The Halloween Party--Epilogue ------------------------------ Rowan (Registered User) Sunday, October 7, 2001 at 9:18:26 PM CST Is this a good idea? I saw some stories about The Ranger Coffeehouse on Kat's page and had a idea about it. There were stories about ride on a bus and a party and a Christmas party and, as a suggestion...how about a Halloween party there? The characters there dress up, have fun, but some kind of mystery/horror/suspence event happens... I don' know, it was just a idea. What do you think? --- Kat (Registered User) Sounds cool! I'm game :) Who wants to start it?? --- 8-Bit Star (Registered User) He suggested it... The one who suggests it should start it. I'm waiting. --------- --------- THE HALLOWEEN PARTY--Part 1 --------- Rowan (Registered User) Ok, I'll start. By the way, 8-Bit Star, I'm a girl. :) "Can someone give me a hand with these lights??" Chip asked, struggling with a long string of orange and purple lights. The Ranger Coffeehouse was going to have a Halloween party, and the Rangers rushed over to help set up the place. "Hang on, pally!" Monty shouted, tripping on a ladder step, fake cobwebs in his hands. "I'll be with you after I finish decorating the windows!!" Chip yanked at the lights behind him. Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw... --- Kat (Registered User) Chip saw... ...Tammy, who was dressed up like Lina Inverse (from Slayers). She tossed her hair and posed dramatically, holding her cape out a bit with her left paw and resting her right paw on the hilt of her toy sword. "What do you think of my costume, Chipper?" "Uh, it's pretty neat." Chip commented cautiously. "Think Wescott with like it?" asked the orange-haird squirrel. "Oh, yeah! You betcha!" said Dale, who had come over to help Chip put up the lights--and actually managed NOT to break any of them this time. ;) A huge punchbowl (full of punch) and several stacks of glasses floated out of the kitchen. They were soon followed by a certain Tari and a certain Jedi chipmunk. "Set it down -carefully-, Kuwani." Chipper instructed. The Tari smirked at the Jedi as the bowl floated down to the bar. "No problem. Just don't break any of those glasses, Chipper." The stacks of glasses floated down to the bar and then individual glasses flew off the stacks, flipped over, and settled on the surface of the bar. "How's that?" Chipper asked with a grin. Kuwani smirked and replied, "Showoff." She looked around the Coffeehouse and noted a certain mouse's absence. "Gadget's still busy, huh? Any idea what she's working on?" The chipnumk nodded. "Yeah. But I promised her I wouldn't tell--it would ruin the surprise." "Surprise?" Kuwani muttered. "Why does that worry me?" "Because the last 'surprise' set your tail on fire?" Chipper quipped. "Ha! Could be..." the Tari grinned mischeviously. "Is her latest project some sort of fancy costume?" "I said I promised not to tell." Chipper scolded in a teasing manner while waving a finger at Kuwani. "Okay. Fair enough." the Tari replied. "Looks like Tammy's showing off -her- costume." She nudged Chipper and indicated Tammy, Chip, and Dale's general direction. "Yeah. Does this mean Wescott is coming as Gourry?" Kuwani giggled. "I just can't picture him with butt-length blonde hair. We better get back into the kitchen before Gizmo misses us." They walked back into the kitchen. Monterey Jack was almost finished putting up the fake cobwebs when the main door opened and... --- Karl (Registered User) There was a flash as of lightning, and in stepped... Hawnurra, dressed as... Tigger??? He strutted in, posed briefly, then turned back toward the door and yelled, "You were right again, Gertie! I think we've suprised 'em!" Gertie strode in, looking as much like a Redwall book character as a badger can without actually swinging a battle-ax. The oversized strobe on her camera had been the source of the dramatic flash earlier, but it clashed with her midieval costume. She tucked it into a belt pouch. "So, where can we help?" The two one-story characters asked the crowd at large. The next thing they heard was... --- 8-Bit Star (Registered User) and out of yet another build-up header.... "Party? PARTY?! As in Halloween?" Said the ultimate moron, Dumb Frog. "Yayeth! Does this include watching all sorts of Halloween specials?!" He eagerly awaited the playing of Garfield's Halloween Adventure. Then a girl dressed as a witch from Ogre Battle said "Frog, Frog, Frog... you really should calm down. In any