to the front of the line, the Wachowski family boarded the boat, with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie sitting in the second row behind a few people while other people were behind them.
Once everyone was seated, the ride began as the boat departed from the dock, going into the dark swamp, the dark trees looming over them as the only sounds that could be heard were the crickets chirping and the gentle hum of the boat's motor.
Sonic's entire body went stiff the moment they went into the water, his breathing hitched as he kept absolutely still, his eyes transfixed on what was directly in front of them.
Tails, since he was sitting right next to the blue hedgehog, quickly noticed this. "Sonic? You okay?" He asked worriedly.
Sonic blinked before looking down at Tails. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He said a little too quickly.
Knuckles, meanwhile, rested a gentle hand on Sonic's shoulder. "I know you fear the water, brother. But remember, as long as you are with us, you are safe."
Seeing that their middle child was feeling nervously, Maddie looked to the right and spotted the restaurant that was built next to the ride, 'The Blue Bayou'. "Hey, check this out." She said, lightly, tapping Sonic's shoulder to get his attention.
Looking over to what his mother was pointing at, Sonic's fears somewhat washed away as he gasped. "They have a restaurant on this ride?" He exclaimed, nearly standing up from his seat. "That's awesome!"
"Maybe we could go there at some point!" Tails exclaimed, smiling widely with his older brother as looked at the restaurant too.
Sitting back down in their seats, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie simply sat as the boat continued on, drifting past the small wooden cabins on the water.
Eventually, the boat slowly drifted into a darker tunnel that was dimly lit as the sound of crickets faded, leaving only the hum of the boat. However, that was soon replaced by what seemed to be the sound of rushing water coming from just ahead of them.
"Psst! Avast there!" A soft-spoken yet slightly grizzled voice suddenly spoke from above, startling Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles and forcing them to look up.
Just above them, a spotlight lit up an old dusty skull wearing a pirate hat while two swords were crossed underneath it, the symbol of the Jolly Roger.
"It be too late to alter course, mateys." The animatronic skull spoke as the boat suddenly came to a stop in front of another tunnel, one that was completely pitch black. "And there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands inboard. That be the best way to repel boarders."
"And mark well me words, mateys; dead men tell no tales, heh, heh, heh…" The animatronic skull chuckled.
Sonic and Tails glanced at each other, gulping in anticipation as they subtly scooted closer to each other until they were shoulder to shoulder.
Knuckles placed both of his hands into his lamp, heeding the skull's advice and keeping his hands in the boat.
Tom and Maddie slowly wrapped their arms around the kids, forming a sort of protective body shield around them.
There was a brief moment of silence between all the passengers before they heard the sounds of gates unlocking.
Next thing they knew, the boat was descending down a steep decline and rapidly picking up speed.
Sonic and Tails clung to each and screamed as they went down, along with several other people on the boat.
Then, just as soon as the drop started, it ended as the boat crashed nose-first into the water before steadying out.
The tunnel was now light by sparse luminescent blue and green lights as the boat continued on.
Now that they could see each other again, Sonic and Tails let go of each other and were about to relax when Tails spotted something in front of them.
"Look! Another drop!" The young fox exclaimed, pointing out the second drop ahead of them.
"Oh no…" Sonic whimpered as he and Tails held hands tightly in apprehension.
In an agonizingly slow fashion, the boat reached the edge of the drop before going over, the boat picking up speed as it went down the decline, Tom and Maddie cheering while Sonic and Tails yelped before the boat became steady once again.
Now, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie, along with all the other people on the ride, found themselves in a large cave, drifting along the river.
Looking off to the right, Sonic and Tails both gasped as they spotted a small island, with a few fake skeletons and empty chests scattered about.
"Dead men tell no tales!" A haunting voice came from somewhere in the cave, putting Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles on edge.
As they continued on, passing the small island, they went past an animatronic skeleton at the helm of a crashed ship while a storm played in the background, with heavy rain on a screen and lights flashing to indicate lightning. Shredded sails and old cargo remained scattered about the site of the wreck as the lone helmsman was doomed to eternally pilot the ship through the thunderstorm to a long forgotten destination.
Tails whimpered slightly, his astraphobia kicking in as he clutched Sonic's arm and snuggled against the blue hedgehog's side.
Sonic flinched slightly, but relaxed when he saw it was only his little brother. "Hey, Tails, it's okay." He said softly, resting his chin on the kit's head and nuzzling him affectionately.
