Quintessence, Hugs.And.Kisses [digital e reader .txt] 📗

his sword at the monster brain, which had apparently awoken from its lightning induced nap, and was now growling and glaring at Lock and Shock, who had it backed into a corner.

"What in the world is that?"

"That is what's been controlling your body for the past two months." Jack said. "Oogie has somehow convinced Mercy that we are the bad guys, and she poisoned you with some of Sally's Deadly Nightshade soup."

"Hmph. Just like her mother, that one." Doctor Finklestein grumbled. "You say that I haven't been in my own body for two months?"

"Nearly. It's almost Christmas." Lock said, keeping a wary eye on the brain. "Oogie's been using you to build his monsters, and he's taken over Halloween Town with them."

"This thing also had you make everyone booby trap the town." Shock said, poking it with the end of her hat. It hissed at her.

"I believe we have a lot to catch up on, Jack." Doctor Finklestein said solemnly. "For now, though… Lock, if you would."

Lock grinned evilly down at the brain, which suddenly seemed to realize it was in trouble.

"Ugh, Lock, that's really nasty." Aubrey said, going over toward the window.

"Burnt brain. Yum." Shock said, peering over Lock's shoulder, a hand over her nose. "What's it doing?"

The now liquefied brain was oozing into a new shape, darkening to a familiar, grass green color.

"Oh no…" Jack said, striding over.

"That's one of the holiday doors." Lock said as the green ooze solidified into a solid, wooden shamrock.

"It's just as I feared." Jack murmured. "Oogie has stolen the Holiday World doors."

"It's part of his plan." Aubrey said from the window. "Before Oogie trapped me, he told me that he was planning to become the… the Seven Holidays King, or something."

"That… is bad." Shock concluded.

"If Oogie Boogie has stolen the holiday doors, I think it's safe to say he's also tried to take over the other Holiday Worlds." Doctor Finklestein said. "What other doors have you found?"

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but I think we have a problem back in town." Aubrey said, pointing out the window. Jack ran over.

Several citizens were running in the opposite direction of the Pumpkin Patch. "Oh no…" Jack groaned. "Doctor, we'll have to discuss this later." He said. "I'm afraid Oogie has struck again."


Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Warning: Possessed Pumpkins (Not for use in Carriage Transformations)

"What's going on? What's happened?" Jack demanded, pushing through the crowd to see a sobbing Behemoth.

"Behemoth, what's wrong? Did something happen to the pumpkin patch?" Aubrey asked, kneeling down next to him. He nodded, still sniffling.

"He said something about ghosts in the pumpkins." Drake said, looking over at Shock and Lock.

"Ghosts…"

"In the pumpkins?" The two of them repeated, looking at each other, confused

"Oogie's doing, no doubt." Jack muttered. "Let's go- don't worry, Behemoth, we'll get your pumpkin patch back."

"Thank you, Jack." Behemoth sniffled. Jack smiled and patted the hulking man's shoulder before storming toward the pumpkin patch.

"I don't understand. If Oogie had Doctor Finklestein making his monsters, shouldn't they be losing strength and numbers?" Aubrey asked as they walked through the gate.

"They might be making themselves at this point." Lock muttered, kicking the gate shut behind them.

"There's a lovely thought." Shock said, looking around. "I don't see any ghosts."

Aubrey took a few more steps forward. "Well, he said 'in the pumpkins,' so maybe-" She cut off with a shriek as the pumpkin near her feet exploded, an Oogie ghost slashing at the winged girl and leaving a long gash on her stomach. Lock stabbed through it and it vanished in a puff of smoke.

"That's just freaky." Shock said as another pumpkin grew in the decimated one's place in a matter of seconds.

"And people say that the dark arts are the freaky stuff." Lock muttered. "Because that's some powerful white magic."

"Barrel." Aubrey sighed. "Damn it. Now what?"

Jack paused, then smiled. "Hm… maybe… stand back, you three." Lock, Shock, and Aubrey looked at each other strangely, but did as Jack said. Stepping up to the row of pumpkins, Jack let out his best Pumpkin King shriek. The pumpkins burst, the ghosts shooting out and up, startled out of their safe hiding places.

"All right Jack!" Lock cackled, tossing a fireball through one. It shriveled into the flame, disappearing into a puff of smoke. The other two flew away before they met the same fate.

"Beat 'em at their own game." Shock smirked. "Good idea, Jack."

He took the complement with a nod, but was quickly serious again. "Let's get moving."

As they went deeper into the pumpkin patch, Aubrey let out a quiet noise of pain, putting a hand on her head. Shock turned to look at her. "You all right?"

"Yeah. All the Oogie magic in this place is giving me a migraine, that's all." The winged girl muttered.

"Not exactly pleasant, is it?" Shock sighed. "Once we get Barrel back, he can clear all this mess out." Aubrey nodded, hopping off the ledge they'd just reached.

