[A/N- So, I know by the time this chapter goes up, odds are that it most likely won't be during the Halloween season, but even then, I still want to make sure that others can have the chance to see this story through to its conclusion, since every story worth telling is always a good one. Now, in this particular chapter of the story, we join Dracmon after having leapt through the Halloween Holiday Door in an attempt to find whoever could have framed him. But the question remains- What lies in wait for him in this world beyond the door? And most importantly, will being here in this world slowly change his views of Halloween, and his own self? You'll just have to wait and see!]

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Slowly getting up onto his feet after the sudden fall from jumping through the Jack-O-Lantern door, Dracmon looked around, seeing he was now in a forest mirroring the one he was just in, but the ground was now a strange mix of black and white, with the skies above him a hazy, misty grey, and a dark purple sphere of flames blocking out the sun. "Where... Where am I...?" Dracmon mumbled to himself as he moved around the forest, seeing that this wasn't the same place he was in before. "... Well, questions can wait. Right now, I've gotta do everything that I can to figure out who framed me, all so I can save Halloween for everyone back home, and ultimately set the record straight to Aleena and everyone else that I'm inno-" He began, before something immediately bumped into him, knocking the Virus Digimon back down onto the ground. "... Not even a few seconds of me being lost on where I've ended up, and something already hits me..." He grumbled as he finally snapped. "Christ on a bike, Zorch, was instigating everyone else into accusing me for something I didn't do not enough to entertain you?!" Honestly, he expected to be met with Zorch's laugh, or someone to tell him to calm down. What he got instead, however...

"Zorch? What kind of monster would call themselves Zorch?"

... Wait a minute, that wasn't Zorch's laugh, or the voice of any of the other guys he knew on the team. Looking around for a moment for what seemed like a short few minutes so he could figure out who answered him, Dracmon was soon greeted with a spiral of blue flames that soon revealed two sights that stood over top of him in the blink of an eye- One being a tall and slender skeleton dressed rather sharply with a D-vigor on one wrist and a green, slimy object curled around the other wrist. And there was another being, floating by the skeletal figure's side, that had been what had really thrown the Imp-like Digimon for a loop-

A Digimon whose body was made of nothing but blue fire, and it also had a sorcerer's hat atop its head that was also made of fire. 

"G... Ghostmon...?" Dracmon asked with a small smile, as the blue Fiery Digital monster excitedly beamed back. "DRACSTER!" The fiery ghostlike Digimon shouted happily, before the duo of digital creatures immediately embraced one another, all while the skeletal being watched in confusion. "Hm, I take it you both know one another, Ghostmon?" The tall skeleton asked the Data attribute Digimon with a small smile, while Ghostmon immediately nodded. "Sure do, Boss! The two of us were inseparable best friends back home in the Digital world before I got here!" The blue fiery puppet-like Digimon smiled, as Dracmon watched the two converse. "Yeah, and believe me- I'm all for reunions, but wherever I've ended up in, and whoever your new partner is, Ghostie, I've got barely any time left to waste. Halloween is in danger thanks to some nutjob framing me for making some pumpkins explode back home, and I gotta figure out who-" He quickly began, as the skeleton was reminded of who Dracmon was talking about, and considering what the Dark Prosecutor had done back in Halloweentown, it only made sense that he and Ghostmon could try and help Dracmon prove his innocence, and in turn, he could help them take down Plutomon and save Halloween. 

"Well, perhaps the three of us can work together? The Digimon who's actually responsible for this whole mess has actually caused a lot of problems for me and my friends, to be honest..." The Skeleton then requested Dracmon, as the imp-like Digimon shook his head. "Look, I really appreciate your offer of wanting to help me, but unlike Ghostmon, I don't even know who you are. And even then, this is something I just have to do by myself- All on my own." He kindly declined, as he began to walk away from both Ghostmon and his skeletal partner. But the Skeleton wasn't just going to take 'no' for an answer. And he was planning on making it clear on not only telling Dracmon who he was, but that both he and Ghostmon could give more than their all assisting the Virus Digimon with his mission, and also request his assistance with the problem the duo was faced with.

[Cue Musical Number- 'Jack's Introduction', based on 'Jack's Lament' from the Nightmare Before Christmas, Sung by Jack Skellington (SV; Danny Elfman) & Ghostmon (CV; Tom Waits) FT. Dracmon (CV; Alex Brightman), Originally performed by... Well, Danny Elfman.]

https://youtu.be/jIpvfS9GAMQ

[The skeleton immediately slinks his way in front of Dracmon, and begins singing.]

"There are few who'd deny, at what I do, I am the best,

For my talents are renowned far and wide!

When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night,

I excel without rarely even trying.

With the slightest little effort

Of my ghostlike charms,

I can make grown men give out a shriek!

With a wave of my hand,

And a well-placed moan,

I can sweep even the bravest off their feet!"

[Dracmon turns away from the Skeleton, who he now knows is named Jack, still unwilling to accept help.]

"You say you're fear itself,

but we both know

That this job falls to just one 'mon alone,

And I, Dracmon- The Bladed Fang-

Don't need something as meager as a little Gang!