Passing the crashed ship in the storm, the boat sailed deeper into the cave where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles could see more skeletons scattered about, some playing a game of chess while the others drinking some rum.
In another section of the tunnel, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles could see a skeleton snuggled into a king-sized bed while musical instruments played by themselves.
"Man, that puts a whole new meaning on 'he died in his sleep'." Sonic remarked, hoping to ease the tension, to which Tails quietly giggled while Knuckles rolled his eyes at the corniness of the blue hedgehog's joke
And in another section of the tunnel, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles managed to spot a skeleton sitting atop a mountain of gold, jewels, and treasure.
They took a moment to admire the mountain of treasure as they went past it, even though they all knew it was fake.
Moving on, the boat continued down the dark tunnel as it got narrower, with a skeleton pirate hanging from a small swing, holding a chest of treasure in his boney hands.
"No fear of evil curses, says you?" A voice spoke up from somewhere in the cave, slightly startling Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. "Argh… properly warned ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike at greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure? Perhaps ye knows too much… ye've seen the cursed treasure, ye know where it be hidden. Now proceed at your own risk. These be the last 'friendly' words ye'll hear. Ye may not survive to pass this way again…"
"Thank you, Mr. Narrator, that was real helpful." Sonic joked in a sarcastic manner.
"Yeah, if this is considered 'friendly', I'd hate to know what they consider 'mean' then." Tails remarked.
Knuckles sat up, looking high alert. "Careful, brothers. We must not fall for this evil curse the voice speaks of."
Sonic and Tails both nodded in agreement before focusing back on the ride.
Soon, the boat exited out of the eerie grotto, and Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, Maddie, and all the other people on the boat found themselves thrust through a blinding mist and into a fog-enshrouded harbor under cloudy night skies.
And it was there that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles realized that they were caught in the middle of a fierce battle between a large pirate galleon and the giant Spanish fort on the island colony.
On the pirate ship, an animatronic Captain Barbossa stood at the deck of his ship, waving his cutlass around threatningly as the cannons from his ship fired.
"Strike yer colors, ya bloomin' cockroaches! Surrender Captain Jack Sparrow or by thunder we'll burn this city to the ground!" The animatronic Barbossa barked. "They need persuasion, mates. Fire at will!"
The cannons 'fired' again, brief explosions going off in the water and kicking up huge splashes.
"Woah…" Sonic and Tails both gasped, looking stary-eyed as they witnessed the battle.
Sailing past the battle, the boat slowly entered through the town gates, sailing along the canals of the town.
Inside the town, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles could see pirates invading the town, with some even leading a few captured people to be dunked in the water well, barrels of rum and treasure being lined up, houses looted and ransacked, all while the remaining people fled in terror of the pirates.
"Ha-har!" One pirate animatronic laughed, sitting on a barrel of rum and holding a map in his hand. "Search all you want, Captain Jack Sparrow! You'll never find the treasure!" He said boisterously, unaware that Jack Sparrow himself was peeking out from behind the barrels and listening in while also looking at the map.
"Hey, there's Jack!" Sonic exclaimed, excitedly pointing out Jack.
"Hi, Mr. Jack!" Tails smiled, waving to the animatronic.
"That's Captain Jack Sparrow to you, savvy!" Sonic said, putting on his best Jack Sparrow impersonation.
Tails giggled at his older brother's impression as they continued on.
"Yo-ho, yo-ho! A pirate's life for me!" Sonic and Tails giddily sang along with the animatronics. "We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot! Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho! A pirate's life for me!"
Finishing their singing, Sonic and Tails burst into laughter, leaning onto each other while Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie smiled in amusement.
As they continued on, the boat soon entered a tunnel underneath a tall bridge, entering the foundations of the town. Upon entering it, they found a couple of pirates in a jail cell unsuccessfully attempting to bribe the guard dog with a bone to come over and lend them the keys.
"Now that is a good boy." Knuckles nodded in respect to the dog.
"Not as good as Ozzie." Sonic cheekily pointed out.
"Yeah, no one's a better boy than Ozzie!" Tails added with a smile.
Going past the prison cells, the boat entered the town's underground arsenal. Burning embers and flaming pillars were all around them, with cannonballs and stacks of gunpowder all around them.
On both sides, a few drunken pirate animatronics began taking pot-shots at the boats, although missing each time.