case, aren't you going to wear a costume?" "Oh, right." Frog sayeth, "I just haven't thought of what. It has to be something obscure, something that not everyone else will have dressed as..." "Why don't you go..." Pennywinkel started singing, "As a big, fat, Halloween cat?" Frog suddenly had an inspiration, and said "Wait here! I've got the perfect costume!" And he ran back into the hallway, presumably to his room, just as Mademanna came out, looking normal, except... Dale came over, and asked "So, is she gonna dress as anything?" "No, the perfect thing for her would to be herself. Notice that there's no skin on her left hand." Dale looked, and saw Mademanna's robot hand flexing excitedly. To this day, the Rangers never got over the shock of Mademanna being a robot, since she puts up such a great illusion of humanity. And then Dale jumped back with fright when he looked up. He stared some more, and finally recognized a familiar face in another familiar outfit. "Hehe! Sorry Frog, I almost thought you were the actual Demon Master Mind!" So Frog sayeth "Well, you've been fooled. I think I'll wait to fool the other Rangers. I'll hide right here..." (Note: Demon Master Mind is a villain from an as-yet-unpublished fanfic of mine) --- Aiva (Registered User) and at the another part of the world "Alex, how to operate this thingamamingie?" Alex's whispers shivered under the mask of Zorro. "Lawainee, dear, did you read the instructions?" "What instructions?" the hawaiian mouse turned around. "When i asked Kuwaini how to get to the Cafeehouse easier, she just slapped this thing in my paws and told to push red button when in need. but there is no red button!" Alex leaned for closer look. The ' thingamamingie' had several buttons on the front part of it (at least Alex thought, it was front part, Lavainee was holding that part upwards). however, from wear they had lost the coloring that had probably identified the meanings of the four buttons. "Maybe you better call her then?" "I dont need call her for any small troubles! I'll just push the top button, it always works thsi way in the movies!" And with flash they disappeared - only to appear near the entrance of cafeehouse - sideways... "Ups," managed to exclaim one mask of Zorro, before falling on the other, bigger one. ------ Aiva (Registered User) Arrived "Sure, dear," Alex waited for Lawainee to get up, before rising himself. "It always works so in the movies..." They looked around, at the all activity going on. It seemed, that their small mis-adventure had passed unnoticed by ther other patrons. Both 'Zorros' straightened their masks and costumes, before moving each to the own directions. alex offered to help Monty with decorations, while Lavainee travellet toward the buffet. ------ 8-Bit Star (Registered User) I thought we were at the HQ? So I says "Hey, weren't you guys at Ranger Headquarters?" "Oh, 8-Bit Star," Chip sayeth, "Are you gonna join us?" But I, however, was stuck as a person on a holographic viewscreen, and said "Until I find a way to open a gateway to your universe, no. Hey, you've got my characters, have fun." And I flipped out. ------ Karl (Registered User) Chip turned, to study the Coffeehouse Holoscreen controls. "Okay, it looks like 8-bit thinks we're at Rangers Headquarters, and is stuck in holospace." He said, thinking out loud. "Wowsers! Trapped in holospace!" Dale began making spooky noises and gestures as of one floating in some formless limbo. "But this thread started with us being here in the Coffeehouse! His mind must have been taken over by space alien brain-eating zombies!" Dale began freaking out in an overly dramatic manner. "Dale, I promised not to bonk you on the head while we were at the Coffeehouse, right?" "Hey, I'm just funnin' ya! So, how're we gonna get the "star" over here for the party?" "I've added him to the Coffeehouse security profile, so he can download himself here any time he wants." "What about a costume?" "Don't you think he should handle that part?" "Oh, you're no fun!" After Chip left, to help Hawnurra and Gertie with the buffet table just being set up, Dale made a few small suggestions to the 8-bit star's holo-profile, adding a red nose and clown shoes to whatever costume star programmed in. These would last only a minute or two before reverting to star's choices, since Dale is only mischevious, not really evil... ------ Julie (MB Admin) Speaking of no fun... ...Shadow stormed into wherever this particular party happened to