User blog:Snorri-the-bearded/Loudest Demonslayer - a video game themed fanfiction

Greetings and salutations, loudies. This is actually my first fanfiction that I have ever made, so every constructive critique is welcome (as long you are fair and polite. And don’t worry, I won’t bite).

Anyway, this story is about Lincoln that’s going to play the classic 1996’s game, Diablo from Blizzard Entertainment. And since Lincoln is kinda a gamer, I thought this might be interesting of him playing a cult-classic. And because it’s the month of horror. Enjoy. :) ———————————————————————————————————— Loudest Demonslayer ———————————————————————————————————— A local flee market had been put up recently in Royal Woods. Lincoln was looking around, to find something interesting to buy. He stopped at the stall of a young man selling, what it looks like, videogames. CD-ROM’s in cases that aren’t so common anymore. Lincoln noticed a case with a picture of a red demon on it. The title says “Diablo”. There was no additional information on it, so, Lincoln decided to ask the young man that runs the stall.

Lincoln: Excuse me, sir. Might I ask what kind of game this is?

The young man looked towards Lincoln and answered his question.

Young man: You mean this game? (he points to the CD-ROM) Well, that, my lad, is Diablo. An old cult-classic. It features the story of a hero that must save his village from legions of demons that resides in an ancient cathedral. It’s a hack-and-slash game, which means that you’ll be mostly focused in killing many enemies. Eventually, you’ve got to fight Diablo himself, since he is the main antagonist of the game.

Lincoln then looked at the CD-ROM case and then back at the young man. The way he described it sounds cool in the ears of the eleven year old.

Lincoln: (eagerly) How much will this cost me? Killing demons and saving a village sounds fun!

The young man at the stall looked at him funny.

Young man: (slightly worried) Uh...are you sure? This game was rated M for mature for obvious reasons, like the depictions of horror, gore and blood.

Lincoln: Well, I haven’t been scared yet from any videogame. I can handle it.

Young man: Well, I admit that I played Diablo around your age as well, but don’t say I didn’t warm you. The price is 4 dollars.

Lincoln paid with a 5 dollar bill, got his 1 dollar change back and then headed towards home.

(A while later...)

Lincoln opens the frontdoor and entered the house. His sisters noticed him coming in. They were all watching The Dream Boat together from the couch.

Leni: (in her usual happy self) Hey Link! What have you got there?

Lincoln: Ehm...just another one of those videogames I’ve bought at the fles market. You guys know I like playing games, right?

Lynn: Let me see that!

Lynn took the game from Lincoln’s hands, much to his dismay.

Lynn: “Diablo”? (scoffs) what kind of lame game is that?!

Lana: My snake, El Diablo has a game named after him?

Lincoln: (annoyed) It’s just an old classic game where you must fight demons and saving a village, now give that back!

Lincoln and Lynn were struggling with the CD-ROM box for a while, untill Lori stepped in and took the game from them and took a look at it herself.

Lori: Uhm, Lincoln? Did you know that this game is rated M?

Lincoln: (annoyed) Yes, yes, I’ve read that too! Now would you please give me back...(beat)...ehm...M for what?

Lisa: M for “Mature”, brother. It’s part of the ESRB ratings. It means you are only allowed to play this game at a mature age because of certain aspects of this game. (Counts her fingers) Which include depictions of blood and horror.

Lincoln: Well, I am mature for my age and Clyde bleeds all the time from his nose, so I can handle it myself.

Lisa: Lincoln that’s not what I meant with mature...

Lincoln didn’t let Lisa to finish her sentence by raising a hand to her to stop talking and took the game again from Lori.

Lincoln: Thank you, Lisa, but I have heard enough. Now I am going to my room and installing this on my laptop.

Lori: Ugh! Suit yourself.

While Lincoln walks upstairs to his room, all the other sisters just shrugged and continued watching The Dream Boat on TV. Well, all except Lucy, whom sneaked away from the living room and headed upstairs as well. Lincoln was putting the CD-ROM in the driver of his laptop and then, the autorun started. On his computer screen, he sees a picture appear of a reddish demon, accompanied with some admospheric music and a creepy demonic laugh. The laugh was heard all over the first floor, startling Lincoln, but Lucy, whom was in the corridor, became more curious and went towards Lincoln’s room. In the meantime, Lincoln was already recovered from that experience with that demonic laugh.

