EM: Madame Leota

Chapter 10: Madame Leota





Mickey slowly approached the crystal ball as Gus poked his head out.

"Madame Leota…It's…been awhile…" Mickey said.

The head smiled gently at Mickey.

"Indeed time has very well passed/I'm glad our encounter back then was not our last…"

Leota then sighed.

"But a happy reunion, I'm afraid this is not/ For now we all flee…from the Phantom Blot…He has ravaged this world, claimed it as his own! And the hero of this world…he did dethrone…"

"This world had a hero?" Mickey asked.

"Indeed we did, but he was exiled, banished! And along with him…our hope…vanished"

Leota then looked up at Mickey again.

"But now you have come, to save the Wasteland/The horrors of this place, you've witnessed firsthand…"

"Madame Leota…" Mickey said. "We need your help…"

"We have a ship and we're going to be traveling across the Wasteland…" Gus explained. "But we need someone who can navigate…"

"We were hoping that you would lend us a hand…er…head…or…you know what I mean"

Leota sighed and shut her eyes, focusing.

"There are some in this land that have survived/Their destiny and yours, are intertwined/We all have our parts, that we must play/Now my part has come on this dreary day…"

She then smiled up at Mickey and Gus.

"Yes Mickey Mouse, I will aid in your quest! To put the Phantom Blot and his minions down to rest"

"Oh boy! Thank you Madame Leota!"

"Alas, my power is not what it used to be/So I'm afraid…you'll have to carry me…" She said, almost sounding ashamed.

"That's not a problem!"

Mickey painted what looked like a tube with a strap into being and pulled the strap over his shoulder before sliding the paintbrush into it like he was putting a sword in it's scabbard.

He then picked up Leota's ball and held her carefully.

"Mickey, how will you fight if your carrying Leota?" Gus asked.

As if on cue, Mickey heard the corpses from before pounding on the door to get in.

"Uh-oh…Leota! Can you drive them away again?"

"My power is weak, I cannot push them away! But an escape from this room, there is another way…"

"Where??"

Leota focused her power and a couple of tiles from the floor began to levitate and form a staircase as a panel in the ceiling opened up. Mickey bounced his way up the floating tiles as the mechanical zombies burst into the room.

As Mickey ran into the hole, the zombies attempted to climb up after them. As soon as Mickey stepped foot on the floor, Leota allowed the tiles to drop, causing the zombies climbing up them to fall to the ground and shatter into a pile of bones and robot parts.

The Lonesome Ghosts burst into the room and looked at the hole in the ceiling.

"They went up there!" One said.

"Let's get 'em!"

"Hold on!" The third said. "We don't gotta, topside is HER territory"

The four ghosts paused before chuckling to themselves.
"Looks like Leota won't be the ONLY dismembered head around here!" The last one laughed.
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"Wow, that was close…"

"Yes, but a greater danger we face/From a somber bride, who hides her face…"

"Bride?" Gus asked.

"Oh no! This is why I wanted to AVOID coming upstairs!" Mickey gasped. "What do we do Madame Leota?"

"Like the famed Queen of Hearts, she's after your head/Steer clear of her you must…or you will be dead"

"A bride…who wants our head?" Gus shivered. "Why??"

"Well…honestly I don't know…no one knows for sure…" Mickey replied. "We just have to go in the direction we came in and keep an eye out…"

Mickey began to slowly creep down the dark halls of the upper floors. The three passed by a wall of paintings that slowly changed into grisly pictures as they passed. Gus looked up to see one of them transform and he hid inside Mickey's pocket.

"H…How will we see the bride coming?" Gus asked. "She's a ghost, she could pop up at any moment!"

"D…Don't worry…" Mickey said, though he was nervous. "Have you ever seen the movie Peter Pan?"

"…Once" The gremlin replied.

"Well…like the crocodile, whenever she's around, she sort of…warns you in a way…you hear a really loud heart beat!"

"…That doesn't help me at all…" Gus shivered. "That scares me more!"

"Well…she usually stays in the attic, so maybe she's up there and she'll leave us alone!"

Thump-thump

Mickey froze in place. Gus slowly poked his head out.

"…What was that?"

"…I'm hoping that was MY heart"

Thump-thump…thump-thump

"…Mickey…"

"…Madame Leota…is it her?"

Thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump

"Here comes the bride who longs for her groom/The blade of her axe…will seal your doom…"

Thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump…thump-thump

The eerie beating continued to get louder and louder until Mickey and Gus saw a faint blue glow coming from behind. Gus ducked down in Mickey's pocket as the mouse slowly turned and gulped.

There she was…the bride. A red glow pulsated from within her chest in rhythm with her heartbeat. Her face was covered by a wispy white veil, but two yellow orbs shone through it, which where her eyes.

The bride looked down at the Mouse and Crystal Ball, not saying a word.

"Um…Hello Miss…" Mickey gulped. "You look…beautiful…"

The bride said nothing, she only floated there.

"S…sorry to disturb your eternal waiting…I mean slumber! I mean…um…"

A low growl came from the bride. Mickey started to back away while carrying Leota.

"We'll just…be going…"

Mickey turned and started to creep away. Suddenly, a loud banshee wail shook the entire mansion, which almost made Mickey drop Leota!

Mickey didn't even have to look back to know that he had to run. He took off running as the bride slammed down a battle-axe into the floor where Mickey once stood. She literally flew after Mickey, letting out a scream that almost sounded like sobbing.

Mickey ducked to avoid the blade of the axe, which dug itself into the wall as she swung. As the bride pulled the axe out of wall, Mickey kept running.

"Madame Leota! What do we do!?"

"Loneliness and anger has conquered her heart! Because from her love, she is kept apart!"

"HOW!?" Mickey asked as he ducked under another swing of the axe.

"Her groom was killed, hung among these walls! Leaving the poor girl alone at the ball!"

"Does SHE know that?!" Mickey panted.

"Her anguish has blinded her, she cannot see the facts/Thus when reminded of her past, this is how she reacts…"

Mickey turned and ran down a long hallway before skidding to a halt as the door at the end vanished into thin air.

"Oh no!!"

Mickey turned to see the bride at the other end of the long hall. Mickey looked at the bride and thought. Almost the entire time in this mansion, he had done nothing but run away. He knew he could fight back, he proved that when he fought the Beetleworx, the small world dolls, and Pete!

Mickey's colors began to fade again as his pants turned somewhat maroon and his shoes became darkish yellow.

He set Leota down in the corner of the hall and pulled Gus out of his pocket.

"Mickey! What are you doing??"

"Gus, watch Leota!" He ordered as he set the Gremlin down on top of the crystal ball.

He pulled out the brush from its holder and twirled it in his hand as he crouched down low, gripping the brush.

He scowled at the bride, who let out an unearthly growl.

"Groom or no groom, I'm done running away!!"

The Bride let out another Banshee scream before flying down the hall towards Mickey. Mickey let out a yell as he began to run towards the bride while holding his brush.

The mouse who was normally a pacifist, was now ready to truly fight.