This story came to me and I just had to write it. :)

This story is for all my friends here on Fanfiction. :)

The Nightmare Before Christmas belongs to Disney. Mythology belongs to its respective owners. Jocu belongs to guestsurprise. I only own Rachel and Sasha.

Tickle Monster Meets The Pumpkin King

Rachel and Sasha were in their kitchen, humming happily as they made pumpkin pie, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice cookies, and sweet apple cider. "I can't wait for Jack to come over," Sasha said happily.

"Me too," Rachel said, smiling as she set aside a large plate with some pie, pumpkin seeds, and cookies and then setting aside a jug of the cider. "There. All set for Jack to take home with him."

"And we have plenty more in case we have any other visitors," her younger sister said.

As the girls were working, Jocu was in his realm, but he was deep in thought. He and his brothers had almost gotten ambushed by a few Nitians, but thankfully, their father had come and the Nitians had run, but one told Jocu something that worried him.

The Nitian had said to them that they were friends with girls who loved nightmares. The brothers had instantly bristled and declared that untrue, but the Nitian had said it was true. Why, the girls even let a nightmare enter their house and be around them and their children.

Though not inclined to believe his enemy, Jocu was worried. "What if he was speaking the truth?" He asked.

But in all the time he had known Rachel and Sasha, if they were having nightmares, he and his family were right there to help them. And he certainly hadn't sensed any nightmares lately with them nor had he sensed any fear from them either.

But the nagging question kept rolling around in his mind before he decided that the only way to put his mind at ease was to ask the girls if it was true, though he certainly hoped it wasn't true.

Taking a deep breath, he teleported himself to Rachel and Sasha's house, the rich aromas of pie, pumpkin seeds, cookies, and sweet cider hitting him and guiding him to the kitchen where the girls were.

Sasha spotted him first. "Jocu!" She said happily. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Rachel turned with a happy gasp. "Jocu!" She exclaimed, a smile on her face as the sisters hugged him.

Feeling their joy, he returned the hugs before looking solemn. "Girls, I need you both to be honest with me," he said, looking more serious that they had known him to ever be. "Can you do that?"

"Of course, Jocu," Sasha said.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked. "Did something happen?"

He nodded. "My brothers and I were almost ambushed by a few Nitians, but thankfully, Father was nearby and scared them off, but one told me something that has been bugging me and has me gravely worried," he said.

"What did the Nitian say?" Sasha asked, some dread in her voice.

Jocu took a deep breath. "He said you girls love nightmares and even allow a nightmare to come into your home and be around you and your children."

"What?" Rachel asked, her face a look of disbelief. "That's absurd!"

"I agree," her sister said. "We don't love nightmares. You've helped us and the children more than once when nightmares have found us."

"True," Jocu said, nodding. "And I haven't sensed any fear or nightmares from you girls lately."

Rachel suddenly realized something. "Wait, they said we allow a nightmare to be around us and our children?" She asked. "They're making it sound like it's a person."

"She's right," Sasha said. "But...there's no one we know that's a nightmare. Perhaps the Nitians were just playing a very mean joke. They do like to do that."

She turned to Jocu. "Did they by chance say what this nightmare looked like or who it was?" She asked.

The red Lauhinian shook his head. "No, they didn't," he replied.

The girls fell into thought, but just then, a bony hand rested on Rachel's shoulder and she jumped slightly, but turned to find a familiar skeleton behind her, but instead of his usual smile, he looked forlorn. "I'm afraid...they mean me," he said sadly.

"What?!" Rachel asked in horror. "Jack, that can't be!"

"You're not a nightmare, you're our friend," Sasha said, seeing the skeleton behind her sister.

Jack sighed. "It's alright, girls," he said, looking even sadder.

Rachel decided that she wasn't going to put up with that and gently grabbed upper arms. "No!" She said firmly, almost shouting it, making all three around her jump in surprise at that as she never raised her voice like that. Seeing she surprised them, she took a deep breath. "No, it's not okay, Jack," she said, her voice firm. "You are the Pumpkin King, yes. But you're also one of our dearest friends. And I hate it when people who don't know you say bad things about you."

"I second that," Sasha said firmly. "You're a good skeleton, Jack. You've proven that many times."

Jocu watched this exchange curiously, something Rachel noticed and smiled. "Jocu, this is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King from Halloween Town," she said before turning to Jack. "Jack, this is Jocu, a Lauhinian."

The skeleton perked up at hearing that. "A Lauhinian?" He asked. "Tickle monsters. I didn't know you girls were aquainted with them."

The girls giggled. "More than aquaintances, Jack," Sasha said, smiling. "Jocu and his family are part of our family too, just like you."

Jocu came forward. "So you are the famous Pumpkin King," he said with a smile.

"You've heard of me?" Jack asked in surprise.

Jocu chuckled. "One year, around this time, we had some Nitians come running to the Tickle Castle, begging for sanctuary as they claimed something terrified them," he said.

