Sk: Okay, I am really sorry about the wait. I've been rather sick lately; I have just started at my new highschool, Upper Hutt Collage, and my net was cut off before. o_O And I've had major writer's block. Bare with me, please. Being in accelerant English and Maths takes up my writing time with homework. XD
Jack: Get away from us.
Michael: We don't want to catch anything.
Sk: ... I hate you two right now.
---
Chelsea looked over Kris' hand, holding the woman's burnt appendage tenderly in her own little hands. "I truly don't think it'll blister." she smiled sweetly, looking up at Kris. The woman smiled and nodded, sighing.
"That's very good to hear." she smiled, her emerald eyes glittering. The woman looked around, gently brushing copper-golden strands from her face. "Any sign of your uncle?"
"No, not yet." Chelsea whispered, looking away. Kris cupped the frail doll's chin in her one good hand and smiled, pulling her to face her.
"Oh, don't worry, sweet. We'll get her back, don't you worry a bit."
"Okay." Chelsea replied, smiling back up at her. She turned around, the bloody-red of her hair looking a glowing copper in the light of the bright lava around them. "Let's go find Uncle Michael. Daddy says he usually makes very rash decisions."
---
"Jack, no! Ve haff to vait unteel ve know dey are gone!"
Kelly tugged even harder on Jack's elbow as he began moving toward the entrance again. "I don't want to risk my daughter getting hurt!"
"Mr. Skellington, please." Willow whispered softly, placing a branched hand on his shoulder. Jack swung to face her and sighed, staring at the ground. Kelly, however, went flying in reverse, straight through the Hanging Tree and into some other sort of foliage or shrubbery. "You know as well as we do that we just cannot risk their lives by suddenly rushing into whatever's happening down there. I truly understand your worry. Not precisely, as it is your daughter, not my sister, but the concern is very well alike. And you know all too well why we cannot just barge down there and demand them back."
"Beecause you und your vather are trees?"
Kelly's 'well timed' comment was ignored. Jack sighed and folded his arms slowly, looking away. "Because it could cost us dearly, I know..." he sighed, before looking over to the Hanging Tree, an inquisitive glint in his sockets. The tree nodded and looked away, sighing heavily. Jack's question hit the poor figure without any words reaching the air. The old tree contemplated his answer for a few minutes, obviously deciding the wording and such. Not only that, but the direction he wanted to steer his answer in. He could either side with his daughter, or agree with Jack and let the skeleton go after his children
"I understand, Jack. I wish I could go with you, too. Just hold on a little while longer, and then you can confirm Chelsea's wellbeing for yourself." he wisely uttered, looking back at his friend and sapling. Jack was obviously worried sick, nearly in the literal sense of the term, what with his uncertainties beginning to bring fatigue to his physical health. But he and his daughter were also witnessing a side of their Pumpkin King that they had only ever seen once before - the fear that was engulfing the King was overwhelming. Willow tightened her grip as Jack nodded at the tree and smiled, before sinking to the ground. He looked away and sighed, before looking up.
"Alright, Hanging Tree. I'll wait a little longer..." he agreed, burying his face into his bony palms. "I just want to know that Chelsea will be alright."
---
Sakura rolled her eyes as she put a fist of twigs on Casey's shoulder. He continued to ram his head into the wall angrily, no matter what the girl did. "Come on, Casey, stop it. You really will hurt yourself soon."
"Don't.... ow! Care.... OW!"
Caroline looked over, clutching at the cool bars with her small hands and hoisting herself to her feet, resting all the weight she could on the crude metal as she limped over. Her leg was now a strange shade of purple, thanks to all the bruising, but the swelling had thankfully gone down. She groaned softly as she stopped walking, sliding to the ground and landing rather heavily on her hip. "Please, Casey..." she whispered, reaching through the bars slightly, Sakura backed away, as so Caroline could reach the boy without hitting the tree-girl. "Please don't take it all on yourself. I mean, I believe that Sakura doesn't think it is completely your fault. Do you, Sakura?"