be, dressed in a green Chinese-looking outfit, complete with a bucket-shaped hat and sleeves that reached almost to the ground, with bells on the ends. "Who are you supposed t' be, mate?" Monty asked. Shadow glared, blushing madly. "It's bad enough that my writer put her Gadget doll in this costume, but why did she have to do it to me too?" "Hey!" Dale said, "you're that Li Showron from that Cardcaptors show, aren't you?" "No, I'm Li SHAORAN from Card Captor Sakura," Shadow intoned. "My author prefers the subtitled form to the dubbed." And Shadow stormed off into the corner of the room, jingling all the way... ------ Rowan (Registered User) At the side entrance of the Coffeehouse... At the side of the Coffeehouse, a white flash crackled outside. Two figures walked through the doors. Author and creation stood side by side... "Wow!" Jenny said, straightening her glasses on her nose, which had been dangling by a ear. "Those directions those two guys gave us worked!" Rowan Treejumper stood by her side, holding her bow and arrows close to her. She looked around at the Coffeehouse and the people inside, but there was no threat of danger...yet. "Hey, Jenny?" Rowan asked. "Is it ok that I'm here? Is there a law or something about being in a fanfic before you go here?" "I don't think so," Jenny answered, "A alarm would have gone off or something." They walked farther in. A few of the people had never seen them or heard of them before, so some were looking to see if they knew them. Jenny reconized the Rescue Rangers that were there, but one was missing. Who, though? Rowan was looking around, wondering what would happen. She ducked as Zipper flew by, carrying more cobwebs to give to Monty. Rowan noticed Jenny was walking away from her, and tried to follow her, but Rowan felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around and... ------ Kat (Registered User) Continuing the story... ...saw a cat-earred human girl. "Hiyas!" she said, "I'm Kat. Is this your first time here?" "Um, yeah...oh, I'm Rowan." replied the bow-carrying fictive. Kat shakes her hand. "Nice t' meet ya. Is the gal who came in with ya your Writer?" "Jenny? Oh, yeah; she's my Writer. Hey, where -did- Jenny go?" "Over there." Kat pointed to a gal in glasses, who seemed to be heading in Chip's general direction. "Ya might want to warn her that things tend to get weird around the Coffeehouse-- especially when there's a party. Goes double when Writers start showing up." "I think she already knows that, but thanks anyway." Kat smirked. "I need to see about a costume, so just make yourself comfortable. If you're hungry, check out the buffet--or sit down at a table and order something from one of the dragons if you're in the mood for something special." The car-earred girl then disappeared. ------ KS (Registered User) More arrivals... Shortly thereafter, another writer showed up with a couple of his creations. The writer, looking like a grizzled old prospector, was flanked by a young mouse and a wolf. The brown furred, black haired mouse was dressed as Little Bo Peep while the lupine companion was, ironically, clad in sheep's clothing. Romulus looked about the coffeehouse, then screamed suddenly. The prospector with literary aspirations grabbed the startled carnivore by the snout. "Don't do that, ya fur bearin' critter!" he scolded gruffly. "What was that about, anyway?" Raven inquired, feeling a little silly wearing a frilly dress, especially now that everyone was staring at them. "I'm short!" the wooly wolf pointed out, "Or them rodents are really big!" "I've heard people's heights here get adjusted so everyone's about the same size," the wolf's creator pointed out. "How am I supposed to have any fun if I can't pop small mammals in my mouth?" the canid asked in a disappointed manner. "I'm not sure," Raven proceeded to respond, "but I'd think pretending to devour the other guests would be considered bad form. Anyhow, I suggest we find a table." "And try not to draw any more attention our way," the writer advised the wolf, "dagnabbit." KS RRC++R+PTH(A+;I+;X;Dr;Hu+;My+;R+;P;Sl;Su)ME---Ix! CRCc+dm+z+f+t-F-n-rc---Ec+d-g++mf+t—o(FatCat)+DM++Zm+GH+L!Ga+P!! ------ Kat (Registered User) Leviathan waited outside the womens' dressing room The grey mouse adjusted the red cape of his Strider Hiryu costume and tried his best to wait patiently. "How long has she been in there, anyway? It seems like hours." he thoguht. Just then, Grace Gigabyte walked out, dressed as Sakura. "Whatcha