Lincoln: (sarcasticly) Well... that’s surely a good start.

A knock is heard from his door.

Lincoln: Who’s there?

Lucy: Hey Lincoln, it’s me. Mind if I watch you play that game?

Lincoln: Ehm...sure, Lucy. If you want to. I have almost finished installing the game so I can start it soon.

After Lincoln had started the game, the intro cinematic started to play. Lucy was sitting next to Lincoln, watching at the computer screen. The intro cinematic first started with an image of a sword that’s thrusted into a hilltop, while their are crows heard in the background, it then switched to what it looks like an abandoned village. A crow started to land on, what looks like, a human corpse and start pecking it’s eyes out to eat them. Lincoln was holding his hand towards his mouth in disgust.

Lincoln: That’s just nasty!

The intro of the game then switched several times back to the sword, the creepy village and a warrior, while some more admospheric music is getting more intense with each passing second. After some more scenes which also featured some sort of dungeon and glowing red eyes in the dark. The sword on the hilltop started to glow and everything in the cinematic intro became intense, from more creepy music to some images of the warrior making fighting moves and then all of a sudden, the music stopped and the screen went black. A second later, the same demon that was seen on the autorun image is seen roaring in anger. Lincoln yelps in fear, while Lucy was only smiling, ever if it’s barely visable. Not soon after, the main menu was shown on the screen.

Lucy: Wicked!

Lincoln: The developers probably did that on purpose. Oh well, let’s get kill some demons.

Lucy: It seems we have to select a character, ranging from a warrior, a rogue and a sorcerer.

Lincoln: Well, what should I choose?

Lucy: It’s your call.

Lincoln: Then I choose warrior. But now I need a name.

Lucy: How about “Aidan”?

Lincoln: Thanks, Lucy, sounds really medieval.

After they created their character, Lincoln sees he is a town named “Tristram” and start exploring around the town, meeting the many NPC’s and getting to know the different shops around there. Not soon thereafter, Lincoln triggered his first quest from a dying man outside the old cathedral, asking Lincoln’s character to avenge him and his dead comrades by killing a demon named: “The Butcher”, whom is hiding inside the catacombs of the cathedral. Lincoln took a breath deep, while feeling a little uneasy.

Lincoln: Well, here goes nothing.

Lincoln’s character entered the cathedral, a loading screen appeared and not soon after, he was inside. What Lincoln noticed the most was that the music in this game was really admospheric creepy, ranging from a soft choir to massive drums in the backgrounds. Lincoln never knew that these old games hold more admospheric horror then the modern horror games. After scouting around some rooms, he encountered several enemies, which include small imp-like creatures, dog-like creatures that are called scavengers and skeletons. After slaying lots of monsters, getting lots of gold and playing through several levels, Lincoln has found a room and was about to open it’s door, untill Lucy disturbed him with one of her poems.

Lucy: Lincoln, what do you think of this poem? I have based it on your gameplay of Diablo. ''With an adventure through a dark dungeon ,you’r never bored. Because you’d be slaying demons, with you sword.''

Lincoln: That is poem is...true, actually. I was never bored when I was killing my enemies in this game.

Lucy expressed a small smile, she assumed Lincoln liked that poem. But before Lincoln could unpause the game again, Luan opened the door of Lincoln’s room, making him more annoyed.

Luan: Hey Lincoln! I just got a new joke and...!

Lincoln: Luan, can’t I just play my game in peace? I am about to kill a demon called, The Buther!

Luan: Well, ok Linc, then I’ll leave you in pieces! (Laughs) Get it?

Both Lincoln groan in annoyence while Luan left his room. Lincoln unpaused his game and continued with his Character towards the door and opened it. Lincoln and Lucy didn’t saw any foes in this room. Even for the old graphics of it’s time, Lincoln did recognise what some of props in the room were supposed to be. The floor of the room was covered in blood and the remaining of the room seem to be decorated with corpses of people, mostly cut to pieces. Lincoln felt something cold crawling into his spine. Even Lucy was silent. But then all of a sudden, they hear a voice like: “AAAH! FRESH MEAT!”. Lincoln yelps in fear.

Lucy: Gasp! The Butcher!

The Butcher, an overlord demon, has suddenly burst out of the shadows and attacked Lincoln’s character. His blows were fast and heavy, and the character’s health was depleting quickly, despite Lincoln’s effort to give him some sword blows. Lincoln started to panic and tried to get away from The Butcher, but he can’t outrun him.