[Dracmon immediately jumps up onto a tree, and goes from branch to branch, slowly but surely attempting a shot at navigating his way out of these peculiar woods, as he begins singing of his sorrows.]

Oh, somewhere deep inside of my code,

Loneliness has slowly Flowed!

I'm away from my own,

Far from my home!

Stuck in a place, I've never known..."

[Jack looks over at Ghostmon, who quietly sighs while observing Dracmon. He's aware Dracmon can't do this on his own, but Dracmon seems a lot more self-reserved than he used to be... At least, compared to when they were friends in the Digital World. Ghostmon then floats over to the branch his friend is standing atop of, taking him by surprise, as the blue fiery Digimon decides to help Jack convince Dracmon.]

"He's the master of fright,

And I, a 'mon of ignited light,

And we'll scare foes right out of their pants!

To a guy in Kentucky,

 He's mister unlucky!

And Boss is known through both England and France!"

[Dracmon quickly drops down from the branches, unknowingly landing on top of Jack's Skull before reaching the ground. Looking behind him for a moment, the Imp-like Digimon realizes that he accidentally disconnected Jack's skull from his body. Dracmon seems nervous about what he caused without purposely meaning to, until he sees Jack's body seemingly give him a reassuring head pat before going over to his skull, which starts singing as he and his body are reattached to one another.]

"And since I am dead,

I can remove my head,

To recite Shakespearean quotations!

No animal nor man,

Can scream like I can!

With the fury of my re-ci-ta-tions!"

[Dracmon looks back at Jack and Ghostmon for a moment.]

"But whom there, would dare to understand?

Though the Bladed Fang

Broke a Devourer's hunger pang,

He's stuck somewhere new?

If they wouldn't look askew-

[He then smiles at them, as he finally comes to understand what it felt like for Gammamon to end up on Earth with no clue of how things worked. Like it or not, he realizes that he actually needs their help if he plans to succeed in his mission, especially since he doesn't know the first thing about this world or how things work here, and in turn by going around this place so he could take a chance at proving his innocence back home, he could also try his best in order to help them fix things here in this world. He then continues singing, as he moves onward, leaving the forest with Ghostmon and Jack close by his side.]

Despite that, he'll do all he can,

To help the both of you!

Though there's an empty place in my code,

That calls to a path I've never toed.

Both fame and praise

Come year after year,

It's time that I face my own fears!"

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[End Musical Number]

"Alright, fine. Considering you both know this place better than I do, I might as well stick with the both of you." Dracmon caved in, as he sat down on top of a stone fence he found while the triad were walking their way out of the woods. However, there wasn't any sign of a Pumpkin patch, like the one he went to with Aleena and the others back in the real world, but rather a small city in the distance- If one could even call it that. "... Okay, that isn't any town that I recognize..." He admitted as he got up on his feet, slowly walking along the fencing, before Ghostmon stopped him. "Firstly, that's our home turf; Halloweentown. Secondly, me and the Boss initially came here so one of his friends could get us something that'd make him stand out a bit less." He then explained, causing the Imp-like Digimon to grow confused upon hearing his friend's two statements. "... Ok, the town having that kinda name actually really does make some sense, but why would he need something to make him not stick out like sore thu-" And that is where it initially seemed to click.

"... YOU'RE PARTNERED UP WITH A LOWLIFE- Or in this case, no-life- CRIMINAL?!" Dracmon shouted in a concerned and frenzied panic, as Jack seemed to nervously tense up. "Yes- Well actually, in truthfulness, I'm not! I've just been outed as one thanks to the Dark Persecutor!" Jack nervously tried to explain, as Dracmon then sighed, realizing he was in the wrong to accuse the Pumpkin King of being someone of a scandalous nature. "... Sorry, I really shouldn't have jumped the gun like that. It's just... I've been through an insane amount of crazy shit since I last saw you back home in the Digital World, Ghostmon. And honestly, thinking I ended up losing you way back then has led me down an entirely brand-new path; One where I got myself a human partner back on my new home of Earth, and gained the ability to Digivolve." The virus Digimon admitted, earning Jack's curiosity. "So that means you're from the Real World... That's actually rather intriguing!" The skeletal Pumpkin King smiled, as some soft and muffled barking could be heard in the distance. Squinting a bit, Dracmon could see something moving- No, floating, actually- towards the trio. Soon enough, Each and every detail of the being floating its way towards them could be seen clearly. The creature seemed to be a ghostly dog that appeared to have a white sheet-like body, much like a stereotypical ghost. Like another famous dog, this one appeared to have basset hound-esque floppy ears, whereas its 'eyes' were nothing more than just empty holes in the sheet. Its snout also appeared to be very long and thin, and its upper jaw seemed to curl upward at the tip. And on the tip of its nose rested a small glowing jack-o-lantern similar to a certain reindeer's red nose, and a faded brown collar resting along its neck that, in some cases, appeared to be a light shade of pink. What's more, it seemed that this phantom puppy was carrying something in its mouth...