"Yuh-uh." Lock said, throwing an arm out in front of the two girls. "Bridge is out." The stone bridge that normally crossed the glowing green river had been blown to smithereens, leaving no way across.

That is, if you couldn't fly. "You say that like it's a serious roadblock." Shock said, leaning on her elbows on her broom, which was levitating at waist height. Aubrey flared her wings out slightly giving her fiancé a 'hello, duh' look.

Lock returned their patronizing looks with a 'not amused' look of his own, picked up a good sized rock, and tossed it over the bridge. There was a loud roar of rushing water, and the river rose up to pluck the stone out of the air, dragging it into the depths.

Shock's broom disappeared with a 'pop!' and Aubrey crossed her arms. "Well, that's… that's a roadblock." She muttered.

"You think?" Lock asked sarcastically. "Come on. There's got to be another way around." The group turned around to find an alternate route, stopping as the caterwauling warning siren filled the air, followed by the sound of a microphone turning on.

"Hello? Testing, testing. One, two, three. Am I on?"

"Oogie." Lock and Shock snarled simultaneously.

"Let's keep moving, we don't have any time to waste." Jack said, pushing the two forward along the vine strewn path. The four weaved their way in and out of the pumpkins as Oogie's voice radiated through the patch.

The bogeyman cleared his throat. "Denizens of Oogie Town!" Jack's fists clenched at the name. "Jack has returned! According to the reports," Oogie chuckled darkly, "he's enjoying our dangerous Oogie Town so much he's screaming in horror! Rejoice! This is all thanks to your efforts!" He cackled loudly and in malicious glee.

"Doesn't he just love the sound of his own voice." Lock growled.

"Over here, I think I found a place we can cross!" Shock called, spotting a narrowing of the river. Lock grabbed a stone from near his feet and chunked it over. The river remained as it was.

"Good job, Shock." Jack said before throwing out the Soul Robber. It latched onto a gnarled tree, allowing the skeleton to swing over. Aubrey went after him, with Lock and Shock on the witch's broom behind her.

"Well, there's one obstacle behind us." Aubrey said, looking over her shoulder.

Lock sliced a bomb spitting statue apart at the base. "Yeah, only god knows how many more to go." The ground shook and rumbled as the words left his mouth. He sighed. "Of course."

The dead ground split and cracked, a large bony hand shooting out of it. Following the hand came a long, thick arm, and it was- unfortunately- attached to a very angry looking, club-wielding ogre.

Which barely had time to roar at the four before it was simultaneously struck by three very large bolts of lightning. Jack, Aubrey, and Lock turned to look at Shock, who pushed a stray hair back under her hat. "I don't have time for this bullshit." She muttered, storming past them. "Are you coming or not?"

"First thing I'm telling Barrel when we get him back is to NEVER break up with Shock." Lock muttered. Aubrey and Jack both nodded, carefully following the angry witch.

After hopping the river twice more- once where it attempted to grab Shock as she flew over, only to be spelled into submission- they reached a new obstacle: a large, thick root had grown over the path. At this point, though, it wasn't much of an obstacle, and they all just climbed or flew over.

However, once they reached the other side, it was a different story. "Aah!" Aubrey let out a cry of surprise as she fell to the ground, her wings suddenly disappearing in a wisp of white smoke. Shock's broom splintered beneath her, sending her plummeting as well, though this time Jack was there to catch her.

"What just happened?" The witch asked, looking at the shattered remains of her broomstick.

"You all right?" Lock asked, helping Aubrey up.

She nodded warily, looking over her shoulder. "I- I think so. But my wings…"

"Don't worry," a familiar voice said, making them all look up, "It's just a 'grounded' spell. They're not gone for good."

"Barrel!" The fourth member of the trick-or-treaters was sitting atop another giant root a few feet away, looking as morose as any of them had seen him in quite some time.

"It's about time you showed up." He said, swinging his leg down so both dangled off the front of the root. "I was beginning to think you couldn't get past the pumpkins. Keep on going like this, and you'll never make it through the maze in time."

"In time for what?" Jack asked, though he had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.

"To stop the monsters from destroying the big pumpkin head."

Aubrey's eyes widened. "But that keeps the entire pumpkin patch growing!"

"Then I guess," He said, standing up, "you'd better hurry." With a flash of light, Barrel disappeared.

"I curse the day that he learned to teleport." Lock growled. "Now what do we do?"

"We'll have to get through the rest of the pumpkin patch, and Barrel's 'maze' as quickly as possible." Jack muttered. "We can't let them destroy the pumpkin head."

"What about Barrel? How do we get him to stand still long enough to let Aubrey break the contract?" Shock asked.

"We'll have to get to that when it comes." Jack said. They all nodded. Shock looked over at Aubrey, who was staring at the place Barrel had disappeared from.

"Aubrey." The white-haired