Chapter 1: Chapter One
Chapter Text
Chapter One
T’was A long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place you perhaps have seen in your dreams. The story you are about to be told began with the holiday worlds of old, Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from and where Papas go when the last song is sung.
A cool breeze sent dried leaves skittering along the cobblestones of Halloweentown as Jack Skellington strolled by the familiar scene. Green goo bubbled up cheerfully from the fountain at the town center, black cats skulked around corners, and the many storefronts he passed offered up all manner of potions and poisons. He fought the urge to stop and admire a venus flytrap that grew in a hanging basket outside of his favorite cafe. He was on a mission.
The Mayor had woken him up that morning with an urgent knocking at his door, reeling with anxiety and talking so quickly it took Sally making him a cup of tea to even determine what he was trying to say.
“I said....” The mayor wheezed, delicate tea cup rattling on its saucer in his shaking hands ,” There is a new building in town. I didn’t give them a permit! And I’m an elected official Jack! They have to go through me! There is protocol.”
“Well that’s great!” Jack replied, and the Mayors face turned around quickly to frown at him. “Or not.”
The Mayor took the refill Sally offered from the teapot that sat on the spindly kitchen table. She offered a hopeful smile, though her eyes slid to her husband with a concerned look.
“Who built it? Have you met them? What’s it like?” Jack asked with unconcealed eagerness.
“I have no idea! That’s why I came straight here Jack! I’m not cut out for this! I’m only the Mayor. You’re the Pumpkin King. It should be you!” The Mayor all but exploded, spilling tea over his white shirt.
The Spider that hung at his collar jumped out of the way and shot him a dirty look before returning to it’s usual spot with a miniscule huff.
“Well of course! I’ll go right there!” Jack said and shot up from his seat. He twirled his tailed coat over his skeletal arms and pulled Sally in for a good bye kiss.
“Be careful, Jack.” She warned but accepted the peck on her cheek.
“I’m always careful!” He chortled as he trotted out the door.
Sally looked at the Mayor dubiously.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay.” The mayor assured her, taking another sip from his tea cup. “They’re in Halloweentown after all! They are bound to fit in.”
Sally was unconvinced and looked out the window as the gate shut behind Jack.
“What if they fit in a little too well?” She wondered aloud.
Chapter 2: Chapter Two
Summary:
We now are introduced to Papa Emeritus's perspective, and witness the meeting of two goth icons
Chapter Text
Chapter Two
A bell rang.
Terzo rolled over.
Again the bell tolled out.
He sighed and opened his mismatched eyes, furrowing his brow in annoyance.
Once more, it clanged.
He swung his legs over the side of his four poster bed and shuffled his feet into the brocade slippers that sat by the bedside. His black hair was rumpled, although, as he caught sight of himself in the mirror by his bed, it didn’t look bad. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though as another clang echoed through the corridors of the ministry building. Terzo peered around the corner, his silk pajamas billowing out around him.
“Where the hell is everyone?” He grumbled to himself.
He turned another corner, padding down the foyer, still annoyed that not a single ghoul had answered the door.
He swung open the heavy wooden door. It creaked ominously, as if on cue.
Terzo jumped.
A spindly legged skeleton in a pin striped suit leaned forward, and grinned at him. “Hello! I’m Jack your new neighbor!” He reached out his long fingers in greeting. Terzo took a step back, head titled upwards to gaze at the gangly bones before him.
Undeterred, Jack loomed forward and stepped inside, perfectly stepping into the spot Terzo had just vaccated by his lame attempt at retreat.
“Wow! Nice place you have here!” The skeleton said, looking up at the ornate stained glass windows that adorned the Ministry’s Cathedral walls. One of them depicted the Devil surrounded by fire and skulls.
“Now that,” Jack said, “Is what this town is all about!”
Terzo regarded him with curiosity and annoyance. He hadn’t even had his coffee yet.
