Our main team had accepted a special mission today, it was on a purple paper and read "We wish for a guild to come to our mansion and take part on our Spooky Mansion tradition, the reward shall be ten billion jewels for those who wish to partake in this.", and with that gigantic amount of money on the line, of course they accepted.
And now, at night time, they were walking through a forest to get to said mansion
"Are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Finn asked
"Come on, did you see the reward on that mission? And all we have to do is play a game with some rich people? This has to be a gift made by god to us!" Lucy said, gushing over the amount of cash she was going to get for such an easy job
"Are you sure about this? It seems a little suspicious." Lance told her
"Yeah, all that money just to experience a haunted house attraction? Sounds a little too easy." Gray agreed
"Aah, lighten up! I'm pretty sure it's nothing to worry about. Unless you're all scared!" Dot laughed
"Yeah, no need to be such babies!" Happy giggled
"Plus, we even might be able to punch some scary monsters! I always wanted to fight a werewolf!" Natsu grinned and hit his fists together
"I don't think that's what a Haunted House is for…" Mash blinked while munching on a creampuff
"Well, we are already here so no use complaining about it now!" Lemon told them, she actually also really wanted all that cash!
"We're getting close, prepare yourselves everyone. This might get spooky." Erza told them
The group continued making their way through the dark forest, with Finn grabbing his own arm nervously while looking around
"I don't know guys… Gray and Lance might be right. And even so, I don't do well with jumpscares-" Finn said before lightning hit out of nowhere, making him scream as he jumped into Lucy's arms, trembling in fear
Lucy looked at him confused before looking forward, seeing a giant black gate that was in front of a dirt path, the path leading to a giant mansion atop a hill, in what was supposed to be the front yard of the mansion was actually a giant graveyard, various names written on the gravestones
"Uh…" Lucy was actually a little creeped out by the graveyard
"Damn, they really went all out on the decorations, didn't they?" Dot said while putting his hands behind his head
"They are rich, after all." Happy said
"Hello there! We are here for the mission! Could you open the gates so we can enter!?" Erza yelled, trying to catch the attention of whoever lived there
But, the knight received nothing but silence, making her raise an eyebrow in confusion, and during said confusion the gate creaked open, allowing them to enter
"Weird…" Gray said while crossing his arms
"Well, door opened! We'll just ask them about the mission at the front door of the mansion." Natsu said, still excited to fight some monsters, and walked inside
The group followed right behind him, looking around the graveyard while walking through the path, Lemon feeling a little nervous and holding Mash's arm making him look at her
Mash then remembered what Mira said to him
"If Lemon is feeling scared or nervous, you should give her a hug! I'm pretty sure that'd calm her down." mental Mira said with a sly smile on her face
Mash then blinked and put one arm around Lemon, giving her a little hug, that simple action made Lemon get heart eyes as she now had whatever thought about how scary things look substituted by "OHMYGOSH I LOVE MY HUSBAND SO MUCH!"
Lucy looked down at Finn on her arms before a small smile began to creep up on her lips
"Hey, Finn, can you stop hiding your face on my chest. That's quite perverted." Lucy said
Finn immediately shot up and got out of her grasp, his face beat red
"Sorry! I didn't mean to!" He immediately apologized before he realized something "Wait… But I wasn't-"
"Pff haha, I'm just kidding, I know you weren't. But your reaction was kinda cute." Lucy giggled with a little smug smile on her face
"You've been hanging out with Love and Cana a little too much…" Finn deadpanned with a blush on his face
The mages then managed to get to the mansion, and so they knocked to see if anyone was inside… Only for the door to immediately fly away off it's hinges, thanks to it being Mash who knocked
"...we really should stop letting you knock on doors." Lucy and Finn said
"Sorry…" Mash looked down sad
They then made their way inside the mansion, now wanting to talk to the owner about the mission and also apologize for the broken door
"Hello! Is anyone home!?" Erza yelled, but still no answer
"Are these guys deaf?" Natsu asked confused
But at that moment, a trapdoor opened right under Mash and Natsu, making them widen their eyes, Mash acted fast and threw Lemon away from him and into Erza's arms, and so the two fell down
"Natsu!" Happy yelled
"Mash!" Lemon yelled as Erza caught her
The entire group widened their eyes when that happened, a trap door then opening under each duo
"What the hell!?" Gray yelled
"I told you all this was a trap!" Lance yelled as him and Gray fell down into the same hole
"KYAAAAAAAAAH!" Lucy and Finn hugged each other as they fell down
"Damnit! I was too distracted by how fun the idea of a haunted house with my friends could be that I didn't consider this!" Erza said
"YAAAAAAAA!" Lemon screamed as her and Erza fell
"Haha! Nice try!" Dot yelled as he held onto Happy, who was flying away from the trapdoors
"Happy for the win!" Happy cheered
The trapdoors then closed, while Dot and Happy landed, with them looking at each other and nodding
"Alright Happy, I think I understand what's going on here…" Dot snapped his fingers and then pointed his thumb at himself "Our friends have been captured by the evil lord of this mansion, and now I, the main character, have to save them with the help of you, my assistant! And when this is over, all the girls will give me a kiss and see just how awesome I truly am!"