"Uh, guys, I'm pretty sure firing guns in a room full of gunpowder isn't a good idea." Tails giggled nervously.
"Yeah, I personally don't wanna get blown to kingdom come right now, as awesome as that would be." Sonic added.
Thankfully, that did not happen as the boat began to go up a steep incline that was almost like a waterfall.
As they went up, they stopped for a brief moment as they spotted none other than Captain Jack Sparrow himself sitting on a throne-like chair in a small room filled with the hidden treasure the pirates from earlier had tried so hard to keep away from him.
"Ahoy there, Captain Jack!" Sonic and Tails cheered, giving the animatronic a salute.
"Drink up lads!" The Jack Sparrow animatronic said. "There's treasure enough for all! I shall take this paltry sum as a stipend to cover my expenses, and a chest of jewels. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!"
"Yo-ho, yo-ho! A pirate's life for me!" Sonic, Tails, Tom, Maddie, and even Knuckles sang along with the animatronic.
Reaching the top of the waterfall, the boat slowly drifted back into the sleepy bayou where their journey began.
Coming back to the docks, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie got off the ride and exited back out into New Orleans Square.
Sonic and Tails were actively play-fighting with imaginary cutlasses as they wandered back out into the street.
"That was awesome!" Sonic exclaimed excitedly with a wide grin.
"It was like all my fantasies of being a pirate come to life!" Tails squealed happily.
"It was quite enjoyable." Knuckles nodded with a small smile. "I enjoyed the smell of it."
"So, which ride do you guys want to do next?" Tom asked. "I was thinking maybe we could try the Haunted Mansion."
"Ooh, Haunted Mansion? Count me in!" Sonic eagerly stated.
"Uh, heh, it's not actually haunted, is it?" Tails asked nervously.
"Of course not, Sweetie." Maddie smiled, gently ruffling his bangs affectionately, earning a few giggles from the kit.
"And we will protect you if there are any spirits inhabiting this mansion." Knuckles said, laying a hand on Tails' shoulder.
"That's right. We ain't afraid a no ghost!" Sonic said, wrapping his around Tails' shoulder in a comforting manner.
Tails smiled happily at his family. "Alright, well, let's do it!"
Getting in line, the Wachowski family soon entered through the gates and into the grounds of the mansion.
"Huh, it doesn't look too bad." Sonic stated, tilting his head at the giant white mansion.
"Appearances can be deceiving, brother. Be on your guard." Knuckles warned him cautiously.
Sure enough, Knuckles' warning quickly proved to have its merits as after passing by a pet cemetery, a mausoleum with pun names, and even a white carriage hearse led by an invisible horse, they were led through the doors of the mansion into the foyer.
Entering the foyer felt like they had stepped into a completely different world as eerie music played over the hidden speakers, giving Sonic, Tails, and even Knuckles a sense of uneasiness about them.
"When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange frightening sounds echo through the halls… Whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still… That is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight." A deep, resonant sounding voice came from the hidden speakers inside the room, sending chills of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' spines.
Suddenly, one of the doors in front of them slid open, allowing them into a large octagonal room with four paintings hanging on the walls, one a bearded man, another a pretty young lady, a third being an old woman, and the last one being a man in a bowler hat.
"Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion." The voice from before greeted them. "I am your host – your 'Ghost Host'." It chuckled.
Sonic snorted, lightly elbowing Tails to get his attention. "Heh, 'Ghost Host'? Lame." He joked, hoping to ease the tension, which he partially succeeded at as he got Tails to snicker slightly.
"Kindly step all the way in please and make room for everyone." The Ghost Host informed everyone present in the room as the doors slid shut behind them. "There's no turning back now."
Once everyone was inside and the doors had been properly sealed, there was a brief moment of tense silence in the eerie room.
"Our tour begins here, in this gallery, where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state." The Ghost Host said as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles observed all four paintings.
Sonic and Tails glanced at each other nervously, getting a bad feeling both from the voice and from this room.
"Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis." The Ghost Host said, now sounding like he was almost taunting them. "Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination – hmm?"
And indeed, before Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles' shocked and slightly horrified eyes, the walls of the room were indeed beginning to 'stretch', along with the paintings hung up on them, revealing the whole picture.