The skeleton scarcely seemed to notice and with a single stride stood before another set of stained glass. Terzo sidled up beside him, and puffed out his chest with pride, this particular pane was his favorite.
“Now that is just something!” Jack exclaimed as Terzo lifted a corner of his lip in a smug smile. “Now that is the sort of person who you’d think lives in a place like this.”
Terzo’s smile fell instantly. “That is me!” He insisted, gesturing to the window.
“No, you see that guys got a hat.” The skeleton motioned to Terzo’s bare head, “And he’s got his face all black and white. And his clothes are much nicer than yours.” He said innocently.
“I am in my Pajamas.” Terzo replied tersely. “But I assure you I am in charge of this congregation.” He gestured to the empty building around him, “Wherever they may be at the moment. In the overworld they called me Papa Emeritus the Third, but now, I am here. In Halloweentown so it would seem.”
“Yes, and here they call me Jack, The Pumpkin King.” Jack announced now unsure as he looked between the figure before him and his regal countenance in the stained glass. He did hold himself like a dignitary. His Pajamas were silk and had a little monogrammed roman numeral III on the front pocket.
“A King you say?” mused Terzo as he stroked his chin, “I haven’t dealt with one of those in a while. Well we will, as you say, meet again. Perhaps you would like to join me and the ghouls for dinner tonight?”
“I think Sally and I would love that. Will your missus be there as well? Or are you like... the other guy with the hat in the overworld, with no ladies?”
Terzo immediately understood and recoiled, “No I assure you I am nothing like that. My date will of course be there, perhaps I will have many dates.” He boasted.
Jack noted he was standing on his toes to make himself seem taller. “Well I’d better let Sally now. Pumpkin Queen Sally know about our plans. See you this evening.” He gave a wave, swerved to narrowly avoid a low hanging chandelier, and then was out the door.
Terzo sighed in relief the instant the heavy door was locked.
Chapter 3: Chapter Three
Chapter Text
Chapter Three
“Shit. Shit. Shit” Terzo swore as he paced his room. He had changed from his black silken pajamas into a well fitted suit. His hands, now clad in pristine white gloves were clasped behind his back. He occasionally combed his fingers through his black swept back hair.
“You have got yourself in quite the pickle here, Papa.” he muttered to himself as he applied a base of white face paint over his bold features. “You are forcefully taken off stage, murdered, and then poof! you end up here. Now you may say to yourself...” He began to apply a layer of black paint around his eye, “ You are the head of a Satanic Order, what did you expect. I tell you!” He addressed his reflection once more, “You expect that when they show you the books you would notice a mortgage payment going to a place called Halloweentown, you think, hmmm that would stick out to me.”
Satisfied with the skeletal paint that now covered his face, the black around his eyes making his ice blue eye stand out eerily, Terzo turned from the ornately carved mirror on his dressing table.
A grandfather clock in the corner of his room struck the hour. He sighed and looked to the floor.
“Satan preserve us.” He prayed silently and looked downward with a pleading glance.
There was a rap on the door.
“You called, Sir?” a ghoul called from the other side.
“Yes, Come in.” Papa beckoned.
The door swung open to reveal a Ghoul clad all in black, with a pewter horned mask obscuring any face that might have been underneath.
“So we’re having guests for dinner?”
“Yes.” Papa confirmed. “Not to eat, like to have over ...socially.”
The ghoul tilted its head like a confused animal but remained silent.
“Sorry.” Papa added.
The ghoul’s shoulders dropped, crestfallen.
“How many?” The ghoul asked.
“Two. Well, three. That’s the other part I needed your help with. I told them I would have a date.” Papa continued matter of factly.
The ghoul may have reacted, but with its mask remained utterly unreadable. Papa looked closely and swore he saw a glimmer of a smile in the corner of the ghouls eyes.
“It’s not funny.” He insisted.
“Course not.” The ghoul reassured him weakly.
Papa furrowed his brow at him, unconvinced. “So, I need you and the other ghouls to get me one.”