"Zero, there you are, boy! And I see you even brought what Ghostmon and I asked you to get, too!" Jack smiled, as Zero floated up to meet with Jack face to face, and then dropped what appeared to be a cloak from his mouth- One that was apparently black all over, with white lines running from the from the hood to the back of the cloak's edges, giving the illusion of it being covered in spider webs, with a few curls at the bottom of the cloak, with a pumpkin shaped brooch serving as a closure that fastened both the hood and Collar together. "Good job, Zero. Now Boss can head back into town without as much as a few frightened stares from everyone else- Which, all things considered, frightened stares would be a horrible thing normally, but when you consider the current events-" Ghostmon beamed, before Dracmon interjected. "Ghostie, frightened stares are always bad. Why are you even phrasing it like that?" The Imp-like Digimon asked, while Jack had finished putting on the cloak. "It's just a bit of culture here, Dracmon. Besides, it only makes sense that our world would be a little bit different from the real world, don't you think?" The Pumpkin King explained, as Dracmon nodded in understanding, knowing well enough that Jack had a good point. "Well, let's try and get into Halloweentown, and see if we can at least attempt to fix things there." Ghostmon said, as the trio immediately began to quickly head towards the town that quite literally embodied all Hallow's Eve, Zero not too far behind them. However, it was unbeknownst to them that from the Darkness of a set of brambly thickets, a pair of Crimson glowing eyes seemed to shine for a short amount of time, before slowly slinking back into the darkness from whence it came, knowing exactly where they were going, as this being with bloody red eyes knew what it had been tasked with, and, despite it being a beast that only knew destruction, knew it had to see things out to the end. All for the sake of his higher-up...

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"Well, Dracster, this is the town that Jack and I call home- From the assistant and partner of the Great and Incredible Pumpkin King- That's me & Jack, of course- to you, I'd be honored to be the one to welcome you to our little home of Halloweentown!" Ghostmon happily told his best friend as they walked into the small town, as Dracmon began to observe every little thing that was around him, awe and curiosity in his eyes. Sure, Halloweentown was nothing like the various towns and cities that he had visited in California with Aleena, Casey, and his other friends back home, but every peculiar building he could set his eyes on that rested within this cryptic and mysterious little city in a world he had never known of before until now seemed to continuously amaze the imp-like Digimon, sight after sight. "Heh, Y'know, Ghostmon? I'd be lying if I told you that this place didn't sort of remind me of our old home back in the Dark Continent of the Digital World." Dracmon smiled, as he looked up at the black and dark purple flaming orb in the sky that was eclipsing the sun as it began to make way for the coming moonlight. "But I've only got one question- What the heck is with the giant dark ball of fire in the sky that was blocking out the sun not too long ago?" The Imp-like Digimon asked them, as Jack remained silent for a few moments, but just as he was about to explain things to Dracmon, a fearful scream pierced the air- And not the good kind, even by the standards of this world. Narrowing his eyes so he could see where the source of that terrified shriek came from, he saw what appeared to be a rather short human (Or at least, he appeared to look like a human), especially if one compared how tall he was to Jack. His head appeared to be cone-shaped and displays a pair of the two distinct faces he was most well-known for in this town- Okay, so maybe this guy isn't entirely 100% human. One face (as well as his hands) appeared to peach-colored, with rosy cheeks, a spiral eye, a black eye, and a mouth set in a permanent smile. The other face located upon the back of his head was a paled, bone-white, and bore a mouth that was set in a constant and permanent frown (the teeth of which are pointed) with blue lips and pink eyes. There also appeared to be a seam of some sort around the mouths of both faces, and the top hat that rested upon the top of his head was indeed gigantic, being the same height as himself, but it was also very thin. And the face that was currently being used? ... The second one.

"JACK, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DISSAPPEAR AND RUN OFF TO HALLOW LORD KNOWS WHERE?! I'M ONLY AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HERE, I CAN'T HANDLE PROTECTING ALL OF HALLOWEENTOWN FROM THREATS BY MYSELF!" The person loudly called with a timid voice that Jack and Ghostmon both could easily recognize, all while the sight of that one person and countless other monsters such as Witches, werewolves, and many other monsters, creeps and ghouls of many an otherworldly origin that called this town their home sweet home immediately ran for safety from whatever could be going utterly awry, as both Zero and Ghostmon quickly tensed up. "This could get really bad really fast..." The fiery Digital Monster said nervously, but as slowly as the ghostly Digimon and hound moved towards the looming danger, both Jack and Dracmon quickly rushed ahead- Dracmon because he knew that he couldn't let anyone get hurt, regardless of who or what they were, and Jack because he knew he had a sworn duty as the Pumpkin King to protect those who called this town, and the Halloween Realm their home. Upon reaching the town square, the group immediately saw a large skeletal Digimon with crimson glowing eyes that also seemed to resemble a Sabretooth tiger among other types of countless other creatures that had been fossilized in the real world, that was currently resting atop the roof of Jack's home, using bone-like arrows to cause chaos, and the objects and monsters they were unlucky enough to have hit were absorbed into the giant black and dark purple flame as data, not only making it burn more fiercely, but also making the spherical pyre slowly grow bigger and bigger with each and every target any of the boney darts had the chance to strike down to the ground and obstructed either monster or destroyed building into data for the ever-growing funeral pyre in the sky, as this Digimon, though it had successfully lured out the Pumpkin King, knew it still had a job to do- Finish him, and his allies off, and destroy all that stood in his way.