"That sounds completely asinine." Happy said bluntly
But then the two heard sounds coming from outside, and from the graves emerged various skeletons wearing purple robes, each of them glaring inside the mansion and at Dot and Happy, the only two people inside that place
"...uh oh." The two said together
The skeletons then charged towards the two, making them scream as they ran deeper inside the mansion to escape, the skeletons chasing them
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" Dot screamed while tears came out of his eyes
"Looks like we're boned!" Happy yelled
"SHUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"
—
Mash and Natsu looked around as they were now inside the basement, trying to understand what just happened
"The hell!? Why would someone activate those trapdoors on us!?" Natsu yelled
"Maybe it was a trap." Mash guessed
"Yeah, maybe you're right… But also, I didn't even manage to fight a werewolf before getting caught! Damnit!" Natsu yelled in anger
The two then heated a howl, turning to the side and seeing a giant werewolf skeleton approaching them, making Natsu grin
"Well, that solves that issue! Let's go Mash!" Natsu said as he hit his fists together "I'm all fired up!"
"Alright." Mash copied the same gesture as Natsu "I'm all muscled up."
"Muscled up?" Natsu said confused while looking at Mash
"I wanted a cool catchphrase too…" Mash said to him
—
Gray and Lance ended up at some weird dungeon looking place, looking around trying to understand what happened, with Gray having lost his shirt
"Where are we?" Gray asked
"It seems to be some kind of dungeon. I guess we were captured by whoever is the owner of this dungeon." Lance theorized
But then an eerie sound was heard by the two, making them raise their guard, only for various ghosts to float through the walls, letting out unrecognizable noises as they kinda just floated around
"Ghosts!? What the hell is the deal with this place?" Gray asked as he turned to Lance…
Only to see Lance on the ground with white eyes and foaming at the mouth due to sheer fear
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?" Gray yelled
"I… I'm brutally scared of ghosts…" Lance managed to say
Gray deadpanned while looking at him, there was no way that cocky dude from before is this afraid of ghosts… What's next? He's afraid of bugs too?
—
Finn and Lucy looked around as they walked through a very large wooden corridor, feeling rather uncomfortable with the whole atmosphere of the place
"Told you this wasn't a good idea." Finn said
"It isn't over yet! All we have to do is find a way out and then find the owner, that way we will be able to get paid because I'm pretty sure this counts as being a part of his haunted house or whatever!" Lucy said
"That is if we survive!" Finn yelled
"We aren't going to die! Finn, we fought worse stuff than a hallway!" Lucy yelled at Finn
"You fought stuff worse than a hallway! I'm actually terrified of this whole situation!"
"Oh, quit being such a baby!"
"A baby!? More like actually having common sense! Whenever there's money involved your I.Q seems to lower and you just go along with whatever dumb idea Natsu and Mash come up with!"
"Don't you call me stupid! And sorry that I actually have to pay rent! I'll try to just live on the streets from now onward!"
"That's not what I meant! And you are just worrying about yourself right now! What about me!? We are a team here, and we have to work together!"
"We'd be able to if you weren't being so unreasonable!"
"I'm being unreasonable!? Have you gone mad!?"
"And here we go!"
"You always do this! If there's money on the table, you just ignore us and decide to focus all on what you want!"
"You know very well that's not true! I give my heart and soul for us! And I could say the same to you! The moment anything remotely dangerous happens you just piss yourself and suggest we leave! Like that time with the boars!"
"Oh, you're going to bring THAT up now! Real mature! I've always been like that! You knew what you were getting into when you went along with it!"
While they were bickering a door creaked open right besides them, making them shut up and slowly turn around and see a giant skeleton wearing a dress, spider webs forming under it's chin as it's dark eyes glared at the two, a dark aura emanating from it
"KYAAAAAAAAAH! ZOMBIE! RUUUUUUN!" The two hugged each other again and ran off screaming
"I'M SORRY FOR ARGUING! YOU WE'RE RIGHT! THIS IS THE WORST!"
"I PROMISE TO NEVER YELL AT YOU AGAIN! JUST PLEASE RUN FASTER!"
—
Erza clashed blades with a skeleton knight, having fallen into an open area with a hallway leading to one singular door at the end of it
"Go Lemon! I'll hold it off and follow suit!" Erza said as she pushed the skeleton away before charging for another slash
"Got it!" Lemon nodded
The two knights kept on fighting as Lemon ran down the hall, getting to the door and opening it, getting inside the room where she saw a giant skeleton in a purple robe covered in an aura of darkness, staring down at Lemon before pointing at her
"Who dares enter my domain!?"
"...Mothra."
"Yes, sweetie?"
