This is my first crossover fanfiction with 9 and Coraline. I've seen a lot fanart with these two, but..not a lot of fanfics. So I decided to write one. I hope you all like it. My friend, darkgirl11, came up with the title. I hope I did okay. Well, enjoy the story.
Coraline Jones wandered outside, observing the garden area. Pushing open the iron gates she entered the picturesque garden filled with red tulips that shined underneath the sun. She ran a hand through her blue-dyed hair, taking a moment to take in the scenery, and finally she took a seat on one of the benches.
It had been a year.
A year since Coraline moved in. A year since her journey through the little door behind the wallpaper. A year since she fought the wicked beldam and saved the tragic ghost children. A year since it all passed.
The whole journey was a dangerous and disastrous task. It was a game to see if Coraline would stay in the Other World or leave with her parents. Coraline would not accept sewing buttons into her eyes, so she challenged the beldam to a game: finding the ghosts' eyes and her parents. She found them all, with help from her friend, a black cat. The cat had the ability to talk in the Other World. Coraline would see him around the garden every now and then, probably keeping an eye on her. She had been grateful to him.
Coraline also learned a valuable lesson in the Other World. More than one lesson, actually. She learned to never take things for granted. She learned to be happy with what she has. And she learned to try something new. To take charge of that, Coraline started helping out around the house without being asked. Four months ago, she asked Mr. Bobinsky if he could teach her Russian. She was bashful when she asked, but he taught her enough to be at a rudimentary level.
Even Miss Spink and Miss Forcible were good company now, even if they were dingbats, as Mrs. Jones puts it.
Wybie had been a good friend to her. When they first met, Coraline had been cold towards him. She would get annoyed with him, and his incessant chatter. But now, after all that's happened, Wybie was now one of her closest friends.
Coraline looked up at the red tulips. In an instant, she remembered the surreal garden in the Other World. It was all too beautiful and magnificent. The whole garden had been a portrait of her. She could still remember the pumpkins floating on top of the pond and the giant bleeding hearts flowers. But her most favorite was the praying mantis mower/helicopter. The Other Father took her on ride to catch a birds-eye view of the garden portrait of her. She could still see it fresh in her head. Now it was just a reminder of her selfish thoughts and desires.
But Coraline didn't dwell on the past. She was hopeful for the future. She had so much to look forward to. The weather was nice. The school year was about to come to an end. And she would have the whole summer to have fun and spend it with Wybie and her friends from Michigan. They were going to come spend the summer with her. Things were looking all right for her.
Coraline was about to stand up and leave when something in the tulips grabbed her attention. The tulips swayed, as though they were being moved. By what? There was no wind today that could blow them. It looked as though something was running through the tulips. Coraline followed it. She followed it around the circle for a while. She had to get a look at whatever was running in there.
She stood still for a minute...she saw something in the tulips. It looked small. Maybe a mouse. Instinctively, Coraline picked up a branch, ready to scare it. She leaned closer. She saw that it was not a rat, but...something else. It walked on two legs—and it looked like a...ragdoll. No! This couldn't be! Coraline would not go through this again! She pushed the tulips down, screaming and raising the branch up high. But when she screamed there was another scream. Coraline was confused, there was no one else outside but her...and the doll. When she looked down at the doll she saw that it was looking straight at her. It looked...scared. Of her.
"Please, don't!" it yelled at her, the doll had a male voice. "Don't...hurt me!" He talked. The doll talked. He...talked. She couldn't believe it. She was face to face with a small doll that talked and was scared of her. Coraline was feeling bad.
The doll clutched his staff that had a lightbulb on top. He really looked scared. Coraline reached out her hand, the doll looked at it. He looked like he was teetering on whether or not he should get on her hand. He looked at Coraline, she looked down at him with a caring smile.
"It's okay." she said. "I'm not going to hurt you." With that reassuring gesture, the doll, clutching his staff, gingerly stepped onto Coraline's hand. Coraline lifted her hand up, startling the doll. Now she took a good look at him. He had a zipper on the front of his body. He was made of burlap. She looked at his hands and feet, his hands looked like they were made of wood and copper. His feet looked like they were made of copper. She smiled after her inspection.
9 had a startled look on his face. He began to calm down after Coraline gently smiled at him. He knew that she wasn't a danger to him, and that he had no reason to be afraid.