Serenay Moon
Halloween Special (XXIII): Pumpkin
©2002 Kitty Ocean

This story takes place AFTER the Little Wish Series, but BEFORE Season 3!

 

"Kitt, Mika, hurry up!" Zach stood underneath the stairs, yelling upstairs. "We're gonna be late!"

Kitt peeked outside a room. "We're busy out here! Stop whining!"

Zach released a short 'hmpfh' and turned around. He was dressed as a red bird. Moka and Derak joined him. "Hey, Moka, what are you?"

"Can't you see?" Moka asked. "I'm a detective!" And he tapped against his brown hat.

"And what are you Derak?" Zach asked. "A waiter?"

Derak was ticked off. "Of course not! I'm a cool guy!"

"Then what are you?" Zach asked, not understanding what he mend.

Derak struck a pose. "The name is Bond, James Bond! Irresistible for girls!"

Moka and Zach sighed. "Oh well, I'm glad we made it in time." Moka sighed.

"Yes, I wouldn't have wanted to miss this!" Zach answered. "It was nice for the Guardians to let us stay those few weeks at Serenay Moon, but I'm glad to be back on Earth again."

Derak nodded agreeing. "I can't remember the last time I went out on Halloween. I wonder what Kitt and Mika will dress up like?"

Moka and Zach thought too. "Last time Kitt dressed up as something, it was an amazon." Zach recalled.

Moka nodded. "Let's see, what did Mika choose last Halloween?" He thought deeply.

"I was that cute girl from that anime with all the costumes." They heard and turned around.

There they were; Mika and Kitt. Horrified, the boys jumped back. "Aaah!" They screamed. "They switched heads!"

Kitt was dressed in a pink shirt with a pink skirt and Mika wore exactly the same as Kitt always did. "No!" Kitt said angry. "Gosh, how dumb can a guy be?!"

"It turns out Kitt and I have the same size!" Mika answered happily. "You like it Moka?"

Moka, now recovered from the shock, nodded. "It looks great on you."

"Of course it does." Kitt added. "They are my clothes!"

Zach looked better. "Hey, Mika doesn't wear your necklace." He noticed. The necklace Mika wore looked a bit the same, but had a heart in the centre instead of a circle with a star.

"Kitty didn't want to lend it to me." Mika pouted.

"Hey Zach, what are you anyway?" Kitt asked curious. "Big Bird?"

Zach shook his head. "I already expected you would say that, Kitt, but I am..." Zach felt so proud. "The legendary Phoenix! Bird of fire, with a noble heart!"

Not impressed, Kitt folded her arms. "Woopy, you are a bird."

"I'm a Phoenix!"

"A Phoenix is too cool for you!" Kitt stuck out her tongue. Zach felt insulted, but Kitt winked. "But you are MY birdy-boy." She smiled and gave him a hug.

Derak felt that it was time he would open his mouth. "Guys, it's time for us to go, otherwise there will be no candy left."

Mika ran towards the door. "Wee!" She squealed. "I just love Halloween! All those free candy! I love candy!" Moka dashed after her, keeping her from running onto the street without looking.

Sighing, Kitt, Derak and Zach followed them. Zach noticed Kitt's basket. It was pretty small. "Hey Kitt, don't you want that much candy?"

Kitt looked around. "Who, me?" She asked. "No, I want lots of them!"

"But your basket is so tiny, how are you going to carry it all?" Zach liked to know.

Kitt smiled sweet an innocent. "But Zach, you are going to carry it for me!" And skipping, she walked away.

"Suddenly she looks so much like Mika..." Derak sweated.

 

After a while, Zach and his friends had gone by some houses. When they reached the home of a sweet old lady, they woman patted Zach on the head. "My oh my." She smiled with her false teeth. "Aren't you a big chicken."

All had trouble holding their laughter, but when the woman closed the door, they rolled on the floor. "Guess what's for dinner tonight!" Derak joked.