"I think I'll need your power again, because I might be boned…"
"...was the joke worth it?"
"Very much, yes."
"Ara…"
—
Natsu then stomped on the skull of the skeleton werewolf, looking really disappointed
"That was way too easy…" the dragon slayer complained
"Well, not everything is going to be super strong." Mash told him "But now we need to find a way to leave, and I don't see any doors."
"Oh! I have an idea!" Natsu said before looking up and pulling air into his lungs
"Natsu, I don't think that's a good idea." Mash said
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
—
Gray had just finished carrying Lance through the dungeon, being very annoyed that he had to do that since the guy couldn't move an inch
"Here, it's done! You can stop being terrified, you big baby." Gray said annoyed
Before a giant torrent of fire erupted from under them, swallowing both of them up
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"IT'S THE GHOSTLY FLAMES!"
—
Finn and Lucy were sitting down at a table, having tea with the skeleton lady that scared the hell out of them before
"I'm sorry for running away before, you just scared us by appearing like that." Finn said to the lady
"Oh, it's fine. I understand that our appearance can be quite intimidating to you humans." The lady said with a pompous and mature voice
"So, your husband can't let go of his last life as a high ranking noble and so every October he just drags you all back to the world of the living to try and scare people because that's what he did in living and found it most fun?" Lucy asked
"Ah yes, you know how men are. Always having the silliest priorities." The skeleton lady said while lifting one hand
"Yeah, don't I know it…" Lucy and Finn sighed as they remembered their friends
"Well, it's been fun but we should probably go reunite with our friends." Lucy said as she got up
"Thank you so much for the hospitality." Finn got up too
"And thanks for the tea!" Lucy waved at her as she walked off the room with Finn following right behind
"Don't mention it, honeys. See you when you die!" The lady skeleton waved them goodbye
And the second those two turned away from the door, a giant flaming pillar erupted from the ground, swallowing them while
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
—
Lemon was now sitting right besides the skeleton she found, patting him on the back as he cried into his hands
"I just wanted to be able to feel like my life had some meaning! Y'know!? I was always so bitter about everything, and in my death I realized I never truly enjoyed life to its fullest! My name isn't even Skull Emperor! It's Bones Malone! But I'm only known as the Skull Emperor now! That's why I come here to give people a scare! I never actually hurt them, it's just that in the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to at least make sure they have fun by being spooked!" The skeletons cried
"There, there, it's okay. And I'm sure your life wasn't such a bad thing, you had a wife, two kids and a dog, having a family must have made you feel good, right?" Lemon asked
"...it did." Bones sniffled, despite no having a nose
"See? And you did accomplish your goal, I'm having fun being here talking with you. So you don't need to worry yourself with this anymore, your goal is finished, and you can rest in peace." Lemon said with a smile
"Thank you, little girl… You're right, however I do not wish to go back to hell-"
"Wait, why would you be in hell?" Lemon blinked
"Oh, I committed several acts of tax fraud and money laundering during my life. Also robbed banks." Bones said
"WHAT!?"
"How do you think I got so rich?" Bones smiled "But anyway, I shall allow you to use your take-over magic on me and give you my powerful abilities of control over the darkness and the dead. Thank you Lemon, for showing me that my life was a good thing."
Lemon's hands then began to glow as she absorbed Bones Malone's soul, gaining a new Take-Over to her arsenal, with her still too stunned to react
"...well, look at the bright side, new Take-Over!" Mothra tried to cheer her up
The door then swung open, with Erza coming in and looking at Lemon
"I'm here! What did I miss?" Erza asked
But before Lemon could respond, a giant flaming pillar came from bellow and swallowed them both up
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
—
Dot and Happy were still running away from the skeletons, with Dot being in severe pain after hearing so much of Happy's bone puns
"Be careful! The floor is sribpery!"
"Please, something put an end to my suffering!" Dot begged
And so a giant flaming pillar answered his call, rizing from the ground and swallowing them both up
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"THANK YOU GOD!"
And so the entire mansion exploded-
—
The next day back at the guild, the group was completely burned to a crisp, save for Mash and Natsu, sitting down at a table while staring at the wall
"Are you guys okay?" Levy asked
"No." They all answered
But as the story was ending a chibi Milo dressed as a wizard and a chibi Love dressed as a succubus walk into frame
"Weren't we in the middle of a war?" Milo asked
"Silly Milo! This is a holiday special OVA type of thing! It means it is dubiously canon to the overall plot and can be posted whenever the author wants, but has some elements presented on it appear later in the story to make the readers go "oh wow, I remember that from that chapter!"!" Love explained
"Oh, now I get it."
"But my only complain is-WHY DIDN'T I SHOW UP IN IT! I DESERVE TO HAVE A WHOLE SPECIAL CHAPTER DEDICATED TO ONLY ME AS COMPENSATION!" Love yelled and so the story came to an end
no, this chapter is not going to count as this weeks chapter, it's just a small bonus holiday chapter