//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Hanging Tree // Story: Equestria Ninja Girls: The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge // by RainbowRaptorDash1 //------------------------------// Outside Halloween Town, Jack, Aria and the others arrived at the Tomb of Tears in the graveyard. "Jack, calm down." Mikey said. "But Sally could be in danger." Jack argued. "We'll find her. First you got to tell us who she is." Pinkie responded as Aria giggled again. "She's... Uh, Dr. Finklestein's assistant and a... Close personal friend of mine." Jack stammered as the other ninjas were confused before Pinkie figured it out as lightning shot out for both sides of her neck. "You love her." Pinkie said as the rest of the ninjas except Aria were surprised while Jack’s head fell off before he tried to catch it. "Well... Love is a strong word." Jack replied. "Let's just look around. The cemetery isn't that big. She's got to be here somewhere." Aria informed. "Right." Jack agreed as the group went forward, before they encountered more enemy skeletons. "Great. These things are here, too." Mikey groaned as he smashed some skeletons with his fists and nuchucks. "The witches did say that their bones are unusually thick here." Aria noted as Jack sliced another one, before he noticed the fallen tombstone. "Huh?" Jack wondered. "Jack, behind you!" Scootaloo shouted as a skeleton pounced but got electrocuted by Pinkie. "Shocking, isn’t it?" Pinkie punned as the skeleton she shocked was reduced to ash. When the last skeleton was destroyed, Aria saw a tree walking. "Hey, is that…?" "It's just a tree." Apple Bloom said. "No… Come on!" Aria urged as she slithered off. "Hanging Tree!" Jack noticed as he followed Aria. "Hanging what?" The other ninjas asked in confusion as they, Aria and Jack arrived at a giant tree and met up with the walking tree that Aria saw. "Aria?" The Hanging Tree wondered. "Yeah!" Aria answered. "It's been a long time." The Hanging Tree noted. "It has been." Aria agreed. "And Jack. You’ve come back." The Hanging Tree added. "Hello Hanging Tree. Hmmm? What happened to your Hanging Men?" Jack noticed. "Ever since Oogie Boogie and his monsters came to town, my Hanging Men have been hiding all around the cemetery. I’m afraid that Hanging Men aren’t very brave." The Hanging Tree answered. "Are they okay?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I hope so. Hmm? Who are they?" The Hanging Tree noticed. "Good friends of mine who want to help save the town." Aria answered. "That’s great to hear!" The Hanging Tree said in joy. "I guess we’re both missing people. I’ve lost Sally… You haven’t seen Sally, have you?" Jack asked. "No, but maybe my Hanging Men have seen her." The Hanging Tree informed. "Well, any clues where they're hiding?" Mikey asked. "I’m afraid not." The Hanging Tree answered. "Hmmmm… we’d better find them. We could really use Zero’s nose at a time like this." Jack noted. "I bet you’ll find Zero in his grave." The Hanging Tree noticed. "Oh, I love playing with Zero!" Aria said in happiness while the other ninjas were a bit disturbed though. "Grave?" Mikey, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Crusaders asked in concern. "Don't worry. Zero is harmless." Jack assured. "Hanging Tree, please stay here until it's safe." Aria said. "But of course." The Hanging Tree responded as Jack and the ninjas turned around to head to Zero's grave. As they walked back, they heard the sound of singing. "Oh, goodie. Tweedledumb, Tweedledumber, and Tweedledumbest are coming." Aria sarcastically said as the Crusaders got a bad feeling about what’s coming next, before three kids came from a gate in a walking bathtub while singing as they unmasked themselves. "Lock!" The devil-costumed boy started. "Shock!" The witch-costumed girl continued. "Barrel!" The skeleton-costumed boy finished. "Hmmm… I might have known." Jack noted. "Welcome home, Jack." Lock greeted. "How was your trip, Jack? And welcome back, Aria." Shock said. "Are you having fun, Jack? And who are these new faces?" Barrel asked. "Can