//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Grave Danger // Story: Equestria Ninja Girls: The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge // by RainbowRaptorDash1 //------------------------------// Soon, Jack and the others got the Hanging Men back on the Hanging Tree. "Thank you all. That’s much better. Without my Hanging Men, I’m not much of a Hanging Tree." The Hanging Tree said. "We have to stop the skeletons from coming out of their hiding spots." Aria declared. "It seems those monsters are attacking from the fallen tombstones. We’ve got to put the tombstones back together and seal those monsters in." Jack realized. "They'll start attacking us when they figure out what we're doing." Mikey pointed out. "So we play smart. Jack will pull the tombstones up while the rest of us defend him." Aria planned. "Yeah, probably smart, since he knows this place better than us." Rainbow Dash admitted. "Saw the first one by the gate where Lock ambushed us. Follow me." Jack said. "Lead the way." Mikey responded. "Of course." Jack agreed as he lead the ninjas before skeletons intercepted them. "Hey Jack, ghosts can posses people, right?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yes, but not necessarily." Jack answered as Rainbow went intangible and jumped into a skeleton, before the skeleton looked at himself and then attacked the others. "I got a real ‘bone’ to pick with you guys!" Rainbow Dash quipped. "Less joking, more fighting!" Aria urged. "On it!" Rainbow Dash responded as she and everyone else occupied the skeletons while Jack started pulling the tombstone up. With one big heave, Jack set the tombstone up, causing the skeletons fled to another section of the cemetery. "That’s one down. GAH!!!" Rainbow Dash yelped as she was launched out of the skeleton when Jack caught Rainbow Dash before she hit the ground. "What the heck was that?!" "Tried to warn you, it's a temporary ability. You only get get so long before the host throws you out." Jack said. "Then I’ll have to use more willpower to stay in there longer!" Rainbow Dash declared before she and everyone else saw Zero circling over the next tombstone. "Come on!" Apple Bloom urged while the skeletons guarded the tombstone, unaware the heroes were turning the fire trap towards them. "Hey boys, anyone for barbecue?" Sweetie Belle quipped as the skeletons charged at her. "Now!" Sweetie Belle shouted before everyone used the traps as Jack pulled the tombstone up. "Come on…" Jack hoped while he pulled it up just as a skeleton ambushed him, before Jack grabbed his scythe and sliced it in half. "Close one." "You can thank me later for the scythe, buddy." Aria said. "Okay." Jack responded as Zero circled over the huge tree where they started. "That's got to be the last one." Scootaloo declared. "You said it." Rainbow Dash agreed. "Alright, everyone. Full frontal assault!" Jack shouted as everyone rushed towards the tombstone full force while Rainbow Dash jumped into a skeleton. "Hopefully this’ll last longer." Rainbow Dash said while Jack pulled up the tombstone as everyone else defended him, and when Jack got it up, the skeletons fled. "Better get outta this body while I still can." Rainbow Dash noted as she exited the skeleton before it fled as well. "That's the last one." Jack noted. "You think Hanging Tree knows where Sally is now?" Pinkie asked. "He said he'd have the information when we're done." Aria answered. "Well, let's head back." Jack declared. "Good." Aria agreed as she and the others met back up with the Hanging Tree, while no one noticed a paper airplane flying towards them. "Thank you so much everyone. Now that Jack and all of you are here, Halloween Town will be back to its old self." The Hanging Tree said. "Did one of the Hanging Men tell you where Sally is?" Aria asked. "Actually, one of the hanged men just told me he heard a woman singing from under the ground." The Hanging Tree answered before the paper airplane crashed into Jack’s back, causing him to notice it. "What's that?" Mikey wondered. "A paper plane from Sally!" Jack answered. "Looks like there's writing on it." Aria noticed as Jack undid it and saw it was a letter. "What does it say?" Mikey asked as Jack read out the letter. "Jack, hurry back to town! After you left, Lock, Shock, and Barrel brought Oogie back to life. All the skeletons and ghosts that are attacking you by now were made by Dr. Finklestein and are being controlled by Oogie. These Oogie monsters were specifically made to attack you, and will stop at nothing at nothing to track you down! Please, bring Big Sis Dazzlings to help!" "Hanging Tree, are there any tombs leading underground?" Mikey requested as the Hanging Tree pointed to a crypt. "Down that way lies the underground Burial Chamber." The Hanging Tree answered as that caught the ninjas off guard, while Aria and Jack seemed intrigued. "The Burial Chamber?" The duo asked. "It’s the largest grave in this area. It’s infested with spiders and cobwebs. How romantic." The Hanging Tree informed. "That’s it! That’s where Sally must be!" Jack realized. "Hanging Tree, find a place to hide. We'll handle this." Aria said. "Don’t worry. I’ll head back to Halloween Town." The Hanging Tree said as he left for Halloween Town while Jack and the ninjas started heading to the Burial Chamber. Meanwhile with Lock, he met up with Oogie Boogie. "Having trouble, boy?" Oogie assumed. "That Aria’s just as scary as ever! But something tells me she got more scarier!" Lock responded. "Those three girls are back?!" Oogie growled "No. Only Aria. But I don’t like that jackal girl." Lock answered. "Was a pink girl with them, by any chance?" Oogie asked "Yeah, she’s a Frankenstein monster." Lock confirmed. "Deal with the others, boy. But leave the Pink Girl alone. I want to keep my favorite toy." Oogie ordered. "Sure! And I’ll beat that she-dog personally!" Lock agreed. "And you'll need some muscle." Oogie added as Lock looked at a giant shadow behind him and grinned evilly.