"That's not funny Derak!" Zach yelled. "I can't help it she can't recognise a Phoenix!"

But all continued laughing. After a while, Kitt stood up. "Let's go to a couple more houses and then go home." She whipped away some tears from her eyes.

All walked away, making fun of Zach, the big chicken. From behind some bushes, a pair of eyes followed them.

After a while, they walked through a park. "It's spooky here." Mika said and hid between Moka and Zach.

Kitt looked around. "Yeah, I think light wouldn't be too much luxury."

Zach laughed. "Ah, you girls!" He smiled. "You are just frightened of shades!"

Derak lay an arm around Kitt. "Yeah, don't worry!" He smiled. "You have James Bond to protect you!"

"Boys aren't so easily scared as girls." Moka added. "We are men! We fear nothing!" Suddenly some leaves rustled and Moka dove behind Mika. "Okay, maybe I'm no man yet."

Mika sighed. "They were just some leaves. Even I am not afraid of that."

The leaves rustled again, and now there was a soft grin added. "I suggest we're going to look if we are someplace else, away from here!" Kitt suggested.

Zach stood firm. "No, I wanna know what is out there."

"My, my." A voice said. "How brave he is." A red boot stepped out of the bushes. "Aren't you scared?"

All looked at the girl. "Ehm... not really." Zach replied. "What are you doing here Courage? I thought we got rid of you on Umbra 6!"

"Yeah, but I thought you twerps would come back here anyway." She smiled and showed her outfit. "You like my costume?" She showed her suit. "A devil suits me, don't you think? And I totally dig the sunglasses."

"I think you would look better as an angel." Mika smiled.

Courage was insulted. "Well, at least I'm not a piece of cotton candy." Kitt started to boil. "Nor an oversized chicken!"

"That does it!" Zach walked at Courage.

Derak yelled after him. "Zach, it has no use, you will go right through her! She's a ghost."

"But at least I'll get rid of some anger this way!" He was ready to grab the smoky Courage, when suddenly he held something solid. Zach slowly looked up, right into Courage her bright reddish eyes.

"Hi Zach." She grinned.

Zach jumped backwards and screamed. "She's ALIVE!"

While Courage rolled over the floor laughing, the others were confused. "Impossible!" Moka said. "She's dead! She can't be alive again."

"Who resurrected her?" Kitt demanded to know. "Was it you Mika?"

"It wasn't me!" Mika defended herself. "Was it?"

"But I felt her!" Zach said. "I couldn't get through her!"

Derak looked at Courage who whipped away the laughing tears. "You mean... she is alive again?"

"I doubt it you will understand this." Courage smiled. "But have you ever heard of the Halloween gift?" All shook their heads. "Once a year the dead can live among the humans like normal people."

"Sounds like a curse to me." Zach mumbled.

"But technically, I'm still dead." Courage twirled around. "Only, now can everyone see me like I'm an alive person."

"Oh wow!" Mika yelled. "So you are a living dead person?!"

Courage nodded. "I think the other term would be 'zombie'." Kitt mumbled.

Courage yelled at her. "I'm not a zombie! I'm a living dead person!"

Kitt poked in her ear. "No need to make me deaf."

"How long are you going to stay this way Courage?" Derak asked.

"Till midnight." Courage smiled. "So, I can annoy you like a living person for 6 more hours!"

 

A few moments later, all were walking by some houses again. Zach and his friends didn't dare to go trick or treating any more, afraid that Courage might do something 'unnice'. Courage in the mean while talked just as much as if she was dead.

"So dead people don't need anything because there isn't anything for sale." Courage babbled on. "I thought about opening a shop; the very first one in the after life!"

Zach turned around. "Courage, you are DEAD!"

Courage sniffed. "You are so mean!" She said, but then grinned. "I just have the greatest slogan for on t-shirts! Wanna hear it?"

Kitt turned around. "Surely you have something better to do than following us." She said annoyed.