The bearded man was revealed to be wearing only his undergarments from the waist down and standing atop a lit keg of dynamite. The pretty young lady was revealed to be balancing on a fraying tightrope above the gaping jaws of an alligator. The old woman was revealed to be sitting atop a tall gravestone, at the bottom of which was a stone bust carving of her husband with a hatchet embedded in his head. And finally, the man in the bowler hat was revealed to be sitting on the shoulders of another man, who was sitting on the shoulders of a third man who was waist-deep in quicksand.
"And consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows and no doors." The Ghost Host's voice continued, shaking Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles out of their collective stupor as they realized he was right. Indeed there were no windows or doors in the room, effectively leaving them trapped. "Which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!"
The Ghost Host's laugh was so loud that Tails actually jumped before clinging to Sonic's arm, though the blue hedgehog was just about equally frightened.
"Of course… there's always my way…" The Ghost Host said, with a grin practically in his voice.
With a sudden thunderclap, the lights in the room went out as the ceiling vanished, revealing the cupola above.
And hanging by a noose from the rafters was none other than the skeletal remains of the Ghost Host, illuminated by the flashes of lightning.
Sonic gasped while Tails screamed, jumping into the blue hedgehog's arms and clinging to him like a koala bear.
After a few seconds, the lighting stopped and the room became pitch black, much to everyone's unease.
"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely. The real chills come later." The Ghost Host chuckled as the lights came back on and a large door opened, leading into a wide hallway. "Now, as they say, 'look alive', and we'll continue our little tour. And let's all stay together, please."
Sonic noticed Tails was still clinging to him, his ears twitched as he heard sniffling and sobs coming from the little kit. "Tails?" He spoke.
Tails raised his head from Sonic's shoulder, his lip quivering and his eyes filled with unshed tears of fear.
Sonic felt his heart ache for his little brother as he held him close. "Shhh… it's okay, bud. None of it's real, okay? We'll keep you safe." He whispered softly. "You want me to carry you?"
Tails simply nodded, nuzzling his cheek into Sonic's chest and letting the blue hedgehog carry him.
Moving out of the room and into the hallway, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie noticed several portraits lining the wall.
"There are several prominent ghosts who have retired here from creepy old crypts all over the world." The Ghost Host spoke up, causing Tails to bury his face back into Sonic's chest while the blue hedgehog held him in a protective embrace. "Actually we have 999 happy haunts here… but there's room for 1,000. Any volunteers? Hahahahahaha! If you insist on lagging behind, you may not need to volunteer."
Coming out of the hall, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie stepped out into the dark and misty loading area, where their carriages awaited them.
Since the carriages were small, they were forced to split up again, with Sonic, Tails, and Maddie riding together in one carriage while Knuckles and Tom rode in another.
Tails sat in Maddie's lap while Sonic held his hand next to him as the ride started.
With the lap bar lowered down automatically, the carriage glided up the stairs to the second floor.
"We find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat." The Ghost Host spoke as they entered a dimly lit hallway on the second floor. "Every room has wall-to-wall creeps, and hot and cold running chills…"
As they moved along, the carriage turned towards an adjacent hallway, one that seemed to have no end and with the lamps above covered in cobwebs. Near the entrance to said hallway stood a set of knightly armor that twitched and moved seemingly by itself.
Tails shivered nervously, but relaxed when he felt Maddie gently stroke his head, scratching him behind the ear, while Sonic reassuringly squeezed his hand.
Turning away from the endless hall, Sonic, Tails, and Maddie found themselves traveling through a conservatory filled with dead and withered plants and flowers. In the middle of the room, there was a large coffin, occupied by a rather restless 'guest' attempting to get out.
"Let me out of here!" The restless guest cried, unable to open the coffin due to it being chained up.
"Well, no rest for the wicked, huh?" Sonic lightly joked, trying to ease the tension a little.
Tails smiled slightly at his older brother's joke, as did Maddie.
Continuing down the corridor on their little 'tour', the carriage passed by several doors lining the hallway. From behind the doors, the sounds of pounding, screeching, and maniacal laughter could be heard. Door handles were twisted and jiggled by unseen hands. Some doors even seemed to be breathing, as if they were part of some living creature.
Of course, all of this was quite unsettling to Sonic and Tails as they passed by demon-faced wallpaper and an almost demonic grandfather clock that chimed at 13 as the hands on it spun wildly backwards.
Moving on, the carriage soon entered a dark seance room, full of floating musical instruments.
And at the center of the room was a table with the disembodied head of Madame Leota sitting in a crystal ball, which severally creeped both Sonic and Tails out.
