Fan Fiction
Grim Fandango 2 - By Rei Nokato
Published by Rei Nokato on Wednesday 11th May 2005, and added to the D.O.D. database on Thursday 12th May 2005
Since 1998, I’ve had this sort of idea stuck in my head. So I thought I’d finally get it down somewhere in case I spontaneously lose my memory one day.
Prologue
The train’s whistle sounded, its engine slowly warming up as it prepared starting down the route for the unbeknownst time indefinite to everyone—even the demons.
Privileged souls who had been rewarded passage on the Number Nine train hopped on with much enthusiasm; save for Manuel Calavera, the heroic ex-reaper who, quite frankly, had come to a brief conclusion: Always prepare for the worst, do not presume the future. Expect anything.
Manny had rescued those souls involved in the largest D.O.D. scam the Land of the Dead had ever seen during its perpetual existence. Hector LeMans, the man behind every corner of this hideous plot, had once been a small-time racketeer. He had emerged as the crime boss of El Marrow, his horrid deeds beginning to truly overcome the Eighth Underworld. His forces grew and transformed over the years.
In the end the only group who had ever opposed him was left to stand alone in the rebellion; the Lost Souls’ Alliance, a righteous and noble revolution that managed to spread across the land in a matter of four years, led by the courageous and benevolent Salvador Limones. Following Miss Ofrenda’s betrayal was his sprouting, which ironically escorted her to her own demise. Manny had been ordered as a final request to tell Eva that she would take Salvador’s place as leader of the L.S.A.
After seeing to it that Hector had no way of retreating from his and the opposition’s wrath, Mister Calavera returned to El Marrow for his friends, and to officially announce Agent Limones’ downfall to those left of the L.S.A. To no surprise, Eva was shaken by fright and immense grief at the fact her leader and best friend had gone somewhere all souls could not pinpoint; that is, those who had never been bitten by a Sproutella bullet… excepting Manny, who had been the lone one to escape such fate. Of course, no one had even asked him if he had been shot, since all sprouted had no way of turning back to a world without pain.
The trip from El Marrow to the final stop on the other side of the world had been intense. Manny was in full need of a vacation; escaping the fate Hector seemed to have prepared for him the whole time, watching in shock as his leader die before his very eye sockets, and experiencing a heart-wrenching pull of hate and anger when Olivia had betrayed them, were all things contributing to his substantial fatigue. He could at last rest in peace, alongside his newfound love Mercedes Colomar, and the others, previously cheated on their tickets, that he had retrieved successfully from the Edge of the World.
One thing he regretted more than anything at that moment was leaving his best buddy Glottis behind. For some reason he had foolishly considered inviting him to the Ninth Underworld, but the demon mechanic had explained to him thoroughly, ahead of showing the Gatekeeper the suitcase of Double N’s, that he didn’t belong there. It was for human souls, who tired of this world. Unfortunately, Glottis was meant for the Land of the Dead. He was the “spirit of the land and all”.
Manny sighed. Relieved he no longer carried the weight of the briefcase in his hand, he gripped Meche’s hand encouragingly and helped her onto the express. Meche lagged a bit, as she noticed Pugsy and Bibi waving to her. Manny heaved her forward, wishing for their solitude on a separate carriage.
The train lurched forward as Meche pulled down their blind. The engine was back to life, speeding off at the same velocity as before. Glottis and the Mayan mechanics disappeared from view, and before long the Number Nine had departed the Eighth Underworld for good.
To be continued…
|
|