"Of course not!" Sakura laughed brightly, folding her twiggy arms across her chest. Her cheer seemed to light up the cells a little, and Casey began to stop his 'head-banging'. Sakura knelt beside him, as Casey sat up and stared at the ground, now looking like he was sulking. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders as he rested his head against the metal bars. Caroline touched his cheek gently. "Is that really what it was all about? That you were scared that I would be angry at you?"
Casey nodded, crystal droplets beginning to well in his eyes. Sakura sighed sympathetically and pulled him close, as Caroline stared at the scene, a small smile spreading across her lips at Sakura's unusually warm actions. "See? She's not angry." the Mayor's niece soothed, rubbing Casey's arm. Casey nodded, the tears rolling down his cheeks. Sakura stroked his short hair softly, hushing him.
"Of course I'm not angry at you." she smiled. "I mean, we both wouldn't be here if I hadn't asked you what was down here in the first place."
"Which would have been a good thing." Caroline uttered. Casey shook his head firmly, before resting it against the tree's chest.
"No eet vouldn't. If ve hadn't, ve vouldn't know yvou vere down here." he whimpered, before turning into Sakura's shoulder, crying silently. "I vant my father..."
---
Chelsea began to claw her way onto the rocky ledge, as Kris leaned down and grabbed her by the scruff of her turtleneck. The human yanked her up and fell back, as Chelsea landed hard of the ground. Kris sat up as Chelsea moaned softly, holding her stomach. She wrapped her unmarred arm around the doll's body, pulling the warm girl against her chest. "I'm so sorry for dragging you down here, Chels. I mean, if I didn't want my grandpa back so much..."
"Oh, that's fine." Chelsea smiled, tightening her grip on her stomach. "I want my brother back as badly as you want your grandpa back."
Kris nodded and smiled, purely sitting there and holding the girl close. She let her eyes drift down as she heard Chelsea cough gently. "Oh, Chels, look. You're getting sick. You want to wear my jacket?"
"Alright..." Chelsea didn't bother to fight. Judging about what she knew Kris was like already, she'd probably lose anyway. Kris slipped her red jacket off, to reveal a green tee shirt with little bells around the hem at her waist. She slipped the jacket around Chelsea's shoulders, not bothering to put her arms through the sleeves. It was more of a priority to keep her warm as a whole. The Claus girl looked up at a high-pitched giggle.
"Well, isn't this an adorable scene?" came the voice. A young woman in her late twenties was standing on the ridge of one of the swinging saws, grinning down. Her icy blue eyes looked over the pair, glittering with excitement at the worry and fear that washed over the woman in Christmas colours. The woman on the saw was frost pale, like snow, with wiry black hair. She was tall and lean, with her figure smoothed over by a long, purple dress. She was in black high heeled boots and had a witch hat sitting on her head. In her left hand she held tightly to her wand. "It makes me sick. Wouldn't you agree, big sister?"
"Most definitely." laughed and older, much more womanly voice. Guarding the nearest exit was another woman, snowy pale and barely reached her forties. Her wiry hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and now had a silvery sheen. Other than that, she didn't look anywhere past her mid-thirties. Her icy cobalt eyes glanced over the pair as she adjusted her glasses with her left hand. Her own wand was clutched in her right. Her body was lined with curves she was proud of, enclosed in a long, violet skirt that hid her own boots, and a grey-purple tee shirt. "What should we do about that, Shock?"
"Wouldn't have a clue, Anarchy. What do you have in mind?" Shock giggled back to her older sister. Anarchy's lips curved into a smile and she stepped forward.
"I say..." she grinned, before whispering something softly under her breath. Kris stood up protectively as the witch began to wave her wand.
"Get away from us!" she snarled, stepping forward and clenching her good hand into a fist. Her other hand had stopped blistering, and the reddened, yellowed flesh was beginning to deflate from the swollen burns she had had. Anarchy laughed cruelly as she thrust her wand towards the wall. The tip began to charge with purple energies.