think?" she asked as she adjusted her headband. "Cool costume. But Sakura's hair isn't blonde." smirked Leviathan. "Details, details..." Grace started nochalantly before noticing something. "Excuse me on moment..." she said as she opened the dressing room door. A few minutes later, she came back out, with Widget Bernouli in tow. "But Grace, this costume is a mite..drafty." complained Widget, who was dressed like Chun-Li. "Wow, you look great!" exclaimed the grey mouse. "Do you really think so?" asked Widget as she tugged at the short, blue sleeves of her costume. "Yeah. Blue is definitely your color." He held out his arm. "Shall we?" Widget grabbed his arm and said, "O-okay. Sure." The mice joined the festive group in the main dining hall. ------ Rowan (Registered User) Afterthat... Jenny and Rowan were sitting at a table. Rowan had gone to the salad bar, got a bowl of carrot sticks and ranch, while Jenny got a glass of water(for her) and old apple cider (for Rowan). They shared the carrot sticks and talked, watching the others in the Coffeehouse. Rowan told Jenny about Kat, then Jenny told Rowan what Chip had said. "So she just disappeared! That's really odd. Can all humans do that?" Rowan asked. Jenny frowned. "I don't think humans can do that. At least those without cat ears can't. I don't know, maybe she's an alien, who knows? All I know is that she has some good fanfiction on her website," Jenny added. Rowan nodded, taking another carrot stick from the bowl. "What was Chip talking with you about?" "He just was telling me about the hologram screen and how Rangerphiles can talk through it- or anyone entering a broadcast. I also got his autograph!" Jenny grinned. "Hehh. Hey Jenny, shouldn't you get a costume?" Jenny blinked. "Oh, I forgot about that!" Jenny took out her water gun she put in her pocket, aimed the gun barrel at her self, and pulled the trigger. WOOOSH!!! A flash of light, and Jenny was still sitting in her chair, only she was wearing a gangster outfit, including a yellow shirt, tan pants, a gray tie, and a fedora. Rowan smirked. "Why am I not suprised?" Jenny grinned. "What is it and who did you get it from?" Rowan asked. Jenny twirled the water pistol. "It's a transmogrifier gun. I got it from a kid named Calvin. Oh, and his tiger Hobbes. Jenny grinned again. *** I don't know exactly who owns Calvin and Hobbes. Don't worry, no disrespect to you, sir! Next? ------ Rowan (Registered User) Ok, this thread is dying. I'm gonna try to bring it alive again. Inside the Ranger's Coffeehouse, the decorations were nearly done, people were talking, chatting, and basically having a pre-party party. Outside of the Coffeehouse, it was another matter. If one chose to look out the window, one could see an ominous figure standing in front of the Coffeehouse. One that had been presumed dead One that could be called 'genius' or 'psychotic'. Whatever the reason, it was there. It had a knife in it's hand. With a seemingly careless throw, it sent the knife, point first, toward the Coffeehouse. The knife cut through the glass of a window, shattering the glass in it. Everyone in side became quiet. The knife flashed into a wall. The figure outside the Coffeehouse vanished. And on the knife, there was a red liquid. It dripped on the floor. Chip stepped toward the knife, noticing words carved on the hilt. He squinted, then stepped away in horror as he read aloud the words. "This-will-be-your-fate??!!" Next? ------ "We're going to turn into knives?" asked Dale. **BONK!!!*** The J.A.M. ------ KS (Registered User) On closer inspection... Romulus approached where the knife was stuck in the wall. Leaning close, he proceeded to sniff it all over with his sensative lupine nose. "The red stuff's ink, not blood," he proclaimed as he continued his nasal investigation. "That's reassuring, at least," Chip commented, "Do you recognize the scent of the person who threw it?" "Nah," the wolf answered, "Whoever threw it must've been wearing gloves... rubber I think. I can't even tell the species." Backing away, Romulus was struck with an idea. "Hey, Raven, can you use your magic to figure out who threw it?" "Nope," the young mouse answered simply, "I'm good, but not -that- good." Romulus was clearly disheartened by the news. "Well it's not my fault, -he's- the one who didn't want me to have all the powers of a full sorceress," Raven responded, motioning toward's her writer. KS ------ Kat (Registered User) Kuwani & Chipper came out of the