"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat, call in the spirits wherever they're at." Madame Leota recited her incantations.
Moving past her, the Ghost Host's voice came again. "The ghosts' happy haunts have received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize. They're assembling for a swinging wake, and they'll be expecting me… I'll see you all a little later."
As soon as the Ghost Host's voice faded, Sonic, Tails, and Maddie found themselves gliding along the balcony above the magnificent ballroom, where happy haunts began to materialize, some sitting on the chandelier hanging from the roof and gorging themselves on wine, others dancing with a partner down below while one played the organ.
"Man, the Ghostbusters would have a ball with this." Sonic remarked as they passed over the ballroom, now entering the attic.
"I could sure use a proton pack and a ghost trap right now." Tails added, snuggling into Maddie's lap, mentally adding that to the list of things he needed to make once they got back home.
Moving on, the attic was an irregularly shaped room covered in dust and cobwebs, bits of used furniture, wedding portraits, gifts, mementos, personal items and clothes scattered about the room as they continued along.
Something both Sonic and Tails noticed was that each portrait they passed had the same bride, but featured each time with a different groom. And as to add more mystery, as they passed each portrait, the heads of the grooms faded from the painting while the sound of hatchet could be heard in the distance, as if to emphasize what happened to them.
Soon enough, Sonic and Tails found themselves face to face with the spirit of the bride herself, her body covered in an ominous blue glow.
"In sickness and in… wealth. You may now kiss the bride. We'll live happily ever after. Till death do us part. Here comes the bride. As long as we both shall live. For better or for… worse. I do. I did." The ghost of the bride recited her wedding vows, finishing them as a hatchet appeared in her hands, causing Sonic and Tails' eyes to widen as they realized what happened to the previous grooms.
Exiting the attic and onto a ramshackle balcony, Sonic, Tails, and Maddie found themselves going past the Hatbox Ghost, shivering at the sight of the ghastly spirit who held his own head in a see-through box.
Making a turn to the left, the carriage turned around and drifted off of the balcony down a large hill surrounded by dark, ghoulish trees with knotted expressions. On the branches above, animatronic crows cawed at them as the carriages reached the ground.
Upon reaching the ground, the carriage turned forward, allowing Sonic, Tails, and Maddie to see they were at the gates of a large graveyard.
Outside the gate, they could see the Caretaker, one of the few living people in the mansion, along with his emaciated dog shivering in their boots, which did not help Sonic and Tails' nervousness.
Entering the graveyard, Sonic and Tails found the decrepit cemetery a haunting sight. Ghouls and ghosts flying in the air, reanimated corpses rising from their graves, possessed statues moving as though they were alive, all the while they sang their ghoulishly jazzy song.
Making their way through the graveyard admittedly had both Sonic and Tails scared stiff as Maddie tried her best to comfort them.
Eventually, they reached a darkened tunnel on the other side of the graveyard, entering it.
"Ah, there you are! And just in time!" The Ghost Host's voice came from the speakers in the carriage. "There's a little matter I forgot to mention… beware of hitchhiking ghosts!"
"'Hitchhiking WHAT'?!" Sonic and Tails both questioned fearfully as they rounded the corner, spotting said hitchhiking ghosts, one fat and average sized, one tall and lanky, and the third one short and wrinkled.
"They have selected you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return!" The Ghost Host stated.
"WHAT?!" Sonic and Tails exclaimed in horror as they passed by a corridor lined with mirrors, with one of the ghosts in the reflection sitting with them in the carriage, causing both Sonic and Tails to practically freak out as they both scrambled to get as far away from the ghost as they could.
"Guys, guys! It's okay! There's not really a ghost!" Maddie said, trying desperately to calm her two boys down.
"Now I will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Sonic and Tails both went deathly pale upon hearing that as the safety bar on the carriage lifted, allowing them to get off the ride.
"... Tails?" Sonic spoke up.
"... Yeah?" Tails meekly replied.
"Do you think we could get us an exorcist?"
Tails immediately whipped out his miles electric, frantically typing in all the possible ways to exorcize unfriendly spirits.
Maddie sighed as she gently picked up both Sonic and Tails, who were still stiff as statues, carrying them out of the ride and back into the daylight of the park.
Maddie waited for Knuckles and Tom to exit while Sonic and Tails sat off to the side, still scared out of their wits.
