Robin and the Horrorland Nightmare

Author's Note: With Halloween just around the corner, I think that now would be a great time to finally put this story to a close!

Ending 3: Nightmare No More

Robin twisted and turned as he slept, his once pleasant nap now a living nightmare as visions of chickens and weird men in masks assaulted his mind. He thought he heard someone calling out to him, but when he tried to focus, all he could hear was the faint sound of music playing and children laughing. There was something like carnival sounds in the air, a strange contrast from the Horrorland that he was used to. Where were the moaning souls of the undead? This Horrorland was unlike anything he had experienced previously, and had it not been for the wooden bench he was lying on, he might have thought that he had been whisked away to some other demonic dimension.

"Ugh…"

A pounding headache struck him as he sat up, the world around him spinning like he was on the world's most lopsided merry-go-round. It was still kind of dark out, but fortunately the neighbouring lights from the nearby game booths gave more than enough illumination to show him the street. Children ran up and down the corners, dragging their parents by the arm to the next crazy attraction they had set their sights upon. Whatever fog that was in the air had dissipated long ago, now replaced with bright streetlamps, as well as pumpkin-shaped streamers that bridged from one telephone pole to the next. Employees, dressed up in goofy yet distinguishable Halloween costumes, guided park guests, some leading them to high-thrill rides while others attempted to lure them to their humble booths for a few free-throw games. The scent of caramel apples was fresh in the atmosphere, and once his vision had cleared up, Robin could see the stand where folks were purchasing the unhealthy dessert.

He blinked once, and then twice. He almost couldn't believe his eyes.

"I'm back?" he said out loud. The feeling had returned to him. He leaned back against the bench, kicking his feet up and then planting them firmly into the cobblestone before standing up triumphantly. "I'm back!"

While it may have been true, he couldn't celebrate just yet. If Dr. Z really did keep his end of the bargain, then that also meant that his friends were here too, and hopefully in their non-chicken states. Hastily, Robin stormed through the park, passing his gaze over every person he came across until one of them looked familiar.

There was no denying that this place was indeed the real world. If pinching himself didn't prove it, then the bloodstains on his hands sure as hell did. The people who noticed him merely figured that he was another employee, dressed in some tattered gown to give off the impression of some kind of clownish magician. A few kids had pointed out to him, taking note of the tangled mat of hair atop his head, but Robin persisted. He was dead-set on locating his friends once and for all; even if it meant tearing this place down board by board.

He eventually stumbled upon a gathering in front of the public stage while a show was taking place. The crowd was quickly beginning to grow as colorful beastlike characters pranced and jumped around to a distorted rendition of the Monster Mash. For a moment, Robin thought to simply bypass the group, thinking that his friends would be somewhere more isolated for whatever reason. To his surprise, Lucina, Ness, and Pit were all standing near the outskirts of the audience watching the show, yet miraculously uninterested by the dramatic display of acrobatics. Pit was the first one to notice Robin approach them, flashing a gigantic grin as if the long-lost tactician had just resurrected from the dead.

"He's alive! Great Palutena, he's alive!"

At Pit's words, Lucina and Ness also appeared to light up. The met up with him in the middle of the square, Lucina embracing him immediately.

"You did it, Robin!" she cheered. "You saved us all!"

Robin couldn't find the words to express how happy he was to see his friends again. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Lucina, nearly losing his balance in the process.

"You remember it all then?" he said, thankful that he wasn't dreaming anymore.

"You bet we do," replied Ness, who was looking great with all of his limbs firmly attached to their respective joints. As a matter of fact, all three of them looked practically spotless, almost as if Dr. Z had never laid a finger on them in the first place. "We owe you big time, man. I still can't believe you made it through all three trials."

It turned out that Ness, Pit, and even Lucina had all bared witness to Robin's horrifying adventure. The captives that Dr. Z had used in the trials were mere placeholders, while their souls were able to keep a watchful eye from a safe distance. In other words, they knew everything that had happened, which made them all the more grateful to be finally reunited with Robin once again.

"Believe me; it wasn't easy," replied Robin. "I needed to pull out every trick in the book in order to beat Dr. Z at his game. I guess I learned a thing or two as well."

He may have been a tried and true tactician, but nothing in his career could have possibly prepared him for Dr. Z's Meet and Greet Contest. If it was one thing that Robin realized after going through that, it was that no matter how skillful a player may seem, the odds can always be swayed with a little bit of luck. That in itself was one of life's greatest mysteries, one that Robin definitely planned on researching further once he returned to the mansion. He certainly considered himself fortunate to escape Horrorland with not only his friends, but his own neck as well.

"So what happened to Dr. Z anyways?" asked Pit. "I want to give him a piece of my mind!"

Robin couldn't answer that since even he wasn't sure. The last he saw of Dr. Z was him being mauled by the Chicken Man, a pretty gruesome sight considering the deranged doctor bore a strikingly similar resemblance to that of himself. If he had to guess, he probably would have thought that Dr. Z was dead, but for some reason his last words still lingered in his mind. What was it he was saying about Horrorland needing a ruler at all times?

"I don't think we have to worry," said Ness. "According to the brochure, this is the last year they're hosting Dr. Z's contest. I think the tourists finally got sick of him."