"Oh, no kidding on that, Ghostmon... That's Skull Baluchimon!" Dracmon nervously gulped while putting the camera someplace safe, stepping back a bit out of near-instinctive fear, as Ghostmon looked over to Jack, showcasing a look of worry while the Pumpkin King gazed up at the beastly skeletal Digimon. "Don't let appearances fool you, though, Boss- Even though Skull Baluchimon is a Data-attribute Digimon like me, He's also an Ultimate level, and an undead-type Digimon- One who knows nothing more than destroying things, and pulling things six feet under... Literally in the case of its Grave Bone attack, where it'll trample its foes and force them underground..." The fiery digital monster slowly trailed off, all as he caught the sight of Jack looking up at the flaming ball in the sky, fearful at first, but all of that fear quickly turned to rage in the blink of an eye (or rather, Eye socket in the case of the Pumpkin King), before fixing his gaze onto the skeletal Ultimate level Digital Monster. "How dare you and Plutomon treat the lives of my friends and my town as nothing more than fuel for a fake celestial body!" He shouted angrily at the large ultimate level Digimon, as Skull Baluchimon only roared back in response to the tall Skeleton's fury, before spreading its skeletal wings and soaring down in front of the quintet consisting of Ghostmon, Jack, Dracmon, and Zero, preparing to fight them. "Boss, your unbeating heart is in the right place, but this isn't exactly a thing that can easily be solved with verbal confrontation- In other words, like it or not, we gotta fight and take down Skull Baluchimon." Ghostmon nervously explained, as he then saw Dracmon reaching behind his back for some objects that weren't even there from the corner of his eyes. "... Dracster? What in Yggdrasil's name are you even doing?" Upon hearing the question that his old friend was asking him, Dracmon realized the fuckup he unknowingly brought upon himself prior to ending up within the Halloween Realm-

'... FUCK, I LEFT MY SWORDS BACK HOME IN ALEENA'S BEDROOM!' Dracmon mentally panicked, as he awkwardly laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment from his best friend. "Heh, I-I'm just limbering up, Ghostie! Can't exactly fight at your best when your joints feel super stiff, you know what I mean...?" He nervously chuckled while making it seem like he had been stretching and not trying to grab his swords (which clearly weren't even there, as he was able to realize such as soon as Ghostmon caught onto it), as Skull Baluchimon immediately went on the attack, causing the two Digimon to quickly jump out of the way, with Zero swiftly pushing Jack out of the way of one of the Skeletal Digimon's incoming bone-like arrows, moving alongside him. "Thanks for saving me, Zero..." Jack sighed, as the phantom puppy happily licked Jack's cheekbone. "That being said, I'm ready whenever you and Jack are, Ghostmon. Besides, he can't take on the both of us at once! UNDEAD FANG!" Dracmon shouted as he then clasped onto one of Skull Baluchimon's legs with a bite of both of his fangs, all while Jack looked down at Zero. "Alright, boy, I need you and the Mayor to work together in order to make sure everyone else in town doesn't get caught in the crossfire of the fight, and also keep them from getting hit by any of Skull Baluchimon's attacks." The Pumpkin King then told the ghostly dog, who happily barked as he floated off to guide anyone he could find to safety, while the tall Skeleton then felt another word buzzing around in his skull.

[リトルプラズマ.]

"Little Plasma!" Jack commanded his Partner Digimon, as Ghostmon shot some weak energy shots between Skull Baluchimon's eyes. However, between the combined power of two Rookie-level Digimon, it'd only make sense that the ultimate-level Digimon would overpower the duo, Swatting Ghostmon into Jack, making a majority of his cloak burn away due to the Ghostly Digimon's body being made out of blue flames, and with a single swipe of Skull Baluchimon's foreleg and tail, Dracmon's undead fang attack was immediately rendered useless, but not only that, as the tail swipe was so powerful, it sent him flying into the darkened flames in the sky. "DRACMON!" both Jack and Ghostmon worriedly shouted, watching in fear and concern as the imp-like Digimon went flying directly into the flames of darkness.

'My code's burning away at the seams... It hurts so damn much... Am I... Am I really going to die...? I-I can't die here! I have to do something! Ugh, but what CAN I even remotely do in this scenario?! I don't even have my swords here with me, and what's worse, without Aleena here, I can't even Digivolve, and if I tried to, chances are I could end up going insane from the unfiltered rush of power that comes from doing it all on my own...!' Dracmon begun to mentally panic as he felt his skin burn away alongside his own digicore and life force while he was trapped deep within the darkened inferno, until his promise that he had told himself before arriving in the Halloween Realm had quickly and suddenly popped into his mind quicker than a stray bolt of lightning.