kitchen... ...and, after putting more food out on the buffet tables, noticed that eveybody was looking at the same spot on the wall. "Er, did we just miss something?" asked the Jedi chipmunk "There's a knife stuck in the wall!" the Tari stated the obvious. "And one of the windows is broken! What going on here?" "Somebody just threw that knife through the window. Or some -thing-." explained Chip. "Did anybody see anything unusual?" "Uh, this -is- the Coffeehouse, Chip; unusual things are rather normal here." Kuwani grinned mischeviously as she examined the knife. "Oh, Chip!" cried Tammy, "Is somebody trying to just scare us, or..do worse?" "Uh, it's hard to tell. The knife didn't hit anybody. We need more clues..." Chip nervously adjusted his hat. Kuwani looked at Romulus. "Red ink?" The wolf nodded. "No other scent on it, other than a faint synthetic rubber. Crud." Kuwani noted as she prepared to cast a spell on the weapon. ------ Rowan (Registered User) "IT'S ALIVE!!!" Ok, I'm done. :) Jenny crossed her arms, still staring at the knife. What she had thought to be blood was red ink. 'That's a relief,' she thought,'If it had been real, I don't know what would happen,' With this thought, she sighed, pulling her fedora over her eyes. Something was still bothering her. Then she realized what it was. Rowan was still staring at the knife, a intense look on her face. She gripped the bow she was holding so hard her hands were shaking. Jenny quietly walked over to Rowan. "Are you ok?" she asked. Rowan stared at her. She spoke in a low voice. "This is definately not good. Don't you understand? What I told you about Halloween where I used to live?" Jenny remembered. Rowan had said Halloween was when the ghosts and spirits of the dead arose. In her time, every Halloween, vermin hordes of scoundrels roamed the land, using the legend to frighten the woodlanders. So on that day, they stayed in their homes. Rowan always looked toward the door with dread, believing she might be taken by those spirits. But they had a way of finding a person. They threw a weapon into the house they were to pillage. More than often, it was a knife. And in a story told to Rowan, either they covered it with blood, or juice of red berries, which were used to make ink. And now, a spirit was wanting to get inside. But Rowan remembered that once they were in the house, they grabbed one person, waited awhile, and went back for the rest. Who would they want first? Next? ------ Karl (Registered User) Chip overheard the tale of the spirits... "Aha!" He thought, "Roving bands of vermin use the legends to cover their own evildoings, but the spirits do NOT attack them." His logic concluded that if there were spirits, they were far less dangerous than the evildoers. After all, were not most spirits those from the villages themselves, with relatives and friends still living there? "There are two possibilities here, I think." He announced, "Either someone is playing a Halloween prank on us, or we have a real enemy, who is probably no more an undead spirit than we ourselves!" Dale nudged him, "Maybe we are! We've been off the air for more than ten years! We are the undead! Aaahhh!! Ow!" His self-inflicted panic attack was cut short by a bonk on the head. "You said you wouldn't bonk me while we're here!" Dale complained. "This was different. A medical emergency." Chip replied. He then continued, saying, "According to ancient legend, the greatest evil of the undead, a vampire, cannot enter a home uninvited. Just to be safe, let us not ask or welcome anyone in unless they walk through the doorway first. In the meantime, Gadget, could you check the scanner data from the security monitors?" Over at the wall, under Kuwani's spell, a glowing aura began to appear around the knife. It turned into a hand, then an arm, then an entire standing figure frozen in the act of throwing the knife. As the details gradually formed... ------- Kat (Registered User) As the details gradually formed... ...Grace mumbled, "Does anybody know the number for the Ghostbusters?" Widget, still dressed like Chun-Li, stare at the brown-eyed mouse, confused. "Which ones?" asked Leviathan semi-seriously. "ANY of them! Weird stuff happens here, right? Well, what if our knife-tossing stranger is..uh..undead?" Leviathan blinked. "Maybe we should find the number for S.T.A.R.S. too." The head was beginning to from on Kuwani's magically generated image. Everyone gasped as... ------ "Holy-Moly!" KS declared KS ------