Tickets, Please!

A few hours passed, until it was afternoon. Lo was reading a book, Squiggle was coloring, and Shania just sat there, bored. "Hey, do you have any paper?" She asked.

"Yeah. Do you want drawing paper or writing paper?" Lo asked.

"Drawing, please," she responded.

"Gotcha," Lo rummaged into his backpack. He pulled out a few pieces of completely white paper. "I think it goes without saying, but be sure to draw on both sides." Shania nodded.

"Thank you," Shania said, taking the paper. She pulled out a pencil and began to draw something.

To Lo's surprise, it was actually really good. It was probably better than anything he could draw. "Wow, you're REALLY good at that," Lo replied. "Are you sure you want to be an adventurer? I think you're better off as an artist."

"Well, when I grow up, I want to adventure around the whole world and sell my drawings," Shania replied. "I'm gonna get a lot of money!"

"That's good!" Lo encouraged. "I just adventure for the fun of it." Lo kept going on about his reasons for adventuring, looking out the window. But suddenly, a sinking feeling made its way into Shania's chest. Her eyebrows drooped as her pupils shrunk.

"Wait... did you even pay for this ride?" Shania asked. Lo stopped talking, and just sat there, wide eyed. Squiggle looked up from his coloring.

The car fell silent. "I... don't think so..." Lo stammered.

The car door opened, and in stepped a very foreboding woman with brown hair and triangular eyes. Her head looked like a pumpkin. She was smiling widely. "Greetings, esteemed passengers," she said in a mumbly, whispery yet loud voice. Whenever she opened her mouth, it sounded like there was an underlying breathing sound. "I'm Donna Doll, the conductor's assistant. We've found that there are some UNINVITED PASSENGERS on our train today. In this very car."

Donna giggled like a baby, a stark contrast from her scratchy speaking voice. "As long as they are here, they serve as a detriment and a DANGER to you and your party and or family's enjoyment of this lovely train ride," she said through fits of laughter. "So, before we start pointing fingers at who we believe the perpetrators are, would whoever is doing this like to step forward and embrace thy sin?"

Silence. Dreadful, heart-stopping silence. Lo, Squiggle, and Shania were looking down, trying to not appear suspicious. "I see. Nobody wants to step forward. Then, I guess we have no choice. There was never and will never be a choice as long as these pieces of absolute human garbage remain here."

"I will have to look myself," Donna giggled.

Lo and Shania sneaked glances at each other's panicked eyes. They were more worried about being caught by Donna than being kicked off the train at this point. She was scary. Nobody said it, but they were all thinking it. "I'm an expert at tracking liars and thieves. And when I get my hands on you, I'll... well... it won't be as pretty as I am," Donna said. "However, we will be putting out the lights and shutting the blinds. For I am better at detecting lies and guilt in the dark. Now, let's begin."

The lights went out across the whole car. The fire in the small oil lamps extinguished by seemingly sheer willpower from Donna. The blinds shut too. It would look suspicious to open them, so Lo stayed in the dark. He could hardly see anyone. The lights came back on, and Lo could swear someone was not in their seat. They were gone. Standing over their seat, was Donna.

"Oopsies!" Donna giggled. "It wasn't them. My apologies." This continued with the lights turning back on every time Donna got her hands on someone, until there were only a few people left in their seats. The lights went out again.

Lo could hear footsteps coming his way. Then, two triangular lights shone on him. "Hmm... yes, yes..." Donna sighed. "Strange attire, guilty face, and sweating from every gland. Hehe~ I found you!" Donna opened her mouth widely, and inched ever closer to Lo. Lo couldn't do anything. He was frozen in fear. He felt like his soul was being sucked from his body.

Then, she was tackled to the ground. Shania and Squiggle had attacked her, and the candles suddenly went back ablaze. Lo was given a chance to escape, so he made a mighty jump out of the car. He was back outside, on the top of the train car. Squiggle and Shania climbed up too, and Squiggle hopped back onto Lo's head.

"Okay... WHAT do we do about Donna?" Lo asked.

"Surrender! Repent!" Donna exclaimed, climbing out of the opposing panel.

"Never! Lo exclaimed. He had a plan. He slid under Donna's legs, with Shania jumping onto and then off her head. Donna pulled out a cork gun, and began to shoot at them, all the shots missing as they hopped from car to car.

