Pumpkin Patch Panic

Another holiday, another excuse for a family outing! This time, it had began when the twins would be hiding from their duties for an important mid day nap. The door to the entrance of the main hall would blow up as a torrent of flyers burst through, filling the lobby with a bunch of old parchment. The excitement had caused the twin's mid day nap to be interrupted just in time for a stray parchment to land on top of Jellisha's face. "Mmmph!" She growled at the disturbance as her sibling pulled the piece of paper off and giving it a once over glance. "Dear Esteemed Guests...What's that mean?" "I don't know but it doesn't mean letting us nap." The grumpy feline said, her ears twitching in annoyance. She stretched out on top of the cabinet and joined her sister by sitting down next to her as the two would continue reading the piece of parchment.

"We cord...Um, cord-daily invite you to-Hey, there's gunna be a party!" Grappa spoke up, her small nub of a tail beginning to sway left to right in excitement. "A festive Halloween party. To enter, you'll need to bring several pumpkins which will be made into treats and desserts on site. Attached is a map with the directions to participating pumpkin patches. Isn't Haloween what the Lieutenant was telling us about the one time?" Jellisha asked as Grappa wrapped her hand around in thought. "Yeah, the one where you dress up and people give you candy." "Then let's do it! Free candy is free candy! But first, we need costumes." The two jumped ship from atop the cabinet and formed back into their human appearances just as the receptionist was cleaning up the last of the papers that had blown in alongside scolding both girls for sleeping on the Rune Knights Awards Collection, the one piece of furniture that was the most important in the building. Both girls apologized numerous times before, mercifully, they were allowed to leave.

That date was only a few short days ago. Since, Grappa and Jellisha had been preparing ever since. Each bought their costumes for one another on the premises that neither of them could decide upon which they wanted. For Grappa, she donned red devil horns, a fluffy black scarf and a red dress which gave oneself the appearance of a devil; albeit one that would torture one out of cuteness rather than hatred. The boots had a raised heel, making them difficult to walk in as Grappa had never done so before. If it took a full two days to figure out how to walk on two human feet, these would be twice that long! Each step was filled with pure determination not to drop onto the ground in a huddled mess.

Jellisha, meanwhile, would be wearing an orange and purple witch's attire, complete with cute and festive decorations. She had even gotten the help of some of the Rune knights to teach her how to change hair color to fit the picture better. She was against the idea of putting something so cute on, but after a long argument and a cat fight, she relented to her sister's whims. Her hands played with the bow around her neck while waiting for Grappa to go and fetch the top part. "Aaaaaand...There! All done!" She helped up a mirror so that Jellisha could see how adorable of a witch she appeared. The girl blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy color and tugged at her poofy costume in hopes that if she pulled hard enough, a new costume would be underneath. "This is so embarrassing..."

"Nope! you look great! Now let's go get Mythal and Seri and then we can get some pumpkins. After that, we're gunna get a boatload of candy~" Grappa said, elated of their plan. She pulled them both to the mirror and struck a pose for the both of them. Just a devil and a witch as sisters. Nothing wrong there. The two then sped towards Seri and Mythal after the two had come in from their duties and held up a paper, both twins beaming with excitement while the plan was told to them.

A portal opened near one of the pumpkin patches in question, Grappa hopping out alongside her sister. Of course, she almost lost her footing but rebalanced herself while holding up the map in question, venturing into the fields without warning. "Okay! So this is one of the pumpkin patches! A small one owned by some Furlborow family." Jellisha followed Grappa and caught on immediately, even at the dusk lit evening, that something was awry. She pulled down her sister's map so she could see the problem clearly. The pumpkins here were as fresh and plump as the Rune Knight toilets. Each looked more rotten than the next. Mythal and Seri might even have noticed a faint presence of dark energy near a mountain of pumpkins...right where Grappa and Jellisha were standing.

"These pumpkins look like dinner the Mess Hall serves on Mondays."

The two would ponder if they had somehow taken a wrong turn somewhere when a chill went up the party's spines. Grappa began to shake, a cold air settling in while she looked around herself. "I-Is anybody else freezing? It was nice ju-just a minute ago..." the other twin did her best to warm up, hugging her sister as an attempt to share warmth between them. It was working fairly well until a symphony of caws were heard above. Crows. Crowds were beginning to perch on the fences and buildings around them. One by one, they watched their prey with black, soulless eyes. Until eventually, they struck! A horde of crows attacked the group, talons raises to cut, gouge, rake and other unfun verbs.