Courage was silent. "Well... ehm... I wanted to give a Halloween party..." She shuffled with her long red boot. "I just didn't have any friends to invite."

All felt sorry for Courage. "Courage..." Mika started.

"So, I went for option number 2!" Courage smiled. "And that was annoying you!"

Suddenly a pumpkin flew through the air and hit Courage in the head. It smashed open and Courage was covered with gooey stuff. "What the freak is this?"

Zach and his friends turned around. They saw a huge monster with a pumpkin head. "Oh great!" Zach said. "What would Halloween be without monsters?"

Around them all people screamed and it seemed like the monster was sucking something up. "Whatever he is doing, we'd better stop him!" Moka suggested, but was shoved away by Courage.

"Hey, you freak!" She yelled at the monster. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

The monster roared and smashed her away with one of his vines that came from his stomach.

"Courage!" Zach yelled. "That's it buddy, you're toast! Zako Y Chosen!"

The fire attack hit the monster and when it exploded, a lot of screaming was heard. It was almost deafening!

Mika ran at Courage. "Courage, are you all right?"

Courage raised herself and looked up. "What just happened?" She asked confused.

"That pumpkin smashed you away with a vine." Derak answered.

"Really?" Courage replied. "Hey wait a minute!" She jumped up. "I only have 6 hours to be alive! No way I'll let me get killed before my time is up!" Angry she stamped on the floor. "Come on you guys." She ordered. "Where there is one freak, there are more! And I'll kick their butt!" Pissed, she headed for town.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried or glad she's on our side for once...." Zach stated.

 

Courage was right. In the town, there were much more pumpkin monsters. They chased the people, but it seemed like they were not intending to hurt them. And each time, they sucked something from the air.

When Courage spotted a monster, she grabbed a pole and stepped before it. "Okay mister, you are gonna pay for what you did!"

"Ehm, Courage." Zach corrected. "It was not him who hurt you, we've already destroyed it."

"Like he knows or that I care." Courage ran at the pumpkin monster.

"Courage, no!" Mika yelled, frightened Courage would get hurt. The pumpkin released a vine and shot it at the dead girl. Courage took the pole and put it on the ground. With that, she lifted herself and jumped at the monster. With her heel, she crashed through the pumpkin, making it explode.

Again a deafening scream escaped. When they looked again, they saw Courage whipping her hands from the dust. "There, that makes me feel better."

Amazed and astounded all gazed at Courage. "She destroyed that monster?" Derak asked.

"Without using magic?" Moka added.

Courage stretched her back. "Mm, I'm a bit rusty." She then spotted the gazing group. "What are you looking at?!"

"She destroyed a monster without magic!" Kitt exclaimed.

"And on heels too!" Mika added.

Suddenly they heard more screams. Courage grabbed her stick. "All right! More fun! This will be my best first Halloween ever!" Enjoying her time, Courage ran away. She smacked her stick at the legs of the monster and then landed with her elbow on the head. "Yeah, number 2!"

Still very surprised, all saw Courage destroying one monster after another. Even though she didn't have any magic, she surely was a great fighter. "Why didn't she do that to us when she was still alive?" Zach asked astounded.

Kitt saw her smashing another pumpkin. "She could have won!"

"There goes number 13!" Courage did a backflip and smashed both heals through the nosehole. Again the pumpkin exploded with an escaping scream. "Too bad I forgot my video camera!" Courage smiled. "Oh well, I hope you guys are counting along!"

"Don't worry, we are." Derak took his sunglasses off. "Dang, she's good!"

Courage ran after another pumpkin. "If she was chosen for the Moon Tournament..." Moka started while Courage tied some vines on a tree and then poked her stick through the head. "She could have easily won!"

Courage looked around. "What?" She said disappointed. "No more? Darn!" She sat down on the ground. "And I only had 1 hour of fun!" Sulking she sat on the ground.

Suddenly, they heard some clapping above them. On a branch sat a young boy. "My compliments." He smiled.