it, Lunchmeats! I have a feeling you three are up to no good." Aria hissed. "Yes. You three wouldn’t have anything to do with Oogie’s return, would you?" Jack assumed. "Who?" Lock asked in fake confusion. "Us?" Shock asked in feign ignorance. "Oh… uh… um…" Barrel stammered. "It’s not too late. Return this town to order, immediately!" Jack ordered. "Why would we do that?" Lock asked "The fun has just begun!" Shock declared. "Besides, we’re on a secret mission to stop you and the others! Don’t tell anyone though! He he he heh!" Barrel snickered before Lock bonked him on the head with his plunger as the devil-suited boy jumped out of the tub. "See ya later!" Shock said as the tub left with her and Barrel before gates rose out of the ground straight out of nowhere. "Now you’ll have to play with me." Lock declared as he donned his mask before skeletons rose from the ground. "I hate you three." Aria groaned. "Why thank you!" Lock said in gratitude as he jumped onto a tombstone before the skeletons attack while everyone defended themselves as Lock watched. "Why is that kid not helping us?" Apple Bloom asked while smashing some skeletons. "Because he’s one of Oogie’s goons." Aria answered as she crushed a few skeletons with her tail and coil grip. "Not very smart." Sweetie Belle noted as she cut up some skeletons with her claw weapons. "He’s a kid, whaddya expect?" Aria said as a skeleton grabbed Sweetie Belle's head and pulled it off. "What the?!" Sweetie Belle gasped as her body noticed its head was gone as it tried to find it, before Rainbow Dash phased through and grabbed it. "Okay, that was almost getting outta ‘head.’" Rainbow Dash quipped as she put Sweetie Belle's head back on her body. "Why do I get the useless body?" Sweetie Belle whined as the other two crusaders shrugged, not knowing how to answer that. "Just fight with what you got." Pinkie said while electrocuting some skeletons. When Jack cut the last one, Aria started squeezing Lock. "I've been wanting to eat you for a long time." "Uh-oh!" Lock dreaded as he used a smoke bomb he somehow managed to swipe to blind Aria and the others, managing to get away. "You should've just let me eat those brats the first time Jack!" Aria growled. "Now Aria, you know I like to give people the benefit of the doubt." Jack reminded. "But those three troublemakers never change!" Aria retorted. "Uh Aria, what exactly do you mean by eat?" Mikey asked as a rat scurried by, before Aria’s tail grabbed it and tossed the rat into the air. "Well, I just hope that Fluttershy doesn’t take the answer too hard if she asks." Aria answered as she grabbed the falling rat with her mouth and started eating it, while needless to say, the other ninjas were shocked. "My sisters and me were here for weeks. We had to eat what we got." Aria explained before Sweetie Belle started feeling queasy as the skin of her entire head turned sickly green before Aria spat out the skeleton when she was done. "You’ll get used to it." "Zero, come here boy." Jack said as he patted his knee before a ghost dog emerged from the ground in front of Zero’s tombstone. "There you are, Zero!" "Hey Zero, remember me?" Aria asked before Zero licked her face in happiness, making Aria laugh in joy. "Is that a dog?" Mikey asked. "Yep. This is Zero." Jack answered. "Fluttershy would've loved this." Scootaloo noted. "Zero, we need to find the Hanging Men. Can you help us?" Jack requested as Zero barked with a nod. "Okay boy, lead the way for us." Aria said as Zero then flew off to find one of the Hanging Men. "Follow that dog!" Rainbow Dash shouted as Zero circled over the first, but Aria noticed the dog's sad expression. "Everyone, stand back." Pinkie said as she threw electricity, clearing the brambles away before they found the Hanging Man hiding behind a tombstone. "We’ll take care of Oogie’s lackeys. You head back to the Hanging Tree." Jack assured the Hanging Man as Zero whimpered at Aria. "I know you miss Adagio and Sonata, but my friends are just as nice." Aria responded to Zero. "Something has changed about you Aria." Jack