"Seri!""Mythal!"
The crowstorm was so thick they couldn't even make out where anything was. The twins steeled themselves, doing their best to protect the valuable parts of themselves. Jellisha cried out as one crowd cut her arm. A small nick but nothing serious. Grappa jumped into hyperdrive, creating a strong ball of winds and casting it at the group of crows closer by. Some managed to dodge while unfortunate ones were hit and hit the ground, still. The twins jumped together and created a small but powerful gust of wind which started blowing the crows away from the group.

Dressing up wasn’t really Mythal’s style. Anyone that had spoken to him or, frankly, seen him would know that he was far more comfortable in his own clothes than anything else. Occasionally he could be seen wearing his official Rune Knight uniform if there was a need and only a few times had he deigned to wear an actual dress suit or at least something predominately formal. As a man that had grown up with very little after the age of sixteen, he had developed an attachment to things that were more comfortable than flashy. He didn’t seen a need to wear different outfits everyday because what he had fit just fine. It was probably a bit frustrating for those fashion critics that saw him but frankly, their opinions didn’t matter much either.

But he did care for Grappa, Jellisha and Serilda. And the young Exceeds were the closest attachments he had to children at the moment. Their entrance into his life had caused a lot of changes he had never expected. A lot of factors had led to the weakening of his staunch, stubborn defenses of his emotions but the girls had done wonders on tearing down the walls to bricks. Mythal found himself taking part in events that were overly social, going to fairs and on trips, just to give the Exceeds a true exposure to the world around them. A year ago he wouldn’t have thought it possible that he would take part in such things and yet, here he was. And the truest part of it all was how much he enjoyed seeing the pleasure on the sister’s faces when they were in the midst of a new discovery.

Halloween was practically a nonexistent holiday in Mythal’s book. A day where people dressed up in costumes and went around asking for candy? It was silly if not dumb. He had known several homeless men and women on the streets that had used the day as a means of stocking up on free food, even if it was sweets and not healthy. Then of course there were others that attempted to take advantage of the masks and disguises and commit more heinous acts of survival. But for the God Slayer, he had simply ignored it in the past. Yet another overblown event that came and went with about as much fanfare as one could expect. But this year was different. Now the girls were getting their first taste of the spooky but exciting holiday and they were all too happy to get costumes and go out to celebrate.

So Mythal had given in, without much pressure too. And to make the girls even happier, he had gone the full way to committing. He’d bought green hair dye and mixed it into his hair, adding the bright olive to his already dark locks. A bit of it was even touched into his facial hair to add the mossy effect. Some white make up made his already pale skin nearly the color of pure snow, mixing in some splotches of green to look like decay. Then he went out and bot a white suit, asking that it be tailored with black stripes all over it. Another striped striped shirt was bought to go underneath it and then he grabbed some dirt and patted the costume down to give it a grimy, earthy feel. With the final green tie attached at the neck, he had taken the part of Betelgeuse, the legendary demon of mischief within Midian history. To those that weren’t as educated on the subject, he probably just looked like a business man zombie… but that still worked fine.

The pumpkin patch was an easy portal trip away, even if it was still in Era. Mythal walked beside Serilda as the girls got to figuring out what to do. But even as they stepped out into the area, there was a sense of… dread. The Darkness King’s brow furrowed as he looked about, feeling an uneasiness in his very core. As if responding to his own senses, the air around them dropped several degrees within a second, his breath visibly appearing before his face. “I think jackets are the least of our worries…” he said softly, scanning the gourd patch. Several loud and aggressive caws caught his attention and his eyes flitted over to the murder of crows that had made roost there. Suddenly the flock took to the air and dove among them, swarming about the wizards angrily. Mythal snapped his hand out, magic flowing out from his sleeve and coating his hand. Grappa and Jellisha utilized their magic to break up the crowded beasts and knock them down. Ever since their sudden birth, the girls had proven themselves mightily capable wizards and Rune Knights. And when they worked in tandem, they could take down most anyone that came their way.

However, it seemed that the blast only caused the crows to take a different approach. Their bodies began to melt together seamlessly, creating a monstrosity of feathers and darkness that screeched with the incorporeal voices of captured souls. Mythal could almost… feel them, all trapped within the creature. Victims that had managed to beat back the murder but not the beast that came after it. Serilda wasted little time in pulling out Moonlight and charging at the creature before it could get going. Its feeble attacks were nothing against Serilda’s defensive capabilities and soon enough it fell, dissipating into a dark, wailing smog.