Lincoln: Whoa! No, no, no! Get away from me!

The Butcher landed another blow with his cleaver on Lincoln’s character, and he fell to the ground. Dead. Lincoln and Lucy were horrified, knowing that their character will put on display as well in the Butcher’s own slaughter house. The screen turned red and a menu screen appeared, showing the options to either load a game, starting a new game or just quit the game.

Lucy: Have you saved the game, Lincoln?

Lincoln: No, I haven’t.

Lucy: So it means...

Lincoln: Yeah, I have to start from the beginning again. But that’s for another time. I can smell that dinner is ready.

Lincoln closed his laptop and both he and Lucy headed downstairs. When they arrived at the dining table, all the other sisters were watching. One of the foods of tonight’s dish, were slices of ham, which Lynn Sr. just have cut with his newest meat cleaver. Lincoln was sweating, has a nauseating feeling in his stomach. He barely touches his slices of ham. All the other sisters could see that Lincoln is not feeling well and might have the idea that it comes from playing Diablo. Luan decided to open her mouth.

Luan: What’s up Lincoln? You look like you got Butcherd. (starts to laugh).

Luna: Yeah, dude. We’ve heard ya screaming.

Lincoln: (annoyed) Girls, I am fine.

Lisa: By the looks of that salty liquid that comes from your head, mixed with an expression of fear and rapid shivering. I’d say you became frightenend after you got killed in your game.

Lynn Sr.: Are we missing something?

Lori: Lincoln have bought a videogame that’s about slaying demons while this game is labeled only for people at a mature age.

Rita: Lincoln, those labels are there for a reason. To prevent young children from playing that sort of things.

Lincoln: But aren’t I mature enough?

Lynn Sr.: Maybe in behavior, son, but not in age. They meant you must be around a mature age to play that game, so around Lori’s age.

Lori: I literally warned you about it, Lincoln. But you didn’t listen.

Lincoln: You didn’t say at a mature “age”, Lori!

Lori: Wasn’t it obvious? It sounded pretty obvious to me.

After dinner, Lincoln went upstairs, not noticing Lucy was already in the hallway.

Lucy: Hey Lincoln.

Lincoln yelps again in fear.

Lincoln: (angry) Lucy, don’t scare me like that!

Lucy: I just wish to know how you’d be holding up. You seem more jumpier then usual. You’re not planning in playing that game again, are you?

Lincoln: No Lucy, I think I am done with playing for a while. I don’t want it to give me any nightmares. I think I need a break from that.

Not soon after darkness has swept across Royal Woods, every inhabitant of the Loud House was asleep. Lincoln was dreaming as well, altought they weren’t pleasant ones. He dreamed he was playing Diablo again, but this time from a first-person view. Cutting down several skeletons and minor demons with his sword. Then he encountered the door where The Butcher was present. Lincoln was sweating and shivering in his sleep, he knews what will come next. In his dream, he openend the door and then comes eye on eye with The Butcher. Like in the game, he says: “AAAH! FRESH MEAT!” and gave Lincoln a smack with his cleaver. Causing Lincoln to wake up screaming.

Lincoln: AAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Lincoln was looking frightened around his room. No Butcher in his room, that’s a relieve, he thought. But luckely for him, it’s almost dawn so he won’t be worrying about sleep for a while, anytime soon.

After breakfast, Lincoln was walking together with Clyde to school, which he told everything about what happened to him, yesterday.

Lincoln:...and I can’t stop thinking about this Butcher, Clyde! Now, I am to scared to go to sleep again.

Clyde: You know buddy, dr. Lopez once told me that one way to overcome fear, is to confront fear.

Lincoln: Huh? Like I should give the game Diablo another try and should try to defeat The Butcher again? (excited) But course! I should give it another try!

Lincoln runs back towards home, but returned a second later.

Lincoln: After school, of course.

School seemed to take forever untill the bells ring. Lincoln rushed back home. He took his laptop and game, settled it up on the dining table, inserted the disk in his CD-ROM drive. His sisters noticed was he is up to and carefully approach him. Leni gently tapped Lincoln’s shoulder.

Leni: Uhm...Lincoln, you are not playing this creepy game again, aren’t you?

Lincoln: Sorry, Leni, but I was having nightmares about this Butcher demon in this game. Clyde told me that one of the ways to overcome fear, is to confront them. So, today, I am going to beat this monster.