noticed. "Really?" Aria asked. "Something... I like." Jack responded. "Huh?" Aria said in confusion, but before Jack could go further, Zero led them to another Hanging Man. "We can talk some other time, but let’s follow Zero for now." Rainbow Dash replied as everyone rushed into another section of the Cemetery where Oogie's Skeletons were patrolling. "Stay down. I don't think they saw us." Mikey noted. "Hold on, maybe I can sneak past them." Rainbow Dash responded before amazingly, the skeletons triggered on of the traps and got burned to ash. "Or that could work." "Maybe we can use these traps to our advantage." Mikey noticed. "Maybe if we can figure them out." Apple Bloom agreed. "I found another one." Scootaloo informed. "Already?" Sweetie Belle asked in surprise as the Hanging Man was dangling in the cliff by his neck. "Isn’t that a bit much to be hanging from?" Mikey wondered. "Hey, you okay down there?" Rainbow Dash asked. "We’re sorry, but we haven’t got time to play “hide and go shriek.” Please get back to the Hanging Tree." Jack said as Zero flew off towards the next one. As they rushed to the next one, Jack noticed another fallen tombstone. "…Odd." "Anyone noticed the Skeletons are gone?" Mikey noticed. "Probably waiting for us to let our guard down." Aria responded. "Another Hanging Man. Over here!" Rainbow Dash informed. "That was quick!" Pinkie noted as Rainbow Dash phased through the vines and brought the Hanging Man to the group. "Got him." Rainbow Dash said. "Is he okay?" Scootaloo asked. "Maybe? He was behind a tombstone, blocked by a wall of thorns." Rainbow Dash said. "This area is safe now. Hurry back to the Hanging Tree." Jack assured. "Zero, got the next one boy?" Aria asked as Zero nodded before he left, just as Oogie's skeletons attacked. "Looks like we have company to deal with first." Jack noted. "You guys go ahead. We can handle them." Apple Bloom said. "Are you sure?" Jack asked. "They're mindless. We can take them easily." Sweetie Belle answered. "Alright. Just be careful." Rainbow Dash responded as the Crusaders played decoy with the others running after Zero, as Jack spotted the Skeletons coming out the fallen tombstone "Something’s wrong here…" Jack noticed. "Jack, duck!" Aria shouted. "Whoa!" Jack gasped as he skidded under the skeleton and activated the fire trap. "We got you, buddy!" Mikey said as he and the others grabbed Jack and pulled him to safety. "That was close." Jack noted. "You okay?" Pinkie asked. "Yes. I believe so." Jack answered. "Told you my friends got your back." Aria said as Jack smiled. "Here's the next Hanging Man." Pinkie informed. "Awesome!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "Hey, you okay?" Aria asked as Jack walked up to the Hanging Man. "It wasn’t easy finding you. It’s safe to go back to the Hanging Tree." Jack assured as Zero headed to the last Hanging Man before the Crusaders caught up. "Hoowee!" Apple Bloom sighed as Sweetie Belle came holding her head. "Why am I the one without a neck?" Sweetie Belle whined. "Told you guys we'd could handle it." Scootaloo said. "Where did Zero go?" Apple Bloom asked. "From how it looks, the top of that big tree." Rainbow Dash answered. "Let's go. The sooner we get him, the sooner we find Sally." Jack urged as everyone rushed to the tree and saw Zero very high up. "See what I mean?" Rainbow Dash said. "I'll climb it, you all stay here." Jack declared. "You sure?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Of course." Jack answered as he used his weapons his weapons as a makeshift grappling hook and climbed up. Jack was being careful as he climbed until he reached the top. "Don’t be afraid. It’s time to go back to the Hanging Tree." Jack assured the Hanging Man as he looked down at the group and gave a thumbs up. "Jack, be careful climbing down." Aria said as Jack was preparing to repel down, before his foot slipped. "Whoops!" Jack yelped as he fell, before Rainbow Dash flew up and grabbed him. "Thanks." "Don’t worry. There’s no way I wouldn’t help a friend." Rainbow Dash responded as she flew Jack gently down.