Eventually, Knuckles and Tom exited from the ride to see Sonic and Tails sitting shoulder to shoulder, shivering.
"Hey, you boys okay?" Tom asked in concern, kneeling down to his hedgehog and fox sons, laying his hands on their shoulders.
"... Yeah, just… taking a breather." Sonic nodded.
Tails sniffled as he wrapped his arms around Tom's neck and buried his face into the crook of the man's neck.
Maddie also kneeled down and wrapped her arm around Sonic while wrapping her other arm around Tom's shoulders, making up a group hug.
"It's okay, kids. You're safe. You're safe." Tom whispered reassuringly, resting his chin on Tails' head.
"Nothing here's going to hurt you. We promise." Maddie added, giving both Sonic and Tails a gentle peck on the forehead, which helped calm them down.
"Thanks, guys." Tails mumbled as he and Sonic pulled away, smiling a little at his parents.
"I was thinking maybe we could go on Splash Mountain or the Jungle Cruise next?" Tom suggested, gesturing over to said ride in Critter Country.
"Uh… I don't think I can do any more water rides right now." Sonic said with a nervous smile. "Do you think we could go on Indiana Jones?"
"Oh, I love Indiana Jones!" Tails perked up excitedly at the thought of the famous archaeologist.
"Well, if you're not gonna go on Splash Mountain, why don't we at least take a picture by it?" Maddie suggested.
With them all in agreement, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Tom, and Maddie headed over to Splash Mountain before Sonic pulled out his phone and took a quick selfie of them.
Once that was settled, the Wachowski family decided to split up to cover more ground, with Maddie agreeing to take Knuckles on the Jungle Cruise while Tom took Sonic and Tails on Indiana Jones.
Getting in line for Indiana Jones, Sonic, Tails, and Tom made their way down the line before entering the dark temple.
"This reminds me of the temple where I fought Knuckles for the Master Emerald." Sonic stated as he and Tails observed the dimly lit ancient walls of the temple, going through temple chambers and eerie passageways containing mysterious murals and booby trapped sections reminiscent of the movies.
Going further into the temple, Sonic, Tails, Tom, and several other guests came to a stop in front of a large projector screen.
On the screen, an image of Sallah, Indiana Jones' long-time friend and fellow excavator, appeared on the screen.
"Hey, look! It's Sallah!" Tails pointed out with a smile.
"Hey, Sallah!" Sonic waved up at the screen.
"Welcome my friends to the Temple of the Forbidden Eye!" Sallah said on screen with a jolly enthusiasm. "I, Sallah, shall now give you counsel to seek out a miraculous journey. Here in your transportation devices are ingenious pouches for safekeeping all earthly treasures when the journey becomes, uh, bumpy. And to keep you safe and sound, here are special belts attached into the seats. Simply pull it from the right, inserting it into the left, like so. You see the excellence of this invention? Your off-road journey is high-speed and turbulent — going over rough and rugged terrain, and then suddenly you are turning sharply, and dropping suddenly! It is unlike anything you have ever experienced, I assure you. Now, my friends, one final word of advice: once you have entered the Chamber of Destiny, look not into the eyes of the idol. That would be dangerous… very dangerous. Well, my friends, the moment is drawing near. Already I am envious of the wonders that await you — if you avoid the eyes of Mara, that is."
"Oooooh…!" Sonic and Tails exclaimed, eyes shining in awe.
"Ooh, this is gonna be fun!" Sonic grinned, playfully jabbing Tails on the shoulder.
Tails smiled widely at his older brother. "Oh, I can't wait!"
"Alright, guys, c'mon. We're holding up the line." Tom chuckled in amusement, ushering his kids forward down the line.
It took some time, but eventually Sonic, Tails, and Tom reached the front of the line, getting into one of the jeeps, with them sitting in the third room.
"Alright, who's ready for a high-speed adventure!" Sonic said enthusiastically as he, Tails, and Tom each fastened their seatbelts.
"Oh, oh! Me, me!" Tails exclaimed, bouncing in his seat and raising his hand up high.
"Well, here we go, boys!" Tom grinned as the ride started, with the jeep heading into a dark tunnel.
"Uh, hello? Hello? Oh, my friends!" Sallah's voice crackled over the radio. "Uh, the brakes may be needing a little adjustment. Easy on the curves."
"Eh, I'm sure we'll be fine." Sonic said casually with a dismissive wave.
Tails, however, seemed a little more cautious. "Well, let's hope that doesn't cause any problems later on."
