45. Words of Inspiration

At the Royal Woods mall, Lincoln and Luna were looking for any cool albums that looked really interesting and worth listening to. So far, they haven't found anything of any interest yet, but they will eventually find something worth their interest. in the mean time, Lincoln and Luna continued with their search, and after thirty long minutes, they decided to take a little break from their little searching and browsing at the record store, and have a little ice cream break. In the food court, they stopped for a treat at the Creamy King restaurant.

The place had soft-served ice cream, the best kind of Ice cream there was. Both of them were just classic vanilla on cupcake cones, tasting so creamy and delicious with sprinkles on top of them to make it more tasty and fun.

Nothing can beat this day if there is ice cream involved. It was basically a lot of the world's population's favorite kind of treat for them to enjoy. They both found a small booth to sit in together within the food court to finish up their frozen treats.

"So bro, I know I sound stupid for asking you this, but are you okay?"

"Yep, i'm fine now, thanks to you and the guys." Lincoln replied. "At least now, Pucker is in a better place."

"Amen to that." Luna agreed. "He's probably up there in the sky with Jim Hendrix, Ronnie James Dio, Dimebag Darrell, Lemmy, Randy Rhoads, John Lennon, and all those awesome artists from the past."

Lincoln made a smile on his face. "Exactly." Then he began feeling a small aching in his brain, and grunted. "Ahh! Brainfreeze!" He exclaimed, trying to calm his brain nerves with his fingers.

"Relax dude, don't do it. If you wanna suck it, do it, just be a little more slow." Luna reminded.

"I know, but it tastes so good."

"Can't argue with that." Luna agreed with him. "Imagine if we had our own ice cream machine. We wouldn't have to spend so much greens on cartons of sweet ice cream. It would be like the candy man just gave us a little heaven, a stairway to ice cream heaven."

"Heh, you got that right, but do you know how expensive those things can be? I saw a big soft-serve ice cream maker, and it cost ten thousand dollars."

"Ten grand!?" Luna said in disbelief. "Ugh, that's just insane!" And she made a small groan. "Oh well, i'm pretty sure it was a big machine. I mean, it was a big machine, right?"

"Yeah, it was bigger than me and it was exactly like the machines that would use at Creamy King." Lincoln said.

"Ah, there you go. That's probably why it was so pricey. I'm pretty sure there is one that is small, but makes perfectly legit soft-served ice cream."

"Right. We can always look online and see if there is one that makes perfectly good ice cream that is soft-served." Lincoln noted. "But we also gotta see what mom and dad think of having a soft-served ice cream machine at home."

"True dat." And they both finished their ice cream. "Uh-oh. Gotta hit the loo for a few minutes."

"It's fine, Luna." Lincoln said. "Go on ahead, i'll Wait here for you." As Luna went to the ladies bathroom, Lincoln was just sitting and waiting for his sister to come back patiently, and went on his phone to play a few games on it.

All of a sudden, something tapped on his shoulder,and it startled him by surprise. He made a small yelp and looked around to see who did that little tap. He looked to his left and saw two tall men looking at him. One of them was a rather buff man with long, blond hair and a long beard, making him look like a Viking or a barbarian of some kind.

He was wearing jeans with black shoes, and a black, sleeveless jacket with a white tank top in it. The other man was a little shorter than the blond one. And he looked like someone of African or African-American heritage. He had long, black curly hair, and was wearing a leather jacket that had long sleeves and had a chain wallet sticking out of his left pocket. His most distinguishing features the second man had were glasses and a top hat.

Lincoln recognized who there guys were in an instant. "Oh my gosh. He muttered. "Slash. And Zakk Wylde."

"Excuse me, kid," Said Slash. "But we were just wondering if you were with someone. Hope we're not bothering you. And just curious what you were doing here in the mall."

"No, no. Of course not. As a matter of fact, why don't you have a seat?" Lincoln immediately scooted over and let the two legendary guitarists sit next to him.

"Thanks, little man." Said Zakk in his tough voice. Both he and Slash sat next to Lincoln.

"What brings you guys here?"

"Well... we heard about Pucker Uppenheimer, the singer for SMOOCH." Zakk admitted. "We wanted to come to his funeral and give him our honor."

"You heard about that?" Lincoln asked

"Oh yes." Slash Said a little gravely. "Everyone in the music culture has heard about it. It was a heavy toll for every rock and roll fan."