It was gone, sure… but the danger was not. Another groan caught Mythal’s attention, his head spinning to face the source of the sound. A scarecrow had been posted in the midst of the field; an inanimate model of hay meant to keep scavenging crows from picking at the fields. A fire ignited in its belly, flowing up into its eyes and mouth. Its jagged limbs pulled itself from its cross, falling to the ground with a loud thump. As it rose back up, a hellish looking scythe was pried from the earth below its feet, the blade shimmering with unholy magic.

It screeched and charged at him, bringing its blade up in place to swing it forward and cleave him in two. The Darkness King held his ground until the last possible moment, feigning shock until the blade was mere inches away from him. He ducked under the swipe and leaned forward, magic coating his fists as he pummeled them into the body of the creature several times. Black scorch marks coated the hay of the scarecrow, black and purple smoke rippling off the injuries as it hissed. It brought the scythe back around and tried to swipe it down on him, to impale him into the ground. He caught the blade with both hands evenly on its side, grunting as he pulled it free from the scarecrow’s hands. He planted a foot and spun around, upper cutting the scarecrow with the long handle of its own weapon and sending it skyward. Another jerk of his arm and Mythal sent the scythe back to its owner, spinning wildly. It easily carved through the belly of the creature, splitting it in two. As it fell out of the sky, both its body and its weapon faded into wispy trails of dark magic.

But the uneasiness didn’t fade. “Heads up. I don’t think it’s over,” he warned Serilda, Grappa and Jellisha, wanting everyone on their best guard.

The temperature decreasing was a sign of things to come, with the many crows being dispersed thanks to the twins' magic. It hadn't been too difficult thanks to all those days of training with their instructor. The bodies of the crows lined across the field would fill the two with a good energy. Or at least until the bodies would liquefy into a visible mass and merge together. the girls watched in horror while this new figure gained a more humanoid features. Two arms, two legs, and some swol muscles. They gasped in surprise. "That's..." "Not supposed to happen." Jellisha finished her sister's words while preparing to have another go with the monster. Seri beat them to the punch, launching herself into the fray. With barely any effort, the Marshal would dispatch the crow made abomination before them. Its body hit the ground with a loud thud before dispersing back into the crow bodies once more.

"Something tells me that there wasn't a party to begin with." Jellisha commented on. Grappa and her put their backs together while keeping an eye out for anything else that might. The latter of the two was on edge, sometimes jumping at even the little noise or development. She put on a brave face and forced herself to continue, unable to just let Seri, Mythal and Jellisha to carry her all the way. It was a few moments after the crow that Mythal would be up next. A low groan came from nearby, the twins spinning over just in time to catch a sight of an old looking scarecrow creaking over towards the party. It gunned for Mythal while brandishing a scythe in true scarecrow fashion. It slashed at the scruffy Marshall, who skillfully dodged the attack, by catching the bladed part no less. "Wow! You're amazing!" Grappa cheered for the male, Jellisha smirking to herself. No reason to worry when these two were nearby. Would they ever get to a level like that? He dispatched the scarecrow in true Mythal fashion. Sending the creature into the air and then tossing its weapon back at it. Wood and fabric split as the form split into a spectral essence. "Looking cool, Joker."

Easy goings so far. A fog was slowly enveloping the field. While faint at first, it would increase in severity until the girls couldn't even make out Seri or Mythal anymore. "Where'd all this fog come from? I can't see anything." Grappa whined, her young head spinning around in a futile attempt to make out any familiar shapes. Jellisha wasn't having the best of time either. She remained on edge for the time being and went to continue with keeping a look out for anything. The fog was like a smoke screen, shifting every second without rest. Yet there came to be a small circle of light within the darkness. It moved erratically and without a set path, jumping in and out of place without so much as a chance to rest. "J-Jelli..." Grappa said. "It's fine. Just stay behind me." She re positioned herself so that she would face the orb head on. It lingered above them for a short while. Going back and forth and back and forth and back and...Surprise! A spooky monster erupted from the fog and lashed out at the two. Jellisha pulled her sibling towards her to evade in the neck of time. "Go for it now! Before it disappears again!" The two would summon their wind magic to grant them their claws and go to lunge at the pumpkin headed specter. He would turn and blast the two with a bolt of powerful magic energy. The resulting boom was fairly loud, the two lying on the ground in a heap.