"Duck!" Shania exclaimed. Lo could hardly hear her over the train sounds and roaring wind.

"Hey, watch your language!" Lo shouted.

"Watch your head!" Shania screeched. Lo then felt his top hat be forced off of his head by a cork speeding at him. It flew off, and with it, Squiggle!

Lo caught his hat and placed it back on his head, while reaching for Squiggle, who had gone off the car. "Grab my hand!" Lo shouted. Squiggle did so, but Lo almost fell off the car as well. Luckily, Shania grabbed him by the legs and pulled him up. Wow, she was strong! "Thanks, Shania." Lo gasped as they kept running.

Donna gave chase, continuing to shoot. The western sands turned to fiery brimstone, Lo ducking and dodging as more corks came his way. He jumped to the front of the train, and peeked through the window into the car that the conductor was in.

"Hey, kid! What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself hurt!" The conductor shouted.

"Your assistant is chasing my friends and I! She has a cork gun and everything," Lo stated. Shania peeked down and nodded.

"She's doing wha---?!" the conductor replied. Donna then swung down into the opposing window. "Donna!"

"Get those children off of the train!" Donna shouted. "They don't have tickets, AND they attacked me!"

The conductor looked to Lo and his friends. He hit the brakes on the train. It continued on for a while, slowing down, and then came to a complete halt. "Okay... out you go," the conductor said.

"Wait... what?" Lo asked. "Mr. Conductor, you don't understand! We're adventurers. We need to get to the treasure."

"Nope," the conductor said, Donna smiling widely from behind him. "Out. Nobody goes on my train without a ticket."

"What's your problem?!" Shania shouted. "This is unfair! This has to be against the rules!" The conductor closed the window on them. "Hey! Open up!" Shania pounded on the window, to no avail. She then jumped off, giving up.

"What a dink!" Shania screamed, as the train started up again. It disappeared off into the distance. "I can't believe this."

"I can't either!" Lo shouted. "That guy's a total jerk. I hate him!" Squiggle looked down confusedly. Lo wasn't usually this upset, but something had really set him off. "Looks like we have to walk all the way to Angor, the next region." Lo began to storm off, but stopped in his tracks when he heard... screaming? "Huh?" He turned around, to see a gray blur fall down from the sky.

It crashed into the ground. The blur was... Lord Ommin! Did the goon really fling him this far? "Ommin! What are you doing here?!" Lo shouted.

"Is he... okay...?" Shania asked. She heard muffled mumbling and growls coming from Ommin, as he pulled his face out of the ground. He went stumbling back.

"Meanderers! Away, away I tell you!" Ommin screamed. "I cannot allow anyone to see me like this! I'm filthy... shaken up... HUMILIATED!" He yelled dramatically, dropping to his knees and shaking his fists.

"Get up, man," Shania sighed. She looked like she felt a little bad for Ommin.

"To be up-shown by mere youngsters!" Ommin whined, getting up and dusting himself off. "It truly is embarrassing."

"Whatever, Ommin," Lo groaned. "C'mon, Shania. Squiggle. Let's go." Lo turned around and began to walk off. Ommin then grabbed him by the collar and held him up in the air.

"Wait, don't leave," Ommin said to the grumpy Lo. Lo was hardly even looking at him, despondently. "Here's an offer, just for you! From the bottom of my heart, I can say it's true! Whaddya say I join your little friend group? Please? Bestie?"

"What? No way José," Lo refused, as Ommin dropped him onto his feet. "You're our arch-rival!"

"Oh, it pains me to think of our checkered past. I truly was a scoundrel and a half! Yet... think about this... What kind of meanderers would you be if you didn't help someone out at their lowest point?" Ommin asked. "I've been thoroughly trounced. Defeated, even! If you can't beat 'em, lower their guards and then--- I mean--- join them! Right?"

"For the last time, we aren't meanderers. We're adventurers," Lo grumbled.

"Yes, ad-von-tuarers!" Ommin said, sounding it out strangely. "How do you say I give up my treasure-hunting ways, and join you once and for all? Final offer. Terms and conditions apply."

"I guess... having you around as a friend would be better than having you as an enemy," Lo sighed. He made a point. Maybe he really had turned over a new leaf. "You know what? Yeah, you're in. You're an adventurer now!"

"What fun! Now, off to the treasure! And ad-von-tuare!" Ommin ran off. Lo, Squiggle, and Shania begrudgingly followed.