Entering the chamber of destiny, the jeep took a sharp right turn to a room with three large doors, though they could see the track went through the middle one.
"You seek the Treasure of Mara?" An ominous voice, which Sonic and Tails assumed to be Mara, spoke as the doors opened. "Glittering gold? It is yours…"
Going through the door, the jeep slowly ascended up a small hill, gold coins appeared to rain down from the relief above as the doors opened. Inside the Hall of Promise, piles of gold, bronze statues, and priceless carvings fill vestibules on each side with a massive gold face of Mara at the far end of the hall.
As they got closer, Tails quickly realized something. "Wait, guys! Remember what Sallah said about the eye?" He spoke up.
"Yeah, what about-" Sonic replied before his eyes widened in realization too. "Quick! Shield your eyes!"
Hastily, Sonic and Tails both covered their eyes with their hands, determined not to look at the statue.
"As long as we don't look we should be fine." Tails stated.
"You looked into my eyes!" Mara spoke anyway, much to Sonic and Tails' shock. "Your path leads to the Gates of Doom!"
"WHAT?!" Sonic and Tails both exclaimed as they unshielded their eyes just as the jeep suddenly sped up, making a sharp turn to the left into a crumbling corridor, lightning flashing on the walls, all of it directing them to the Gates of Doom.
"Okay, who here looked?!" Sonic demanded, looking back on the passengers. "Because someone did!"
As they approached the Gates of Doom, the lights in the corridor cut back on, revealing an animatronic Indiana Jones holding the gates shut as green smoke leaked from them.
Sonic and Tails immediately brightened upon seeing the famed archaeologist.
"Hey! Indy!" Sonic waved to the animatronic.
"Hi, Doctor Jones!" Tails also waved enthusiastically at the animatronic.
"Oh, we've got a problem here. Turn left! Up to the left — and watch it, there's big steps up there!" The Indiana Jones animatronic said as he struggled to keep the gates shut.
Upon Indy's instruction, the jeep sped up the flight of stairs, rocking back and forth before entering a large cavern, with a rickety rope bridge going over a pool of lava. And on the other side of the cavern was a giant stone face of Mara, the left half of which has eroded in such a way that it resembles a skull, 'lava' occasionally pouring out of its mouth into the pool below. Its left eye contains a swirling flame while flames erupted from small pipes.
Sonic and Tails gaped at the large carving before the jeep took a sharp left turn and entered catacombs of false pathways lined with skeletons as a fierce wind blew through the tunnel.
Coming out of the catacombs, the jeep took another sharp left turn, this time into a deep dark cave.
For a moment, it was pitch black as Sonic, Tails, Tom, and the other passengers sat in a tense silence.
Just then, the headlights of the jeep turned on, illuminating walls swarming with thousands of beetles, causing Sonic and Tails to shiver in disgust.
Suddenly, hissing sounds were heard coming from the walls as Sonic and Tails felt they were being blasted with puffs of air.
Heading out of the darkness, the jeep accelerated across the rickety bridge before careening to the right and entering the snake temple.
Inside, Sonic and Tails were greeted by the sight of hundreds of snakes filling the room, including a gigantic animatronic cobra looking ready to attack.
"Snakes!" Sonic cried.
"No! Not the snakes!" Tails exclaimed.
"Snakes? You guys are on your own." Indy's voice said over the radio.
Exiting the snake temple, the jeep took a sharp turn to the right as it went faster and faster, entering into the giant stone carving of Mara's face.
Sonic and Tails cheered and screamed in both excitement and fear as they entered the statue.
Inside, there were hundreds of skulls stacked up in the room as the jeep barrelled past them, with the malignant spirit of Mara looming overhead.
Turning left, out of the massive stone effigy, the transport continues downward, crossing a smoldering wooden bridge beside the glowing lava, and passing under the rope bridge and into a dark cavern.
In the darkness, shocks of electricity suddenly chased the vehicle before it started to shudder and stall before being restarted and continuing towards an empty corridor leading towards a way out of the temple.
"Look! There's an exit right there!" Tails exclaimed, pointing it out.
Then all of a sudden, the electrical shocks blasted the corridor, causing the corridor to collapse and block the tunnel.
"Oh no, we're trapped!" Sonic cried as the jeep careened through the darkness into a long corridor with paintings of spear-wielding skeletal warriors adorning the walls. Each warrior's mouth supported a blowgun that was aimed directly at the jeep.