Letting out a sad sigh, Lincoln said "I know. SMOOCH was one of my favorite bands of all time, and I never thought they ended this way."

"I know. It sucks." Said Slash. "Everyone loved SMOOCH, and Pucker. He was a really sweet guy with a big vocal range."

"We'll never forget about the time he invited us to be guests on that tour in '07 where they played in Paris." Zakk commented.

"Okay bro, i'm-..." Luna froze and gasped when she saw the two legendary guitarists sittng next to her brother. She's never thought she would see these two at the Royal Woods mall. "Oh my gosh! Slash and Zakk Wylde!" She exclaimed.

"W'sup!" Zakk Said.

"How's it going?" Slash added.

Luna went up to them and shook hands with the musicians. "This is such an amazing honor to meet you guys. I'm Luna Loud, a hardcore rock and metal fan."

"Luna huh?" Slash Said. "That's a nice name." And he gave him a small smile. "Are you his sister?"

"Uh-huh. I just needed to tinkle in the bathroom."

Luna or moo toy. Sat next to her brother and felt more than happy to be with these guys. "So kid, what's your name?" Asked Zakk.

"Lincoln Loud." The boy replied.

"Well Lincoln, are you a huge SMOOCH fan?"

"Of course! I grew up listening to their music. And... I just can't believe they broke up."

Slash put a comforting arm on Lincoln's back. "Everything will be alright, Lincoln." He said. "Pucker night not be alive in body anynirek but his spirit and music live on.9

"You know, Slash, that's kinda what Luna said. I honestly thought it would be the end of rock n' roll. And because of David Bowie, Tom Petty, and other of those guys dying off recently."

"I know how you feel. It's a pretty bad thing to see and experience, but it happens." Said Zakk. "Lincoln, rock is not dead. As long as there are bands, old and new with a style of rock and metal, it will never die."

"Exactly what I Said." Luna said. "They're right, dude. No need to worry."

"I know, Luna." Lincoln smiled at her again. "Slash And Zakk came here to go attend Pucker's funeral."

"Ah. I gotcha."

"May ask what you kids are doing here?" Slash asked curiously.

"Well... we were trying to look for a new album or look at new music to listen to. At least a band that we never heard before." Luna said.

"any luck, Luna?" Zakk Wylde asked her curiously

"Nah. We haven't really found any interesting discs yet." The rocker girl replied flatly. "I don't know if that store is out of good cds, or it doesn't have good cds at all. So we thought we would just get some ice cream here."

"So, what are you guys doing at the mall?" Lincoln asked the guitarists.

"Just doing a little sightseeing around Royal Woods, Lincoln." Slash replied. "This looks like an interesting place. Sure it's not like Los Angeles, but still, I like how quiet it can be around here."

"Say, why don't we have a little walk around the mall and stretch our legs?" Zakk suggested. He and Slash got up, then Lincoln and Luna followed thereafter. "Nothing like good ole exercise to get you pumped."

"Good idea." Said Lincoln. He and his sister began following the two guitarists down a few lanes in the mall to stretch their own legs and have a conversation with them. "Slash?"

"Yeah Lincoln?"

"I hear your back in Guns N' Roses, right?"

"Yep. I honestly didn't think I would ever come back because of my differences with Axl." Slash admitted. "Our feud was just way past due, and we agreed to settle our differences. Axl is not so... fussy anymore, and i hope it will stay that way. We haven't had any stage disasters in a long while since we came back together."

"Have you guys created new songs yet?" asked Luna curiously. "That would be so awesome!"

Slash was a little silent for a second, but he said "Not quite, but we are still trying to come up with any ideas that we can agree on. A new album might take... a little while. Somewhere around a year or two."

"It won't be like ten years, would it?" Lincoln asked him

"No, no, of course not. It will only be for a little while until we release new songs and material."

"I bet it would be one of the best-selling albums ever, and probably be sold in a matter of days. I mean, you guys now have the fourth highest grossing tour of all time!"

"Can't argue with that, Luna." Slash agreed. "we're making a lot of money with the Not in this Lifetime tour. And we're almost done with the tour when we hit it in a few months."

"And, did you know I'm back with Ozzy, Luna?"

"I did hear that, but are you gonna tour together?"

