A misused ingredient

{This ending is part of the Finish the Story Contest, the 25th contest so far. Click here to see the contest… The prompt was crafted by @f3nix this week... Three(!) music pairs: ”Probably Not A Problem" [1.] “Vortal Combat” [2.] and “Slow Light” [3.] (Half-Life 2 OST).}

Banner done by @f3nix

The Prompt

[1.]

In the eyes of the couple, the slate-paved street of the village revealed a cornucopia of crafts, sweets and jubilant peasants. Along the noisy main street, colourful festoons hung from the balconies of typical mountain houses, made of solid stone and original woodwork. The buildings themselves, due to the abundance of decorations, seemed to curve over the long snake of stalls.
There had been an imperceptible moment of silence when the two had laid their feet on the dark pavement of the village, nothing but a quick counterpoint to underline the next wave of noise of the festival in its full becoming. It had been enough to turn left on the path between the conifers marked by the navigator and their journey had moulted with grey scales now transformed into coloured harlequin’s diamonds.
"Fasnachat". That bizarre writing on a shaky sign had tickled their imagination.
"If Google had reported this village party we could have left two hours earlier." At her voice’s sound, Ben instinctively thought of two Dolce & Gabbana sneakers on the 100 meters starting blocks.
"A break cannot hurt us, but let's not forget about our timetable," he replied, not without a trail of scepticism in his voice.
Ben's senses captured fragrances, widened eyes and inebriated laughter. That joy was as disruptive as it was contagious.
"We do not need to remind ourselves of what it means being late for Grandma Maude's birthday dinner," he said, turning to his wife, whose hand was already wriggling from his, ready to compulsively stuff the car with the many bits and bobs offered by the fair.
Debated between the growing curiosity and the thought of his father-in-law blaming him for the delay, Ben had not even noticed that he had already lost sight of Joelle.
Like a pebble escaping the river’s current, the flow of the crowd had carried him in the middle of a small square dominated by a soaring wooden stage. An acute, strangely cacophonous, chant of stringed instruments enlivened a typical traditional group dance, where couples slapped each other’s feet and bodies.
Under the ever more pounding rhythm of the dance, among almost hypnotized and swaying villagers, his eyes increasingly focused on the show.
For a moment, he thought he saw Joelle surrounded by villagers who invited her to eat something viscidly black. The substance seemed to smear the white aprons and faces of the women, perhaps even that of Joelle who had joined them in a wild chortle. She seemed so lighthearted and it felt good. There was one thing Ben could not remember and squatted in the back of his head, but maybe it wasn’t that important.
He returned to plunge into the dance: it was simply wonderful. He felt he could not miss a movement, not even a note. He smiled at the villagers as a strange heat flared up inside him. An empty and collective smile painted back on the villagers’ gaunt faces.
In a frayed embryo of thought, Ben recorded the distant verses of Joelle, who, strangely, had fused together in a long animal bleating.

The ending by @theironfelix

A lil’ ways down the street, a red imp carrying their trident and a nonchalant Witch-in-training carrying their stuffed bunny walked under a cool night - searching ingredients for her mean potions, but shockingly all the vendors in town where either out of stock or disappeared. They only managed to bargain for a crate of golem-making substance and knew 'twas dangerous to leave out alone, so Ashley hexed an invisibility spell on the crate... to then return and find a busted crate. The Witch-in-training quietly asking:

”Didn’t we make this invisible, Red?”

”Uh... I think we got a bigger problem over there, Ashley.”

Ashley sighed as she saw in the distance the fasnachts serving the crate’s content. Feeling a poking on her shoulder, she turns to see a fasnacht offering that and the fasnacht took a step back realizing their mistake. Ashley angered while metamorphosing: her hair turning white, eyes flaring red and hands bursting to flames. Red seeing this had quickly transformed into her broom and Ashley stated simply:

[2.]

”You fasnachts are the missing ingredient I seek!”

An incendiary fasnacht was seen flying-by, crisping up into the black substance they serviced. Which caused Joelle to scream that panicked the entire dancing crowd, the fasnachts transformed their limbs to blades and flew towards Ashley. Ashley mounting the broom remarked:

”It’s time.”

Ben pushed past the panicking people, but food-curious folk like Joelle began metamorphosing collectively into a black, slimy golem. Above Ben, he saw incendiary fasnachts repelled from their course to then look back to the golem - making him duck into cover. Upon the last fasnacht, Ashley saw the golem and maddened - remarking:

”Abysmal...”

Ben taking a sneak peek, saw the golem fighting a young flying witch. Exchanges of black goop, fireballs, cement rocks and lightning bolts were made. He then saw her extinguish her hands and pull a wand out and chanting a loud hex on the golem:

”Hocus-Pocus!”

[3.]

On the mark, the golem placed its hands over it and made a deafening screech while dissipating into two piles: the now awoken victims and the black substance that was served earlier. Ashley flew down and Red transformed into her staff - this time she would teleport the black substance back home instead of making an invisible crate to store them in. During that time people came rushing back to check on their loved ones, Ben rushing to Joelle and asking her to see if she was fine. She hugged him in response, Ben hugging back to reassure his wife.

Upon closing the portal and both Ashley and Red transforming back into their regular selves, the town’s folk picked up both and threw a celebration for them. Ben and Joelle also partied with the crowd as Ashley blushed hard with all the praises she received and Red grinned wide seeing her blush. The crowd danced the night away - the day’s been saved and the town is safe... for now.

Cited posts:

@f3nix - "Finish the Story Contest: Week 25"

Cited images

@f3nix - "Official Storyteller banner"