"Alya may not be my Partner, but I have to do it for her sake... I'll prove my innocence and be the biggest hero that my friends need by saving their Halloween!"

"No..." Dracmon growled, as he saw the fire begin to shrink around him. "I won't go out like a Digital candle... I made a promise to myself before I ended up here that I'd make sure I fixed things and proved I didn't do anything wrong at all, all so that way Alya and the others back home can have their happy Halloween... As long as I'm alive, I'll make sure to see my promise out to the end... I won't be devoured by these flames, and I DEFINITELY won't undergo the same demise that any other Digimon who Digivolved on their own went through after losing their sanity, And I won't lose mine... Not like them... NOT... LIKE... THIS!"

"I... I can't believe he's actually gone... Years of us being apart, and he just goes out as easily as that...?!" Ghostmon shouted almost angrily as he simply just fought the urge to shed a few tears at the thought of losing his best friend who he had only just now reunited with after all this time, all while Jack kept himself and his partner safe from any of Skull Baluchimon's attacks, as he had then looked up at the night sky, seeming rightfully confused at the sight overhead. Either his skull was playing tricks on him, or... "... Ghostmon? Is it possible that Dracmon could've survived being cast into those flames?" The Pumpkin King asked his assistant, as Ghostmon's eyes widened upon hearing Jack's question. "B-Boss, I understand that you can be an optimist, and believe me when I say that's a good trait to have, but there's no way in Yggdrasil's name that he-" Ghostmon began, before starting to trail off as he heard Dracmon's screams slowly begin to change into howls, all while the large sphere of flames began to shrink, setting free the monsters and buildings that were originally converted into data, whereas the large flaming orb of black and dark purple fire became 2 smaller ones that spiraled around Dracmon as he began to glow, as the Imp-like Digimon shouted 3 words, and 3 words alone as he descended from the skies of the Halloween Realm-

[Cue Insert theme- 'Shout in the Moonlight' Performed by Tetra-Fang.]

https://youtu.be/VGWwLQEADPQ

"DRACMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...!" He loudly howled as he descended from the skies as one of the flames entered his body, tearing his skin off his body, revealing green cyber lines, and as he plummeted, his body shape began to rapidly change to appear bigger and more animal like, while the second flame circled around the area beneath him, becoming a glitchy magic circle, and when he went through it, completed his digivolution as he landed on the ground. In place of the rookie-level Digimon stood in front of the Pumpkin King and his partner, on four legs, now a brand-new Champion-level, Virus attribute Digimon that was no longer a meager little Undead-type Digimon, but now a Demon Beast-type Digimon that mostly resembled a rather large wolf with a light purple pelt of fur that also had a few red streaks on it, with some gauntlets on its paws, the two front paws having blades on them, and the right ear having two gold earrings pierced onto it, and finally, two purple bat-like wings covering its eyes somewhat like a visor, with deep red eyes underneath it. Dracmon wasn't Yaksamon this time around. Dracmon had become...

"SANGLOUPMON!"

"... Well, Boss, two things- Firstly, I know when to admit when I'm wrong..." Ghostmon began, as he and Jack rested their gaze upon the new lupine Digivolution. "... And secondly, so that's what Digivolution is like... That's incredibly horrible!" Ghostmon beamed in awe, as Sangloupmon bowed down, seeming like he was showing respect to the Pumpkin King- And to his own credit, he was- But also for another Purpose. "Jack, hop on. Let's show Skull Baluchimon the reason why he shouldn't even consider the thought messing with Halloweentown!" He calmly snarled to the Pumpkin King, who immediately laughed creepily in turn of flashing his own signature skeleton Grin at the Demon Beast Digimon. "Yeah. Let's go, Sangloupmon!" He agreed with a nod as he climbed atop the back of the lupine Digital Monster, and they, with Ghostmon acting as Backup, re-engaged Skull Baluchimon in combat, as Ghostmon continued to use Little Plasma to try and keep the Skeletal Digimon at bay from his best friend and his own Partner, While Jack saw a new and unfamiliar word buzz into his Skull as Sangloupmon leaped from a couple of restored building that had once been within the funeral pyre, while several crowds of monsters, beasts, and other forms of life that called the Halloween Realm their home had been taken to a safe vantage point thanks to the combined efforts of the Mayor of Halloweentown and Zero, all of them cheering on not only the efforts of their gallant and noble Pumpkin King, but also the additional assistance of the new Champion-Level Digimon that was allied with their ruler.

[スティッカーブレイド.]

"STICKER BLADE!" Jack shouted, as Sangloupmon backflipped from one of the buildings, shooting out thousands of tiny, purple curved razor blades at Skull Baluchimon, and even though they didn't do much damage on their own, when a few of them caught aflame from Ghostmon's Little Plasma attack, they seemed to do a bit more damage, breaking through some of the Skeletal Ultimate-level Digimon's bones, but it was still able to fight, as it then used its Grave Bone attack to try and trample Sangloupmon and bury him into the ground the second that the lupine Digimon made proper landfall. "Oh, that's not gonna put me down as easily as you think, buddy! Even though this form is new to me, you're still about to get a real taste of a Beast's TRUE FURY!" Sangloupmon growled, as one of Skull Baluchimon's feet came crashing down, Jack backflipped off of the back of the demon Beast Digimon that he was riding atop of, Ghostmon catching his arms, causing the sleeves of the Pumpkin King's cloak to burn off and away, while the tall Skeleton saw another word flow into his own skull as he touched the ground.