"Who are you?" Zach demanded to know.

The boy jumped down. "I'm the genius that created these lovely monsters." Confident he stood before them. "The name is Hades, greatest sorcerer of the universe!"

At that moment, someone started giggling. The giggles slowly changed into loud giggling until Courage rolled over the floor laughing. With her fist she smacked on the ground and continued laughing.

Embarrassed, Zach and his friends looked at her. "I don't know her, do you?" Kitt asked Derak.

"Courage..." Zach said embarrassed. "Don't forget to breathe."

Coughing Courage raised herself. "Too... haha... much!" She laughed while trying to catch her breath. "Too much!"

"What is so funny?" Moka asked.

Courage pointed at the boy who had called himself Hades. "He is so funny!"

"Do not mock me Courage!" Hades yelled.

"You know him?" Mika asked curious.

Courage kept on laughing. "Of course I do!" She laughed. "He is as dead as a doorknob, just like me!"

"So some zombie created monsters?" Kitt asked.

"The term is: living dead person!" Hades bellowed.

"In his previous life he was the most clumsy sorceress of all time!" Courage told them. "He is so dumb! He got some nitro-glycerine labelled with: 'do not shake' and guess what good old Lesley did?!"

"Lesley?" Kitt grinned.

"That would be pretty stupid." Mika smiled and turned at Hades. "You really shook some nitro-glycerine? Even I am not that dumb!"

"I'm not dumb!" Hades bellowed. "And don't call me Lesley!"

"Whatever you want Lesley." Moka grinned.

"You should fear me!" Hades yelled raising his fist. "I'm one of the strongest sorcerers in the world!"

"And you are dead too!" Courage added and this time, Zach and his friends laughed too.

Hades folded his arms. "You just wait Courage. After tonight, the world shall see how great I am."

"After tonight, you'll be dead again!"

"That's what you think!" All stopped laughing and looked questioning at Hades/ Lesley. "You see Courage, you think I'm stupid, but I've found out how a dead person can resurrect himself!"

Understanding what that mend, Zach grinned his teeth. "Then all the most dangerous people could return by themselves!" He remembered some people who were dead. "Aletheia, Tempus, Queen BlackHeart." He said.

"Count Dracul." Moka added. "And those guys from World War 2!"

"And that guy that invented those horrible pink bunnies!" Kitt feared. All looked at her. "What?! I think those bunnies are scary!"

Hades grinned. "So, I finally got your attention."

Courage looked questioning. "I don't think that's possible Lesley. When someone is dead, he stays dead. Even on Halloween."

Hades was ticked off. "Don't call me Lesley!" He then recovered. "There is a way. And I was almost finished, if it wasn't for you." He folded his arms. "You see, when a person screams of fear, he or she releases a screamed filled with a will to survive. When that scream is captured, you have a small amount of life force."

"And with enough life force." Courage ended. "A dead person has enough for himself!" She looked thinking. "Not a bad idea. I should try it."

Hades laughed. "Now you see how stupid I am Courage!" He slowly began to dissolve. "And after tonight, I shall take over the world!" Hades vanished.

"Mm, that's something we've never heard before..." Kitt mumbled.

Derak looked at Courage. "You think he could do it?" He asked. "Resurrect himself?"

Courage looked doubting. "Only on Halloween a dead person can use his magic. Since Lesley already created so many monster, it might be possible."

"Then we must stop every pumpkin!" Zach ordered. "If he succeeds, who knows what might happen!"

"Right!" Mika nodded. "For all we know he might order us to wear suits with those ugly grey stripes!"

"Life is all about priorities..." Kitt sighed. "I think we should change first. Or do you want those pumpkins laugh themselves to death?" She looked at Zach.

"Oh right, yeah." Zach nodded, but then noticed what Kitt had said. "Hey!" He said insulted.

Mika took Courage's arm. "You can borrow some of my clothes!" She said smiling.