The skeleton looked surprised before chuckling. "Ah, so I was right. Even a nightmare can be frightened," he said. "Those monsters were terrifying a couple young children and I didn't care for that and gave those monsters a fright."

Rachel and Sasha laughed in amusement. "Served them right," Rachel said.

"I would have loved to have seen their reactions," Sasha giggled.

Jack chuckled before looking at Jocu. "And some of Halloween Town's inhabitants are a bit terrified of you and your clan, Jocu," he said. "A few of the monsters came back one year looking upset they had spooked some children into sobbing harshly and said they met a creature who was quite upset at them and tickled them in punishment."

That made the Lauhinian curious. "It wasn't me," he said. "It might have been an ancestor of mine, perhaps."

Jack chuckled. "They've been very careful ever since," he said.

Everyone chuckled at that before Rachel recalled something. "You know, Jocu, if it hadn't been for Jack, I wouldn't be alive today," she said. "He saved me from a fire a long time ago."

"And he helped me to not be afraid of him," Sasha said, hugging Jack, who smiled and returned her hug.

Jocu smiled. "Then I do sincerely apologize to all three of you," he said. "I should have known better than to even let a Nitian plant doubts in my mind. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Of course, Jocu," Rachel said instantly.

"You bet," Sasha said immediately.

Jack held out a hand and Jocu shook his hand. "I forgive you as well," the skeleton said graciously. "But to be honest, if someone told me that, I would have been worried too and come to check on the girls."

"Oh, Jack," Rachel said with a chuckle before handing him some pumpkin pie with whipped topping and handed some to Jocu too. "Dig in, guys."

The two did so and Sasha giggled. "Remember when Jack first tried pumpkin pie?" She asked.

Her older sister laughed in amusement. "I'll never forget that," she said with a grin.

Jack groaned goodnaturedly. "You two are never going to let me live that down, are you?" He asked, his smile showing that he was playing along.

The sisters grinned. "Nope!" They said together.

"Besides," Sasha said, grinning and moving closer to the skeleton. "It was how we convinced you to try the pumpkin pie that made it memorable."

The skeleton gulped and set down his plate on the table before backing away, holding up his hands as if to try and stop Sasha, but she just came closer, giggling, making him more nervous.

"Now, Sasha, wait a moment," he said, his eyes huge before he turned and began running with her hot on his heels.

Rachel burst into laughter. "That won't deter her, Jack!" She called out to him. "And it won't deter me, either!"

With that, she ran to catch up with her sister. Jocu grew curious and followed to see what the girls were giggling about.

Jack moved fast with Sasha behind him, but he skidded to a stop as Rachel cut him off by jumping out at him. "Gotcha!" She said, lunging to catch him. He moved back just in the nick of time, but slipped slightly, which gave the sisters the advantage they needed and they playfully, yet gently, tackled him to the floor.

"Oof!" He exclaimed before squirming to get away. "Girls, wait! Wait a moment!" He pleaded.

Rachel giggled. "We haven't even started yet, silly," she said.

Jocu, having seen everything, sat down nearby, curious as to what the three were doing, though he had a good idea he knew what would happen.

Grinning, Sasha tickled Jack's knees and the skeleton shrieked loudly before laughing, laughing harder as Rachel tickled his ribs.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed. "GIRLS! EEEEK! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

Rachel giggled. "Tickle, tickle, Jack!" She said teasingly.

"We've got you, you silly skeleton!" Sasha cooed teasingly.

Jocu chuckled as Jack squirmed desperately, laughing as the girls tickled him before at last, they let him up and he gratefully took a rest before sitting up fast and catching both girls in his arms, making them squeak in surprise before they felt thin, bony fingers tickle their sides and they burst into laughter, making Jocu perk up at that.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rachel laughed. "JAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHACK!"

"HEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Sasha giggled, squirming but was unable to escape her friend's playful hug.

Jack grinned before letting out a shout of surprise when Jocu pounced on him. "When it comes to tickles, I'm the master around here," the Lauhinian said as he began tickling all three of them.

Jack squealed as loud as the girls did before they all fell into laughter before Sasha reached up to hug Jocu, her fingers wiggling onto his ears.

Surprised, Jocu laughed, which caught Rachel's and Jack's attentions. "Get him!" Rachel said playfully, going for Jocu's sides.

"Jack, get his ears!" Sasha said playfully as she helped Rachel tickle Jocu's sides and stomach.

Grinning, Jack tickled Jocu's ears and the Lauhinian laughed heartily before catching all three in his arms again and tickling them back, making them laugh before he let them up, seeing they were tiring a bit.

"Well, that's a first for me," Jack said. "Tickling a tickle monster."

He let out a surprised squeak when Jocu playfully poked him in the ribs. "And it was a first for me to tickle the Pumpkin King," he said.

Rachel and Sasha giggled before snuggling close to their friends. "We are so lucky to have you two as not only our friends, but part of our family as well," Sasha said.

"Very lucky," Rachel agreed.

"I believe the same goes for us too," Jack said warmly.

Jocu nodded in agreement, smiling warmly.

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GoldGuardian2418