[ブラックマインド.]

"BLACK MIND!" The Pumpkin King called out with a quick wave of his hand, as the wing-like visor that covered Sangloupmon's eyes began to glow a lighter purple, causing the lupine Digital Monster to seemingly melt into Skull Baluchimon's own shadow, before the virus attribute Digimon that was Sangloupmon had suddenly appeared directly behind the Skeletal Ultimate-level Digimon, and then proceeded to use his own powerful fangs to tear asunder the framework that made up Skull Baluchimon's wings, before Sangloupmon had used his hind legs to launch the Data-attribute Digital Monster up into the air, hitting him precisely in the chest, as Skull Baluchimon's digicore was revealed- His weak spot was finally exposed. Sangloupmon immediately knew it was now or never. "The two of us may be Digimon- Digital Monsters- But tonight, I'M GONNA MAKE AN EXCEPTION, AND ALSO PUT A REALLY HUGE EMPHASIS ON THE MONSTER PART OF OUR KIND'S NAME!" Sangloupmon howled loudly as he leaped into the air, while Jack saw one last set of words formed inside his skull.

[ドレインスラッシュ.]

"DRAIN SLASH!" Jack commanded, as Sangloupmon's front claws- the blades attached to the gauntlets attached to them included- began to shine a bloody shade of red, as with a few quick and powerful slices from his bladed gauntlets, and one swift slash from his claws alone as he descended atop of Skull Baluchimon, he tore right through the rest of the skeletal Digimon's body, as his very own Digicore, and absorbed all the information that was imbedded within it, causing Skull Baluchimon's vital functions to cease, resulting in the death of Skull Baluchimon, the Skeletal Digimon's very own body being reduced down to nothing more than just blue data particles that absorbed themselves into Sangloupmon's body, with a few going into Ghostmon's burning pyre that gave him his physical form, while Sangloupmon's body began to glow with a lavender light, as he had soon started shrinking down to a smaller size that was comparable to the ghostly Digimon he was lifelong friends with, and in no time at all, the light had died down, revealing the visage of Dracmon, who was now standing where Sangloupmon had once been.

____________________________________________________________________________

[END OF INSERT THEME]

"Dracmon, that was an absolute horror show!" The Pumpkin King commended the Imp-like Digimon for his assistance and hard work in fighting off Skull Baluchimon, as the Virus-attribute Digimon immediately flashed a smirk at the royalty of the Halloween Realm, and the uproaring cheers and loud applause of the other denizens of this realm, including a red-haired doll-esque human, who seemed almost impossible to spot due to how many other monsters were in the crowd, but Dracmon was able to make out a few details. "It's really no big deal, you guys, really! Heh, and would 'ya look at that- I'm finally starting to make heads and tails of the culture of this place!" Dracmon bowed gracefully as he muttered the last bit of his sentence to himself, all while Ghostmon crossed his arms, seeming like was upset about something, but masked his frustration too well for either the Pumpkin King or Dracmon to even try to read. "Jack, do you and the others wanna roll out the proper Halloweentown Welcome wagon for Dracster? I mean, he did manage to save the whole entire town from that animalistic bag of bones!" Ghostmon kindly offered the potential idea to his partner, as Jack's eye sockets widened with glee, his skeleton grin forming out of excitement. "That's really great idea, Ghostmon! Dracmon, since you said Halloweentown reminded you of the Dark Continent in the Digital World where you and Ghostmon used to live, you're absolutely going to love this!" Jack excitedly beamed, as he had then turned around to face the other beings who lived in this town. "Places, everyone! Let's show Ghostmon's lifelong friend, Dracmon, how we do things around here!" Upon hearing the cheerful command of their Pumpkin King, the Denizens of this cheerful and eerie town quickly scrambled to their places alongside their ruler, as a bunch of spooky music slowly started up. "Boss has to prep for the big finish, but in the meantime, everyone else has their own unique part to play in the welcoming performance- Especially me and Zero!" Ghostmon smiled, as he floated by the side of his best friend as the duo walked through the streets of Halloweentown together with the ghostly puppy guiding them, the music still going strong.

[Cue Musical number- 'This is Halloween', Based on the song of the same name from The Nightmare before Christmas movie, performed by The Citizens of Halloweentown (CV; Various), FT. Ghostmon (CV; Tom Waits) & Dracmon (CV; Alex Brightman), Originally performed by the cast of the original film.]

https://youtu.be/N9tQJt57ZIQ

[Ghostmon starts singing as the music finishes building up, sticking close to Dracmon and Zero.]

"My dear friend from the digital age,

Wouldn't you like to see something strange?"