Horrified, Courage pulled her arm back. "You know Mika, I don't think I have your size." She took Kitt's arm. "I think I have Kitt's size!"

 

After changing, all stood on the porch of their house again. They saw a lot of people screaming and being chased by pumpkins. "This is gonna be one hard job." Moka sighed.

"Don't loose faith guys." Zach cheered them up. "We have a great fighter with us!"

All looked at Courage. "Why are you looking at me?" She asked. "No way! I don't wanna die before my time is up and I don't wanna be around when Hades wins."

"Courage!" Mika said. "But you defeated them all."

Courage walked away. "Yeah well, these look a lot stronger and are with a lot more. Good luck guys!"

All looked at Courage. "I never expected her to be such a coward." Kitt mumbled. "But what else could we expect from a dead chicken!"

"I heard that!" Courage yelled but then left.

"Well, better get started." Zach said and they walked on the streets.

 

It turned out Zach and his friends could easily beat the pumpkins, but as Courage had predicted, there were a lot more of them than before. And each time as they destroyed one, it seemed like 5 had taken it's place.

Above them, Hades observed them closely. "Hah." He grinned. "I have enough pumpkins and even if they destroy half of them, I can still resurrect myself!"

"Pineapple Canon!" Derak yelled and destroyed his own pumpkin.

"Wave Crasher!" And Kitt smashed one into pieces.

"This is going great guys!" Zach cheered and destroyed one on his own.

Suddenly a pumpkin appeared behind him and raised a vine. "Zach, look out!" Kitt yelled and Zach turned around.

Zach saw the vine coming really close and knew there was no way to escape! He would be crushed by that green long heavy vine!

At that moment someone cold pushed him away. "Courage!" Zach yelled when he saw who had saved him.

"No one is allowed to lead you into your death but me!" She hissed and jumped on the pumpkin.

Zach looked at Courage who pushed her arms into the pumpkin. "Ehm... thanks?" He asked unsure. Courage pulled all the fruit out of the pumpkin until a scream got released. Rotten, it fell on the ground.

"Courage, you came back!" Mika hugged her. "You are so sweet!"

"I AM NOT SWEET!" Courage yelled. "I just came back because I want to kick Lesley's butt, and I'm the only one who can lead your to your doom. If you guys die, it will be because of me!"

Mika smiled. "Awh, how nice!"

"Nice?!" Moka and Derak asked.

Mika nodded. "Since she is dead, she cannot harm us, therefor she actually says she won't let us get hurt!"

"That was not what I mend!"

"Let's discuss that later, and finish our job first!" Kitt ordered and helped Zach up. "It's almost midnight!"

"Let's get this party started!" Courage grinned and ran at a pumpkin.

"Stop!" Courage hit her breaks and stopped immediately. When she looked up, she saw Hades floating down. "You cannot stop me Courage!"

"Like I care!" Courage yelled back. "If I can help it, you'll stay dead!"

"Pumpkins, attack!" Hades raised his hand and the pumpkins obeyed.

From all sides pumpkins surrounded Zach and his friends. "Ultimate Zako Y Chosen!" Zach yelled and hit a pumpkin."

"Charm Chaos!" Mika added.

All attacked the pumpkins and Courage did the best she could fighting them without magic. "We are winning!" Moka cheered when he saw that more and more pumpkins were getting destroyed.

Hades just grinned and raised his hand. A pumpkin raised a vine and out of it came a lot of hard thorns. Hades lowered his hand and the vine lowered too.

Zach saw the vine coming and yelled. "Courage, look out!"

Courage saw the vine coming and screamed. "Oh man, I should have listened to myself!" She covered her face with her arms and waited for the impact.

 

Horrified and shocked all looked at Courage. Courage lowered her arms. "Am I dead yet?" She asked. She looked around and saw she was still standing. She then looked at her feet and saw a huge vine with thorns crushed on the street... and she was standing right in it! "Waah!" Courage screamed.