"I don't like the looks of this." Tails shivered, holding Sonic's hand.
"Me neither, little bro." Sonic agreed, gently squeezing the fox's hand.
Suddenly, puffs of air began to pelt the jeep and its passengers.
"Darts!" Sonic yelled before grabbing Tails by the shoulders and pulling down. "Get down!"
Rolling past the corridor, the jeep suddenly came to a screeching halt as an overhead light shined down on none other than Indiana Jones, hanging from the ceiling with his bullwhip.
"Doctor Jones!" Sonic and Tails both exclaimed ecstatically.
"A rescue, just what I need!" The animatronic Indiana Jones said, still dangling from his bullwhip.
"We got you, Indy!" Sonic yelled, cupping his mouth.
"Yeah! Jump down, we'll catch you!" Tails added.
However, just as the headlights to jeep turned back on, they illuminated a massive boulder coming right towards them, clearly in homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
"Wha-oh!" Sonic said nervously.
"Go back, go back, go back!" Tails cried as the jeep slowly backed up.
"… Uh-oh, careful! We got company!" The Indiana Jones animatronic said.
At the last possible second, the jeep accelerated towards the boulder as the floor suddenly seemed to give way, sending the transport into the chamber below.
Sonic and Tails screamed and cheered as the jeep plunged down into the darkness while 'March of the Raiders' played triumphantly in the background.
Eventually, the jeep slowed down and swerved right as the headlights came back on, revealing Indiana Jones standing next to the boulder.
"Not bad, tourists." Indy reluctantly complimented them.
"Hey, thanks, Indy!" Sonic yelled over to the animatronic.
"Wahoo!" Tails cheered adorably, pumping his fist. "We did it!"
"We made it, buddy!" Sonic also cheered, giving his little bro a high five as they got back to the boarding platforms.
From there, Sonic, Tails, and Tom unbuckled their seatbelts and got off the ride, heading out of the temple and back out into Adventureland.
"So, what'd you guys think?" Tom asked with a smile.
"It was awesome!" Sonic exclaimed gleefully. "I feel like a real explorer now!"
"Yeah!" Tails smiled in agreement. "The pyrotechnics and animatronics on that ride are amazing! I'd love to study them!"
"What, like good ol' Doc Jones?" Sonic remarked in a teasing manner, pulling Tails into an affectionate noogie.
"Hey! Lemme go! Sonic!" Tails giggled cutely as he struggled to get out of his older brother's hold.
Smiling at the adorable sight, Tom looked up to see Knuckles and Maddie approaching, having come back from the Jungle Cruise.
"Hey!" Tom smiled, kissing his wife as she and Knuckles approached.
"Hey, honey." Maddie smiled back before turning to Sonic and Tails. "Did you boys enjoy the ride?"
"Yep!" Sonic and Tails both nodded.
"And, uh, how about you guys? Did you enjoy the Jungle Cruise?" Tom asked Maddie and Knuckles.
"It was very relaxing." Knuckles noted. "Although some of the wildlife was rather ferocious."
"Knuckles really enjoyed the cruise." Maddie told them. "So, where should we go next?"
"Ooh, ooh! Can we go to Tomorrowland next, pleeeaaase?" Tails perked up, giving his parents the puppy eyes.
Tom and Maddie both smiled, unable to resist their youngest's adorable face.
"Alright, why don't we take the train?" Tom suggested, already heading for New Orleans Square.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles raised their brows in confusion as they followed after their parents.
"There's a train?" Sonic asked in surprise.
"Well, this should be interesting." Knuckles stated.
"Uh, why do we need to take a train? Isn't Tomorrowland across from here?" Tails questioned in confusion.
"Yeah, but the train's a lot more fun." Maddie told him as they approached the train station conveniently as the train itself arrived.
"Well, a train does sound pretty fun." Sonic admitted.
Tails and Knuckles chose not to argue as they, along with Sonic, Tom, and Maddie, stepped through the gates and onto the train.
After waiting around for everyone to get on board, the train soon departed with a loud whistle.
The Wachowski family's destination; Tomorrowland.
Decided to skip Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Tarzan's Treehouse because I've been feeling sick and I've got a bit of a headache and it was already a lot to write about what happens in these other rides, so sorry to people who like those rides. Anyways, hope you like this chapter and please leave a review. Next stop, Tomorrowland!
