A Twisted Halloween II: Spectral Soiree

Chapter 17: No Man's Land

Leona and the others work together to get the jump on all the ghosts by giving them the fright before they could.

The ghost screams, "GYAAAH! I'll disappear at this rate!"

And the ghosts run away with their tails between their legs.

Once they're gone, Leona says to Ace, "You get what I'm doin' now? You need a vigilant guard to watch your backs so you can scavenge in peace."

Ace says, "Okay, I admit that's helpful, but still..."

"Complaining won't make things any better. Leona's like this at practice too," Epel says.

Then explains, "One time, the Spelldrive Club members ran a hundred laps around the school to build stamina... And Leona spent most of that time lounging under a tree, even though he's our captain."

Surprised, Ace says, "Sheesh. We're both on sports teams, but things are way different in the Basketball Club."

"But the upside is that Leona pays close attention to all the club members. And his calls during games are always on point!" Epel says happily.

Then says, "I'm sure if he's having us hunt for fragments, it's because he knows we can do it."

"You're being way too charitable to a guy who just said we're not capable of handling a proper plan," Ace replies.

"Either way, we just gotta get to work! I'll check over to the right," Epel says, and heads off to the right.

"There he goes," Ace replies. "Y'know, the way he powers though on sheer determination almond kind of reminds me of Deuce. I guess Jack and Sebek are the same way. I know I play sports, but I just don't 'get' the athletic mindset..."

Just then, Leona says, "Hey, Spikey. Why are you still here? Get to work findin' those fragments.

Ace turns and is shocked to see Leona is lounging on the tombstone.

"Dude, you're just kickin' back on top of a grave!" Ace shouts in shock.

And asks, "Are you afraid of ANYTHING, Leona?"

"Where's this comin' from?" Leona questions.

"I mean, it's a grave! Isn't that scary?" Ace answers.

Leona sighs and says, "Let me tell you something. Back home in the Sunset Savanna, we got this place..."

Ace soon begins to grow shivers, "Uh huh... Why do I suddenly have the heebie-jeebies?"

Leona continues, "People used to call it 'the Shadowland' back in the day. It was a lawless place: not even the king held any authority there. It was this barren wasteland littered with huge bones. And the sun never shone there, not even during the day. There were also these geysers that spewed hot air and gas from a nearby volcano. One false move and you'd be toast. All kinds of nasty characters lived there, and most other people steered clear of it."

"The Sunset Savanna's got some scary stuff in it... Sounds way different from Queendom of Roses," Ace says, creeped out.

And asks, "So that creeptastic place's still around?"

"Sure is. That fearsome no-man's-land persists to this day..." Leona says.

Then shows a smirk and says, "And it's known for its elephant eats."

"Elephant ears?!" Ace exclaims in shock.

"Yeah, not REAL elephants, just a pastry. Fried with hot air from the volcano. It's a pretty famous tourist destination. They also make these vanilla cookies that are shaped like those giant bones. They're always a big hit," Leona explains.

Shocked, Ace asks, "Vanilla cookies?! So they've turned the whole place into a tourist attraction?!"

He calms himself and says, "Man, so much for the heebie-jeebies. The scary vibe's gone right out the window.

Then Leona says, "Get my point now? It just depends on how you choose to look at a thing. Once you see that place for what it really is - a region with volcanic activity and poor sunlight - it's not a big deal. You need accurate facts, not rumors and assumptions. There's been a big push to reexamine its history in recent years. They even say the King of the Beasts sang a song with hyenas there about his future hopes. That song's been passed down in the Sunset Savanna; people still sing it to this day."

"Whoa. He sang a friendly little tune with hyenas?" Ace asks with a smile, "I never knew the King of Beasts was such a merry lion."

Then eagerly asks, "What kind of song is it?" C'mon, sing us a few bars."

"Heh... When I was little my caretaker would always try to sing me to sleep with some preachy lullaby about the world bein' a small place. And I'f just pester 'em to sing the King of Beast's song instead. You know what? Sure. I'll sing it for you," Leona says.

Then says, "It's about bein' prepared for an eventuality, and represents the King of Beast's spirit of persistence. So listen up."

"Here goes..." Leona says and inhales.

But before he can sing, they hear Epel scream, "GWAAAH!"

"What that Epel," Ace asks, shocked.

"Tch. Way to interrupt a guy when he's rarin' to belt out a classic," Leona says, annoyed, "Is it more ghosts?"

Then says to Ace, "We better get over there."

Ace and Leona rush over to see what has happened. And soon, they run into Floyd.

"Hey, Sea Lion. Crabby," Floyd says.

Then points over, "See that over there? Five tombstones ahead?"

Ace and Leona look five tombstones ahead, and are shocked to see Epel is tied to the tombstones.

Epel screams, "HEEELP!"

Epel's tied to the tombstone!" Ace exclaims. "He's bound up tight. Is this supposed to be a warning?! Those ghosts are really messed up..."

"Oh yeah, it's totally messed up," Floyd says, surprisingly having a smile on his face. "'Course, it was me that did it."

Ace and Leona are shocked to hear Leona confessing.

Leona glares at Floyd, "Just what are you playin' at?!"

"It was YOUR play, Sea Lion. Bait, remember? See, I bored of scavenging around and huntin' for ghosts. So I figured, why not just mop up a bunch of 'em at once? This'll draw ghosts with mirror fragments out in droves," Floyd explains.

And right on two, the large dressed ghost and the female dressed ghost from before make an appearance along with a few others, and they spot Epel.

The large ghost says, "What do we have here? Is that a living creature I spy?"

"By jove, you're right!" What are the chances of running into a living person out here?" The female ghost asks with glee and giggles, "Hee hee hee!"

Shocked, Ace says, "Whoa, they actually took the bait!"

"Now he ain't a guppy. He's a krill," Floyd says.

Struggling to break free, Epel screams, "Dagnabbit! You're gonna pay for this, Floyd!"

Leona turns to the others and says, "Well, it's not what I was expecting, but it did bring the ghosts right to us. So, you both prepared?"

The boys nod their heads in reply.

Then Leona says, Then go get 'em?"

"You're the boss!" Ace and Floyd answer.

Then Floyd shouts, "RAWR!"