"Impossible..." Derak said. "She couldn't have survived that...."

"No you moron!" Courage cursed. "It's past midnight! I became dead again before it hit me!"

Relieved all sighed. "But wait a minute." Zach said. "If it's past midnight... and there are still pumpkins... then that means..." All gazed up, seeing Hades surrounded by black light while thunderclouds packed together.

"Now... who is the stupid one Courage?!" Hades bellowed laughing.

"We were too late!" Mika yelled horrified.

"Now, feel the power of the ultimate sorcerer of the universe!" Hades gathered up an attack.

"G-bye!" Courage yelled and vanished.

Kitt hid behind Zach. "What can we do?! He's more powerful then us!"

Zach grinned his teeth. "I can't let him win!"

"Feel my power!" Hades released his attack and it blasted off.

All clutched together and screamed! An impact followed....

 

All looked up. "Huh?" Moka could only say. When he looked around, he saw sweet blossom petals falling around him.

"So pretty!" Mika squealed. "They are pink!"

"What happened?" Derak asked. "Are we dead?"

Kitt pinched Zach who screamed. "I'd say we are pretty alive."

After rubbing his sore arm, Zach looked around. All he saw was Hades' cape lying on the floor. "He's gone?" Zach was astounded. "What happened?"

 

In the after life, Hades cursed. "How could this be possible?!" He yelled and jumped up and down.

"Hey Lesley!" Hades turned around scared and saw Courage. "Did you use a wrong spell again?" Courage rolled through the air laughing. "I can't believe it! You killed yourself for the second time!"

"Stop calling me Lesley!" He yelled.

Courage smiled. "Should I fear you?"

"Yes, you should fear me!" Hades yelled. "And in case you wondered, I don't fear you!"

"Likewise." Courage smiled. "But I brought someone you SHOULD fear!"

"I fear nobody!" He folded his arms. Courage laughed and a large shadow doomed behind her. When Lesley saw who it was, he swallowed. "Ehm... Hades... sir. Sire, nice weather isn't it?" Before him stood the real Hades, and he was not too happy!

 

After a while, Courage floated before Zach and his friend's house and saw them sleeping. "Hmpf, you were lucky guys." She smiled. "Next Halloween I'm gonna find a way to get you guys." Courage then lay herself on the roof and looked at the stars. "Aah, what an unforgettable Halloween this was!"

"Not for them." Courage jumped up and saw Hades (the real one).

"Hey, Hades-dude!" Courage smirked. "What'ya do with Lesley?"

Hades smiled. "I taught him a lesson or 2 about borrowing a name from a god without asking."

Courage grinned. "So, what did ya mean with: not for them?"

"They saw you Courage." Hades explained. "Once in a year the dead have a chance to become alive again for 6 hours. They can use that time to enjoy the pleasures of being alive again."

"Well, not me." Courage lay back again. "I enjoy being dead. No one can harm you any more and you can go everywhere you want."

"There is just one downside to the Halloween gift." Hades continued. "Those who saw a dead person, will forget every moment tied to person."

"So you mean..." Courage started. "No one will remember this Halloween when they saw me or Lesley?" Hades nodded. "Oh..." Courage sighed. "Oh well, doesn't matter. It would have ruined my reputation anyway." She stood up and walked away with Hades. "Hey Hades, I was thinking about opening the first shop in the after life. I already have the most perfect slogan. Partners? You bring in the money and I'll make it!"

 

The next morning, Zach and his friends woke up. "This was a perfect Halloween!" Zach stretched himself.

"Indeed." Moka smiled when he let himself fall on the couch. "No monsters or whatsoever, just trick or treating."

Kitt took her Halloween-basket. "I agree, it was really peaceful." She looked in her basket. "Hey, I couldn't have got this little! We walked the whole night!" She then turned around. "Who stole my candy? Mika!!!!"

 

 


The end.

<< Previous - Next >>