"Well, since you obviously like the lava so much..." Anarchy snickered, eyeing the girl's hand, "Why don't you get closer to it?"
With that, the woman thrust her wand to the edge the pair had just climbed up. Kris squealed in fright as she was thrown over the side, grabbing it with both hands. Chelsea stared with wide, glassy eyes, rather unaware of what was going on. Anarchy laughed, folding her arms across her chest. Shock leapt off the saw ridge and landed neatly next to her sister. Anarchy smiled and nodded. "Love to stay and chat with you all, but I have to go and make sure my little Ellie Mae is alright. Goodbye... I sincerely hope that you both survive it to the end." the witch mocked, grinning. Although, Chelsea could see that there really was a degree of truth in her eyes - although, whether Anarchy truly wanted to see them survive or whether it was something different, the doll couldn't be sure. Shock nodded, grinning at her older sister.
"Of course, Anne. Don't worry, sis, I'll take it from here. I'm all grown up now, remember?" she cackled, grinning. Anarchy nodded and grinned, bidding her sister farewell and exiting the scene with a few obviously magic words and a flash of sparks. As Shock watched her sister leave, Chelsea gasped as she realised that Kris was screaming in pain and for help. The doll began to slowly crawl over, feeling her right leg suddenly feeling very heavy, as if it had fallen asleep and she didn't really have control over it. She gasped as she felt her thigh and hip joint - her stitchings had come undone! She groaned softly as she continued, Shock watching in interest. She managed to reach her friend, grabbing her good hand.
"Kris, are you alright? I'm going to try and pull you up!" Chelsea panted down, beginning to tug on Kris' hand. Kris nodded, beginning to scrape the toes of her shoes against the rock face as she tried to scramble up the wall. But it was proving difficult, as Kris was a fully-grown human, and Chelsea was merely a teenage ragdoll. The younger femme looked over to Shock, tears beginning to glint in her eyes.
"What...?" Shock whispered softly, staring her straight back. There was hurt and betrayal written all over the young doll's face. Shock could see the tears of pain in the doll's eyes. Not of physical pain, but of the pain that she felt when Shock had plainly stood there as Anarchy literally threw the doll's best friend over the edge of the cliff-like ledge.
"How could you...?" she heard the doll whisper, as she began to lean back and pulling her full weight against Kris' as she forced herself to pull the woman up. "I trusted you..."
Shock looked away, tears forming in her own eyes. The words echoed in her head, no matter how hard she tried to push them away. She shook her head firmly and glared back, narrowing her hardening eyes. She didn't care whether she had betrayed Chelsea or not - she couldn't! Chelsea was a Skellington, and she was loyal to Mister Oogie. Loyal to Mister Oogie and no one else. Shock snickered and turned on her heel, looking coldly back over her shoulder.
"Have fun pulling that wretch of a girl up, Chelsea Skellington." she snickered, before beginning to walk to the exit of this part of the maze, smirking. "Oh, and be careful about whether you drop her or follow her down... the lava's hot, you know. Just the way little dolls like you love it."
Chelsea stared in horror and pain as Shock finally disappeared into the darkness of the doorway, and her mind returned to helping Kris up. She didn't know how, but her friend managed to pull herself up as Chelsea's vision began to fade. She closed her eyes as she fell on her back, more of her stitches loosening.
"Don't worry..." she heard Kris whisper as she began to black out. "You and me are both safe, now..."
---
Sk: Again, I am SO sorry about the wait! Okay, for those readers that are still loyal (hopefully I have some. XDD) I wouldn't mind drawing you a picture from this story or any of my others, or even writing a little one shot that contains a character from this (or anyone in NBC in general. XD) to show how TRULY sorry I am! XDD So, just tell me in your review what you would like the piccie or the one-shot to be about, and I'll see what I can do. n___n
Shock: ... You're a moron, you know that?
Lock: ... I feel left out.