"We are. But you know this will be the last tour Ozzy will do in the world, right?"

"Yeah, we heard." Lincoln said. "Kinda sad though. He does have a lot of fans out there."

"Agreed, but he's... not as young as he used to be, Linc." Zakk noted. "I'm honestly a little worried about him, since he's my godfather. How long do you think he'll last?"

Lincoln and Luna were thinking about that question, but they both said in unison. "We don't know."

"Don't worry about it, Zakk. He'll be fine." Slash said.

"I know. At least we'll still tour together for this last world one. Honestly, I don't know what to do without my godfather since he's... not gonna be around for much longer." Both Luna and Lincoln couldn't help but feel sympathy for Zakk Wylde here.

"I had no idea Ozzy was so important to you." Lincoln said

"Oh ho, he is more important to me than anything else in this world. Well, along with my family and friends. I've been with him for many years from No Rest for the Wicked to Black Rain in 2007."

"Those albums were rockin'!" Luna said with her devil horn pose with her arms up again.

"Heh, We like your style, Luna." said Slash with a smile, showing his teeth. "Got an awesome taste in music."

Luna flushed at his compliment.

"Yeah, you ever play any instruments?" Zakk asked her.

"Heck yeah! I have a variety of instruments in my crib." Luna said. "To be fair with ya, I'm more good at playing guitar."

"That's cool." said Zakk.

"And I'm a good guitar player myself." Lincoln boasted.

Both Slash and Zakk were surprised to hear that. "You play guitar?" asked Zakk Wylde.

"Still learning, but I am getting good at it."

"Awesome." said Slash. "Just keep practicing hard on it every day, and you be as good as us."

Lincoln made a hopeful smile to hear those words. "I always do. Thanks to my big sister here. She's like the greatest sister any brother could ever ask for." Luna was touched to hear those words from her little bro.

"Aww, thanks, lil bro." she said, hugging him by his side. "You should hear us play, but if you're too busy, I understand."

"So do I." Lincoln added

"We'll keep that in mind. We'll be in this nice little town for a few days, almost a week." Slash said. "I bet you guys sound so awesome when you play guitar."

"And... do you think I can come with you guys to the funeral? I want to give Pucker Uppenheimer my honor and respect." Lincoln asked a little sheepishly.

"Well, the funeral is arranged and is supposed to be made for only his closest friends and family." Zakk said. "I'm sorry Lincoln, but we don't make the rules. Besides, you wouldn't want to go to his funeral."

"Yeah, it would be too sad for you." Slash reassured the boy. "It ain't fun burying someone that you really like or care about."

"Believe me, I know when I lost my good friend, Dimebag Darrell. I payed tribute to him with the song 'In This River' to honor him and his amazing legacy in Pantera." Zakk remarked.

"I know. It was a very beautiful song, man." Luna said. "My bro just loves that band so much."

"It's good." said Slash. "And Lincoln, just becasuse a famous musician just died of some random event, it does not mean they will be completely forgotten, or people won't believe they won't exist."

"Slash is right. Their music will always be remembered throughout history, as long as there are people that love rock music like you and Luna, rock and metal will never die, or fade out of history." Zakk added. "As a matter of fact, why don't you and your sis have this?" he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a green CD entitled "Black Label Society: Grimmest Hits." on it. "this is my newest album with my own band."

"Ooh, this looks cool." Lincoln said.

"You'll love this one." Zakk said.

"And here's a bonus." Slash added. He handed Luna a CD of his music from his most recent album: World on Fire. "What do you think?"

"Aw, yeah!" Luna said with joy. "This is gonna be so awesome. Thank you guys so much."

"Hey, anything for rock and metal fans." Slash said. "You kids take care now, and if you want to see us again before we leave, we'll be at the Rev E Lotion hotel a couple blocks away from the mall."

"And if you have trouble, just tell the concierge that you met us at the mall, and we give you our permission to be with us." Zakk added. "It will be awesome, and feel free to listen to our music when you get home."

"Believe us, Zakk. We will." Luna said with an excited smile on her face. "It's a big honor meeting you guys. Come on bro, I think we found new music we're looking for." In her head, Luna also thought "Mama, we're coming home."

"We'll see you again, right?" Lincoln asked the guitarist.