[A few young monsters sing as they pass by the trio.]

"Come with us, and you will see-

This, our town of Halloween!"

[A triad of Ghosts sing as they drop hollow and empty Jack-o-lanterns onto the spikes of a nearby fence, spooking Dracmon and taking him off guard.]

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween!

Pumpkins scream in the dead of night!

This is Halloween, everybody, make a scene!

Trick or treat 'til the neighbors gonna die of fright!"

[Ghostmon begins singing as he, Zero and Ghostmon head into a nearby house together.]

"It's our town, everybody, scream!

In this town of Halloween~!"

[Dracmon walks into a bedroom with Zero by his side, hearing a voice in the room from what he could assume came from underneath a singular bed.]

"I am the one hiding under your bed,

Teeth ground sharp, and eyes glowing red!"

[Getting a bit spooked, Dracmon runs down the stairs, Zero not too far behind him, as he then trips down the stairs, which leads to him meeting another monster.]

"I am the one hiding under your stairs,

Fingers like snakes, and spiders in my hair!"

[Dracmon and Zero both turn the corner, and the duo are immediately greeted to the sight of Ghostmon singing. However, as he sings, a quartet of four Vampires emerge- One from a grandfather clock, the second one from within a sofa, the third from a closet, and the fourth and final one hangs upside down from the ceiling.]

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween,

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

[Dracmon, Zero, and Ghostmon follow the Vampires out of the house as they sing before flying away.]

"In this town, we call home,

Everyone, hail to the pumpkin song!"

[The mayor then takes a verse as the trio pass him by, his face that he's now using being the bright and cheerful one.]

"In this town, don't we love it, now?

Everybody's waiting for the next surprise!"

[Dracmon soon finds Zero and Ghostmon no longer by his side, as he finds himself walking through a darkened alleyway by himself, hearing a phantom-like chorus singing.]

"Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can,

Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll-"

[Suddenly, a peculiar demon emerges from a nearby trash can, jump scaring Dracmon]

"Scream!"

[Dracmon turns to run out and away from the alleyway, before getting cornered by a werewolf.]

"This is Halloween!"

[The demon from earlier jumps out of the trash can, cutting off Dracmon's initially planned escape route]

"Red and black-"

[As Dracmon is trying to calculate a new escape plan, Dracmon is cut off from his thoughts by a man with a melting face poking his head out from the corner]

"And slimy green!"

[Dracmon tenses up a bit, as he can hear the Werewolf's voice behind him.]

"Aren't you scared?"

[Before Dracmon can respond and say that he's not, a pair of witches fly by, snatching him up and letting him ride on one of their brooms as they both sing. Sure, he's scared... But a small bit of him feels almost... Happy.]

"Well, that's just fine!

Say it once, say it twice!

Take a chance and roll the dice!

Ride with the moon in the dead of night!"

[Dracmon lands on the ground of the town Square, a smirk on his face, as a walking tree with Skeletons hanging on the tree sneaks up behind him, and then sings.]

"Everybody scream, everybody scream!"

[The five hanging skeletons on the walking tree then take a singular verse, as Dracmon has a blindfold quickly put onto him, enshrouding him in nothing but Darkness.]

"In our town of Halloween!"

[Within the Darkness that Dracmon is within, He encounters a seemingly normal clown. However, that instantly changes the moment he sings, and does, what his verse includes-]

"I am the clown with the tear-away face;

HERE IN A FLASH, AND GONE WITHOUT A TRACE!"

[The red-haired doll-like human Dracmon saw amidst the crowd earlier gently removes the blindfold around Dracmon, as the duo hears a disembodied voice singing.]

"I am the 'who' when you call, 'Who's there'?'

[A second disembodied voice sings, its voice being carried along the breeze.]

"I am the wind, blowing through your hair!"

[Ghostmon and Zero return, flying up to an empty, pale-yellow moon, as Ghostmon sings again.]

"He was the shadow on the moon at night,

Filling your dreams to the brim with fright!"

[Ghostmon continues singing, as the other civilians of Halloweentown join in.]

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!

Halloween! Halloween!"

[Dracmon taps his foot, finally getting into the groove of how things are done here, finally gets a chance to sing.]

"Tender lumplings everywhere,

Life's no fun without a good scare!"

[A pair of Zombie parents nod, as the father, then the mother, and then both of them sing together.]

"That's our job, but we're not mean-

In our town of Halloween!"

[Ghostmon flies over to the mayor, spinning around him as he sings.]

"In this town-"

[due to how fast Ghostmon was spinning as he sung, all but the mayor's head spun around with him, enabling the mayor to take the next verse.]

"Don't we love it, now?

Everyone's waiting for the next surprise!"

[A good selection of the Halloweentown citizens begin singing, as a zombie with a hatchet in his head pulls in a horse made of wood, and sitting atop of the horse's back was a peculiar scarecrow- One that wore a maroon shirt, and also had a Jack-o-lantern for a head, and finally had a sign reading 'Halloweentown' attached to its back.]

"Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back

And scream like a banshee,

Make you jump out of your skin!