He handed the pamphlet to Robin, who noticed that truthfully, Dr. Z's contest was no longer to be held at Horrorland. Even more peculiar was the fact that the brochure also mentioned that this was to be Horrorland's final year as a theme park before it ultimately gets taken down. This was certainly news to Robin, and was a detail that definitely did not exist prior to him meeting Dr. Z.

"You don't think…" said Lucina.

"Oh yes, definitely," replied Robin, a small smirk inching across his face. The thought only occurred to him just now, but if his hypothesis was correct, then his triumph over Dr. Z had somehow inadvertently changed the dynamics of Horrorland. The park was infamous for being open only on Halloween, closed to the general public for the remaining 365 days of the year. It was an annual event that was held for the last couple of decades or so, only to be put to an abrupt halt this year. The park would vanish with the night much like Dr. Z always did whenever he was floating around to antagonize Robin.

"Aw man, that sucks," said Ness. "Now we won't be able to go next year."

"Hey, don't look so glum!" retorted Pit. "If it wasn't for Robin, we'd still be trapped in the other world!"

The other world. Was that really the best name they had for it? It's not like anyone would believe them if they told them the truth about Horrorland. Perhaps it was best to leave it alone so that it could disappear with the name, along with Dr. Z and all the crazy attractions that came with it. Robin was already thinking of ideas for next year's Halloween, and take it from him, there wasn't one thing on his mind that had anything to do with amusement parks. Maybe a scary movie or something, but theme parks? That was out of the question.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please put your hands together for Horrorland's freakiest guests! It's time for Monster Madness!"

At the sound of the announcer's words, the stage had exploded with a blast of smoke, followed by ghoulish creatures of all shapes and sizes running around and jumping over one another. There were plenty of recognizable costumes in the bunch, such as the timeless classics like the Wolfman and Dracula. Adults and children of all ages gathered around, enjoying the demented sights of costumed entertainers putting on their act.

"It's all behind us now," said Robin. "The point is, you're all here, and that's all that matters to me. Now come on, let's enjoy the show."

They watched the colorful spectacle of monsters blowing fire into the moonlit sky, while other characters resorted to carnival tricks such as juggling and cartwheeling. Some monsters even got off the stage to greet the guests, although there were plenty of young children who clammed up the moment they got within ten feet of one of those plastic fangs. Robin and Lucina were comfortable watching from the back, where that crowd was mostly dispersed. Pit and Ness somehow got lost in the masses, but Robin noticed that the angel boy was being held up by other members of the audience, while another furry character crowd-surfed alongside him.

"You know," said Lucina, now that the boys were out of the way, "I never got to properly thank you for what you did back there."

"Hm?" replied Robin. "What do you—"

His lips were sealed the moment he turned to her, for she had leaned over and kissed him. While the first moment was shocking, the rest of it was pure bliss as Robin returned the loving gesture.

"Heh. Oh. Wow." He was lost in a daze for a second while his mind attempted to come up with an appropriate response. "I guess that makes us official?"

"I guess so," she replied with a smile. "I can tell you've been waiting for it."

She wrapped her arms around his while they enjoyed the rest of the show. Even Robin had to admit this was the best that he had felt in the entire evening.

With Dr. Z long and gone, as well as Horrorland being on its last leg, it seemed that the guests of the enchanted theme park wouldn't have anything to worry about come this time next year. Most folks were oblivious, but the chosen few who did know about Horrorland's grim secret had plenty of reason to stay indoors on Halloween night. Nevertheless, Robin was convinced that this would be the last theme park he visited for a long, long time.

"Alright all you spooky ghouls out there!" called the announcer. "As you all know, this is Horrorland's last year! So please give one final round of applause to all of our friends who helped to make this year the most spectacular of all!"

The monsters got on stage and waved to the cheering crowds, the perfect send-off for Horrorland's great departure. Seeing all of the monsters acting so human was comforting to Robin, especially after having to undergo the dangerous trials with that bloody Chicken Man. He wouldn't be missing him at all, but he was given a weird reminder once he saw the deranged character climb up onto the stage to join his brothers with their bows. Even stranger was the fact that the Chicken Man on the stage had bloodstains all over his yellow feathers, nearly painting his mask in a dark shade of crimson. The contorted eyes that seemed to pop off in every direction honed in on Robin, almost as if it had been looking for him the whole time. Robin felt his blood run cold when he noticed that the Chicken Man was still missing an arm.

"By the gods…" he muttered. "There's no way…"

The Chicken Man gave one final howl to the moon before lifting up his arm to pull back his mask. The giant head hit the floor pretty hard, but Robin barely saw it as his gaze was fixated on the man underneath. For some reason, he was expecting it to be Dr. Z, but the face of the man appeared to be much older, and with a curly mustache as well. It took him a moment, but memories of this man suddenly struck him when their eyes locked with one another. From the snarky stare to the overly wide grin, this man was without a doubt the man who had lured Robin, Lucina, Ness, and Pit into playing his little game of skill earlier in the evening.

He was the man who had given him the deck of cards.

"Happy Halloween! Haw haw haw haw!"

Author's Note: One year later, this story is finally complete, and a hell of a lot longer than I originally anticipated. I'm glad to have it done for Halloween though. I can't say I'm really proud of this story due to its straightforwardness, but I blame that as a result of its length. Anyway, thanks for reading, everyone, and I hope this was the Halloween story you were looking for this year. Thanks a lot to my followers and anyone who went to the trouble of leaving a review throughout the course of this story. And most of all, have a fun and safe Halloween! Adios!