"Of course. And remember, rock music will never die." said Slash. "Take care Lincoln, Luna. Keep on Rocking."

"See ya Lincoln, Luna." Zakk added

Lincoln and Luna said their byes at the two guitarists and they watched the artists go down the mall while the siblings went back outside to wait for Lori and Vanzilla. It was an extraordinary time for them both to be with two guitar legends such as Slash and Zakk Wylde themselves, and they even give them some encouragement and advice. They honestly wished that they can spend more time with them today, but at least they will spend more time together one of these days, and hoped that the concierge of the hotel they were staying in will be reasonable enough.

Still, it was fun while it all lasted today, and there is always tomorrow, because every day was a new day. Time waits for no one. It took a little while, somewhere around thirty minutes after Luna called in Lori, but she finally made it with Vanzilla. Leni was sitting in the shotgun seat with her shades over her eyes, possibly to keep the sun out of her eyes.

"Hey guys." Lori said. "How was the mall? Did you find any interesting music?"

"We did." both Lincoln and Luna held up their CD's to Lori and Leni to see. Lori didn't really care, but pretended to be amazed and surprised for their sake.

"Ooh, these albums look so colorful."

"And you would not believe who we just met today." Luna said. "We met Slash and Zakk Wylde there, and they were so cool!"

"I know who Slash is, but who's Zakk Wylde?" Lori asked

"He's one of the greatest guitarists of all time." Lincoln said. "He played with Ozzy Osbourne and is an awesome shredder."

"Oh, that sounds fun. What were they literally doing there?"

"because of what happened to Pucker Uppenheimer." Luna stated

"Ah, I see."

"They'll stay in Royal Woods for about a week, and invited us to spend more time with them before they attend the funeral and leave town for whatever they might do."

"That must have been exciting." Leni said. "I wish I could have met them. What were they like?"

"They were totally chill and down-to-earth." Lincoln said. "You would love them, Leni." And he looked at the Grimmest Hits album again. "I hope this album is awesome as it sounds."

"Never doubt Zakk Wylde, Lincoln. You know that he is an awesome shredder, right?" Luna gently ruffed his head.

Lincoln laughed and said "I know, Luna. I would never judge any guitar playing."

"Oh and I forgot to tell you guys," Said Leni. "We're having meatloaf tonight!"

Both Luna and Lincoln made a gasp of excitement. "Whoo! I love dad's meatloaf." Lincoln Said. "And what would you guys think about a soft-serve ice cream machine for the house?"

"Ooh. That sounds fun. I literally like that idea." Lori remarked. "We can ask mom and dad about it. And we gotta make sure it's not expensive, like literally top of the line."

"I'm pretty sure there is one that is not expensive, But can make good ice cream." Luna said. "Besides, looks are aren't everything."

"Good point. Soft-serve ice cream is better than regular ice cream. Would you guys agree with me?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah!" The three sisters said enthusiastically.

"Totally, little bro. We would love to have a machine to serve as our own ice cream man." Luna said. "Say. You want me to help you sync the songs on your mp3 machine?"

"Yeah. That would be nice."

"Awesome!"

When they returned home, Lincoln and Luna put the songs from their CD's to their music players and listened to them a little. These albums truly rocked them to the very core. After they were done with that, they decided to relax a little with Luna sitting on the couch, and Lincoln resting his head on her lap next to her.

"Did you have fun, dude?" she asked him

"Totally! I didn't think we would meet Slash and Zakk Wylde at the mall like that."

"Me neither, bro. It totally caught us be surprise. I'm glad you came with me."

"I'm glad to have been there with you." And after an hour, Lincoln suddenly felt tired and immediately fell asleep, softly snoring. Luna smiled warmly at this, and decided to lay down next to him on the couch, and gently kept him close in her arms wrapped around like her own teddy bear.

"I love you, Lincoln." and she kissed him right in the back of his head, and it didn't take long for her to nap with him. Rita was coming downstairs and saw that adorable sight of brother and sister napping together.

"Oh, that's precious." Rita thought to herself. As a matter of fact, she went to her bedroom, and pulled out a large, comfy blanket that was so fluffy, and draped it on the two sleeping siblings.

"Don't they make a great team, honey?" asked Lynn Sr, who came in the room.

"That they do, dear." Rita agreed, and they both let Lincoln and Luna alone in their little nap together.