Lola: (yelling) MOOOM! Lincoln is playing that mature game again!

Lana: (while having her hands to cover her ears) Lola, mom is still at work and dad is doing groceries.

Lola: Oh...Dangit, I forgot.

Lincoln: You are all free to watch me doing this, if you have the stomach to handle it.

Lola: (angry) Well, then I am out of here! Most of us haven’t even reached a mature age.

Lana: Yeah, I’ll be going too.

Lola picked up Lily and both she and Lana headed towards their room.

Lisa: Sorry brother, but I see this as a meaningless time waster and I need to be atleast four times more older then what I am now.

Leni: And I can’t bare to watch it either, so I’ll be in my room as well, reading magazines or sewing.

Both Lisa and Leni leave for their room as well, leaving only Lori, Luna, Luan, Lynn and Lucy left to watch Lincoln play the game.

Lori: Well, Lincoln, let’s get this over with.

Lincoln: Right then, then I’ll start the game, because I am not backing down any longer.

Lynn gave Lincoln a friendly punch on his shoulder.

Lynn: Good on you, Lame-o.

An intro cinematic and several creeped out faces later, Lincoln was playing Diablo once again with his warrior character, trying to reach The Butchers lair again, hacking away skeletons, imps and scavengers alike.

Luan: You know, guys, I was thinking and...I don’t think is kinda easy by being undead.

Luna: Why’s that, brah?

Luan: Well, it actually require them a lot of DEADication. (Laughs)

And as usual, everyone started to groan at her lame jokes.

Lucy: I do have to admit. Even with this game being over 22 years old, it somehow still has that creepy admosphere.

Luna: Right you are, little dudette.

Soon, after a while, Lincoln reached the door of The Butcher’s lair again.

Lincoln: This is it. But this time, I have more healing potions, better equipement and gained more experience from killing more monsters.

Lincoln’s character on opened the door again, and again, The Butcher comes out and sayed his “fresh meat” catchphrase again. Lori got so startled that she nearly jumped from her chair.

Lynn: Come on, Linc. Beat him up!

Lincoln: (annoyed) What do you think I am doing?!

Lincoln’s character just hold ground and fought tooth to nail. Hitting the Butcher multiple times. Everytime, Lincoln’s warrior was nearly dead, he used a health potion, but they were quickly dwindling and The Butcher still wasn’t dead.

Luna: He is killing you, dude. Get out of there!

Lincoln quickly controlled his character away from The Butcher and barely dodged a fatal blow. Again, it was like cat and mouse. Lincoln’s thoughts were running wild. No, he thought, I will not run away from him again! I will face him and defeat him! At that point, Lincoln just turned around again, gave The Butcher another blow...and he falls dead to the ground. Lincoln’s character on the screen proclaimed: “The spirits of the dead are now avenged.”. For a few seconds, nobody sayed a word in the dining room, and then Lincoln suddenly cheered and sisters that witnessed it all cheered with him as well.

Lincoln: (happy) I did it! I did it, I’ve won! I’ve have beaten The Butcher!

Lynn: Way to go, Lincoln!

Lynn gave him another friendly punch on the arm. Luna rubbed a hand through Lincoln’s white hair.

Luna: You did it, bro. Totally rad. Now you don’t need to afraid of that monster anymore.

Lori: I admit, Lincoln. You did an great job in confronting your fear for that monster.

Lucy: This brought me more inspirition to write a poem. ''By entering the dungeon, you knew the monster was near. But after slaying The Butcher, you overcame your fear.''

Lincoln could only smile at this.

Lincoln: Yeah, I did a pretty good job, huh? Oh! And the game is far from over, so I can do some more quests and maybe finally beat that demon on the cover of the CD...

Lucy, Lynn, Luan, Luna and Lori: (angry and in unison) Lincoln!!!

Lincoln: Just kidding! (Laughs) Just kidding, girls. I’ll wait untill I get a little older before trying this game again.

THE END

Authors notes:

- I myself love old games, and I consider them sometimes creepier then modern games. Why? Well, I don’t have a clear explanation for that, but at the time this game was made, people didn’t knew any better and I think it has a bit to do with Nostalgia. And in that period, it was highly more possible that younger children might have played Mature games, including myself. - This is my first fanfiction ever, so feel free to give any critique about it. - And as always, all the characters belong to Nickelodeon.