“You want us, to go and get you a date?” The ghoul asked.
“Yes, just go and find someone and say okie dokie, you are going to be Papa’s date tonight.” Terzo explained.
“I don’t think will work.” The ghoul informed him carefully.
“Well, what am I supposed to do, go out and do it myself? Woo a girl?” Papa asked incredulously.
The ghoul blinked at him.
“Is it because you think you can’t-“
“And not because I think I can’t!”
Chapter 4: Chapter Four
Summary:
Jack returns home with exciting news and discovers some news waiting for him
Chapter Text
Chapter Four
Jack ran home in a flurry, excited to tell Sally all about their new plans for the evening, and what he’d learned about their new neighbor. He was certain the Mayor was imagining worst case scenarios that sent his head spinning this entire time and Jack was happy to be able to put them at ease with the good news.
He jaunted through Halloweentown with a spring in his step. The occasional ghastly neighbor called out to him and he gave a wave back with a grin. Nothing could ruin his perfect day, he felt as though he could burst into song at any moment.
He turned down the lane and watched his turreted home loom on the horizon. He shut the squeaky gate behind him and Zero bounded up to greet him with a cheerful yap. He caught Sally peer at him through the kitchen window, twitching the spiderweb laced curtains as she did so.
He felt a pang of warmth for her concern, and couldn’t wait to push her fears aside. He bounded up the front stairs two at a time with his long legs and swung open the door, Zero following at his heels.
“I’m home!” He announced.
“We’re in here!” Sally called from the kitchen. He had expected her to run into his arms upon his return but when he got to the kitchen he saw the Mayor was still sitting at the table, his face turned to one of worry, and at the other side Dr. Finkelstien.
Jack glowered, his mood instantly turned.
“And why are you here?” He asked the doctor who sat in his chair at the table a cup of tea left undrunk before him.
“There’s been a development.” Dr. Finklstein said with steepled fingers.
The Mayor looked to Jack expectantly.
The skeletons already considerable height seemed to grow to fill the entire room. He put his arm protectively around Sally, which she turned into, sinking into the familiar safety of her husband.
“The radar in my lab has detected something unusual.” Dr. Finkelstein said, “So naturally I double checked the sensors, but there was nothing that could have interfered.”
“Well what did it show?” Jack pressed.
“If you’d let me finish...” The doctor continued, “ I then thought to myself, why don’t I check my observatory telescope to get a better look.”
Sally rolled her eyes at his long winded explanation. Jack caught it out of the corner of his eyes and gave her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder.
“Well, what did you see?” The Mayor nearly burst out of his seat with excitement, and proceeded to chew on his fingernails.
“I saw what I thought was a meteorite at first, nothing so out of the ordinary, it is the season for it after all, but..” Dr. Finklestein explained.
“But it wasn’t.” Sally chirped, her patience growing thin, “So what was it?”
“It appears to be an Angel.” Dr. Finkelstein said solemnly.
All three gathered around the Doctor eyes grew wide. Sally’s hands went to her heart in sympathy.
“How are they even flying that fast?” The mayor asked.
“She isn’t. She’s falling.” Dr. Finkelstien explained, “And if my calculations are correct the specimen will be making a collision here in Halloweentown in five...four...” He looked at the clock on the wall and began to countdown.
The Mayor, Sally, and Jack all ran to the window while Zero yapped behind them. A brilliant bright light appeared overhead, the dishes in the cupboards rattled. Jack lifted his hands to shield his face from the growing light and he startled as the loud roar of the approaching projectile grew to a sonic boom.
From their vantage point they couldn’t see where impact had been made, and now in the quiet they looked at one another, unsure of what to do.
Sally turned back to the kitchen and started to right some of the fallen utensils.
“Oh Sally!” Jack interrupted her, “ No need to worry about the kitchen we’re going to have dinner at our new friends place.”
“Friends?” The Mayor asked.