"Ah-Ow..." Grappa forced herself to her shaky feet from the attack. It had managed to ruin her costume and she felt sore from the attack but faring better than her sister. SHe looked beside her to see Jellisha's form. The girl was unconscious, having used a split second to shield her sister from the brunt of the attack. Grappa shook at her sister's state and would look back at the ghost. "Y-Yuh-You...I'll kill you!" She screamed out, running towards the enemy in a blind fury, aiming to blast it in the face with her magic. With such a low level of skill, her attack was dodged with relative ease and she found herself with a scratch by the thing for her troubles. Her midsection was torn, exposed to the world in the form on 3 diagonal lines across her stomach. A bright green liquid dribbled from them as she suddenly fell to her knees. "Ugh..." She winced, her body shaking and unable to respond to any will she could give it. Her mouth felt dry and her head was beginning to pound. As the monster neared, Grappa would visibly shake in fear while shouting out for help. "M-Muh-Mom! Da-ah-ad!"

Mythal had been right… but he wasn’t fully prepared for the effects of the upcoming enemy. He could sense its movement and emergence, the pumpkin-headed monstrosity arriving through darkness and fog. It went for the smallest two of the party; attacking the Exceed girls in almost exceptional time. Serilda proved the quicker; arriving in time to slice the first dark blast in half and sent it careening towards the Darkness King. It slammed into his chest, exploding outward into a detonation before quickly shrinking down and disappearing within Mythal’s chest. But as the smog lifted, he could see that Jellisha had taken the brunt of an attack, in protection of her sister. Knocked out cold and lying on the ground, Serilda swiftly made her way to the Exceed and began to heal her.

But Grappa’s own emotions took over, forcing her to attack against her better judgement. Mythal made a move to intercede but the quick melee was over before he could even make it two steps. The monster had avoided Grappa’s attack and repaid her for the action by tearing at her stomach. Mythal felt the pain himself, his blood running as cold as the air around them. The poor, pitiful cries of Grappa echoed far off in his ears, reverberating in the pounding caverns of his ears. Unlike Serilda, who roared with a feral cry, Mythal was frozen for a brief moment. Memories from years ago, of his standing before a burning house, flashed in his vision. The memory of Gren’s death tore cracks against his psyche as destiny seemed to be teasing him, taunting him for thinking he could be happy.

But something brought him back. A warmth… a light. It didn’t allow him to move though and as Serilda sent the pumpkin monster flying at him, he couldn’t react. The nightmare turned enough to see him and, despite choking on the lack of oxygen, managed to twist around and pierce Mythal’s shoulder with its claws. Its burning grin seemed to widen, confident that it had taken yet another one out with its poisonous tendrils. But rather than seeing the sickly ichor leaking from the puncture wounds, wisps of darkness poured out from around its fingers. “You dare… hurt my family…” Mythal growled softly, his face a mere mask in that moment.

Black magic erupted from him, consuming the God Slayer in its dark ferocity. The Pumpkin Patch King was thrown backwards from the pressure, having to glide at full speed to keep itself from being blown away. A pair of red eyes emerged from the center of the storm and the aura melted away to showcase Mythal once more, brimming with magical energy. Unlike other times when his rage had consumed him, there was no cracking or change in his eyes. Indeed, it seemed his darker self had understood this was something Mythal had to take care of and had rather lent his power than attempted to take control. The Darkness King’s hand snapped to the side and a volley of black and purple magic shot out from his palm, stretching outwards. It burned for several seconds before it took a more solid form; the ten foot sword that Mythal had retrieved from Vintermyr all those months ago.

The Pumpkin Patch King screeched and charged once more, letting off more blasts as it soared with claws held out. It slashed at Mythal again but only hit a fleeting image; its talons ripping through black smoke. A glyph appeared on the ground beneath it and exploded upwards, driving a pillar of pure darkness into its stomach. The tower rose up and expanded as the sky above darkened into a pitch black. Purple stars took the place of normal ones and wailed as they shot down streams of darkstarlight at the creature, swallowing it up in several explosions. As the smoke cleared, the regal pumpkin fell back towards the ground, weakened and beaten by the onslaught of blasts. Its momentary stun was only removed as the long blade ripped through its upper torso, carving its head and neck from the rest of its form. Mythal slid the blade several more times through the body, slicing numerous pieces of the pumpkin demon up to float in the air in front of him. Darkness wrapped around the blade as the God Slayer spun it around above his head and then swung it in an arc in front of him, releasing a wave of cursed magic into the remaining bits of the enemy. Whatever consciousness it may have had left was burned away from the intensity of the attack.

Mythal’s rage softened as the magical presence of the monster dissipated. The cold air began to let up and the fog broke apart, revealing the rest of the patch. He made his way over to the girls, kneeling down gently between them as his sword faded back into the darkness. He placed his hand on Serilda’s and added his magical power to hers, aiding in the process of burning away the poison within Grappa and healing her wounds. “It’s okay. It’s gone. We’re all going to be okay,” he said softly, wrapping his other arm around the ground and holding them close.