This is Halloween, everybody scream!"

[Piecing all the visual clues together, Dracmon could easily put together the fact that this 'strange and peculiar scarecrow' was really none other than Jack Skellington, as Ghostmon then sings on his own, all while he bows, like how one would in the presence of royalty.]

"Now, let's all make way for a very special guy!

[Jack then removes the sign attached to his back as he grabs a lit torch and swallows it, causing himself to be lit on fire as he moves around on top of the wooden horse, before breathing some fire towards the sky]

My Boss, Jack, is king of the pumpkin patch;

Everyone, hail to the Pumpkin King now!"

[All the citizens sing together yet again as Jack then proceeds to perform a forward spinning cannonball off of the wooden horse that had been pulled in by the Behemoth, through a hoop made of blue flames made by Ghostmon spinning in the air really fast, before finally landing right into the water within the fountain.]

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween

Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!"

[The duo consisting of both Dracmon and Ghostmon both sing together in harmony as two of them head over to the fountain, waiting for Jack to rise from within the murky green waters of the town fountain.]

"In this town we call home,

Everyone, hail to the pumpkin song!"

[Jack emerges from the fountain, no longer ablaze or wearing his Pseudo Scarecrow Costume, as everyone else, alongside Ghostmon, who is spiraling around his partner to dry him off with the flames that make up his body, all continue singing.]

"La-la-la, la-la-la (La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween! Halloween!)

La-la, la-la-la (La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween! Halloween!)

La-la, la-la-la (La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween! Halloween!)

La-la-la, whee!" 

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[End of Musical Number]

Ghostmon and all of the other Denizens of Halloweentown happily laughed at a welcoming performance well done, as Dracmon smiled cheerfully, clapping at everyone's wonderous act that they did for their town's proper welcome wagon presentation. Maybe with one of his old friends from the Digital World back at his side, he'd have a reason to fully enjoy Halloween like he used to in the past...? Meanwhile, as happy as Dracmon was, Ghostmon still felt a semblance of Envy towards his friend. 'Why...?' The fiery data attribute Digimon thought to himself, masking his true emotions of both rage and jealousy rather well from anyone who caught sight of him. 'If Dracster can do it, why haven't I been able to do it at all? I've been with Boss for longer than I can even remember...!'

Meanwhile, from the balcony of a dark, abandoned castle located far upon the very edge of Halloweentown, Plutomon gazed over the town, his eyes angrily set on the Pumpkin King. "How could that Criminal or that little blue fire puppet of his have defeated Skull Baluchimon on their own?! A rookie-level Digimon like Ghostmon should've died at the claws of an ultimate-level Digimon like him!" The Dark Prosecutor snarled, as a few small silhouettes walked over to the entryway of the Balcony. "Well, that's because Jack and Ghostmon weren't on their own!" One witch-shaped silhouette revealed. "Hmm? You mean that ghost dog that fake Pumpkin King admires so much?" Plutomon inquired, as a skeleton-shaped silhouette spoke up. "No, not Zero! Jack and Ghostmon had help from a Digimon from the real world who managed to Digivolve on his own! I think he said his name was... Dracumon?" He quickly guessed, as a third silhouette hit the Skeletal-shaped one with some sort of strange, pointed object- which was most likely some kind of more angular kind mask. "No, you dummy! He said that his name was Dracmon!" Upon hearing this information from the silhouettes, Plutomon was rightfully upset. "So, one of the Digimon mentioned in the prophecy from the Real World that had been made to stop the Devourer of Space is currently right here in the Halloween Domain of the Universe's Spiritual Outskirts, trying to prove the Pumpkin King as not guilty for his crimes?" Plutomon asked himself as he pondered it all over, before a soft 'hmph' could be heard from him. "Well, it's not like it matters. One singular Digimon or two, even if one of them can reach the champion level, stands no chance against me. And once the fanged scales of Justice have taken a bite out of Jack Skellington, I'll finally have all of the power that I truly need from his Soul Robber to carry out my true plans, and not even the Lords in Black- Or this realm's now nonexistent Hallow Lord- Can even stop me; Especially since Ghostmon has never managed to Digivolve once in his life. In the meantime, you three can just tire out the guilty party and his allies- And if push comes to shove, you can all get rid of them, AND Skellington, too- By any means necessary, even if it means forcing the Worst Possible Outcome upon another Digimon by making them go absolutely insane from the immense rush of corrupted power that always comes from that previously mentioned 'outcome'...." Plutomon commanded, and the response he got was simple-

"You know you can leave handling Jack and all of his friends to the three us, Boss!" All three of the silhouettes had nodded, understanding perfectly well enough as to what they were tasked with. See, After Jack and Ghostmon left Halloweentown back in the Prologue, Plutomon called on three people from this realm who would follow his orders without fail. Who are they, you might ask? Well, their names were rather simple ones- Names that were well known in the Halloween Realm, and all three of them for each of the worst of the wrong reasons. And not in the good way, either, believe you me;

"Lock!"

"Shock!"

"Barrel!"

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