Author's Note: Hello, all viewers. This is the story that was originally on the profile L's-Blue-Rose. Due to circumstances, I am no longer using that profile, and will be placing the story on this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Nightmare Before Christmas characters, settings, plots, or ideas. All other characters/plots/settings/ideas belong to their rightful creators/owners.

Chapter 1 – A Hellish Encounter

A grasshopper bounded through the grass. A little girl followed it, trying to catch it. She was about six years of age, with red hair the color of fire and emerald green eyes, bounded after the little insect gleefully. Her small white wings fluttered on her back, still too small to help her fly yet, and not for another few years with proper training. She was an angel. An angel born into a gruesome life.

"Tori, come back please," her mother called. Tori's head perked up, and bounded back to her mother, giggling. "Don't stray too far sweetie. It's too dangerous." Tori only smiled back at her mother, bright eyes shining with love and adoration. Finding it difficult to scold her daughter, Elline smiled.

It was indeed too dangerous for a child to stray far from a HellHunter, especially if they weren't in the safety of their own realm. Her mother had been called out on a mission to find a demon that had evaded eradication for the longest time now, and would have involved her leaving her child behind. As a last minute decision, she chose to bring her offspring with her on the mission.

While her mother was lost in her thoughts, Tori had occupied herself with another grasshopper. She giggled as she chased it, not realizing she was straying too far from her mother. She wandered further and further, eventually falling far past her mother's line of sight.

When she made a final dive for the bug, it jumped away briskly. The grasshopper had disappeared, and only now did Tori bother to look around. There was no longer grass, nor could she see the sky. Shattered trees and a charcoal grey sky outline the horizon. The air held a dark aura and held the most foul of smells that she had ever encountered in her short life so far. She had walked into a Hell territory.

Tori gulped, and tried to quietly find her way out of the dark area. She heard a crunching noise, of a bone being snapped, and turned to see a Deamon feasting upon something. It must have caught scent of her, and turned her way. Its gleaming red eyes stared at her hungrily. She finally saw what it had been eating. What was once a child, now a decaying corpse of matted flesh and dried blood. It had to have been no more than ten years old. If it was four years older, far more experienced than she, then it would have no trouble catching her.

The Deamon stood on its haunches, ready to attack. She turned and bolted, running as fast as her little legs could carry her. The sound of a piercing shriek filled the air as it began to make chase, making her little heart race like a wild rabbit within her chest. She could feel the Deamon coming closer, smell it's rancid breath. "MAMA! MAMA!" she cried, tears flowing from her eyes in terror. Something slick wrapped itself around her leg, and tripped her. The child hit the ground hard, dust flying up and covering her wet face. She immediately covered her head and curled up into a ball, awaiting death to fall upon her.

The sound of striking metal, and the Deamon's scream filled the air. Her mother stood defiantly over her daughter, protecting her from danger. The creature wriggled on the ground for a while, and slowly stilled. The smell of its blood permeated the air. Elline immediately knew what that meant. More of these hellish creatures would soon be here, brought by the sound of a possible food source. If they were caught here also, the same fate would befall them as the child before.

"Come on, up," she said, trying to pull her daughter up from off the ground. The woman began to quickly usher her child away, the little girl clinging to her mother's hand.

Tori let out a bloodcurdling scream. Another Deamon had found them, larger in size and strength. There was no doubt that this one was a lot stronger that the pawn that Elline fought earlier. She could see the way it sized her up, then her child, red eyes fully knowing and understand what it was up against.

It leaped for the child. Ellie kicked it hard enough to shove it away from her child, in the nick of time, but suffered horribly when it counterattacked. It latched onto her leg, sinking the teeth deep into the bone, ready and attempting to break it in half. She knew this type. They had teeth like porcupine needles, and were meant to dig deep into meant and bone and tear them apart.

One quick swing of her weapon, and the Creature was forced off her leg. It shook its head numbly, trying to shake off the grogginess. She could see the blood and flesh dripping from its jaws, licking its chops greedily.

Ellie pushed her daughter up, and tried to run, feeling the pain in her leg stretching across her limb. A heavy weight knocked her off her feet, and she slammed into the ground onto her stomach. The Deamon had gone airborn, and landed on her back. Its teeth sunk into her spine, and poison swept her body.

"Tori, run!" she screamed, both in fear and pain. Tori only stood there, eyes wide with fright. "GO TORI! NOW!"

The child ran. She could hear her mother's screams filled the air, and Tori wanted so much to run back to her. It wasn't long before she had cleared the Hellish woods, but didn't bother to stop. She kept running until she came to a circle of trees, each with a door on them. In her confusion and fear, she threw open one of the doors and jumped inside, hoping that it would take her to safety.

Instead, she was met with darkness. Everything was quiet and calm, so much more peaceful than what she had just endured. She felt herself land softly on the ground, not completely sure if she had actually dropped from a height. She kept on walking through the darkness, being careful not to make any noises. The only source of light ahead was a scarecrow hanging on a pole, candlelight gleaming from its pumpkin head. The child felt as though it was staring at her, and evaded it warily.

The glow of a moon began to light the way ahead, and she continued on. When she was able to see the area around her properly, Tori looked around, and all she could see were pumpkins. There was a nearby town in the distance, but it looked as scary as the Hellish forest. She didn't dare go near it.

Instead, she chose to walk around the pumpkin patch until she found a small place that was out of sight. She could hide there until her mother came for her. It looked safe enough, and she curled up and fell asleep, exhausted from worry and fright. The little child could remember her mother screaming, fresh tears staining her already darkened face. She was in such a deep sleep she didn't even notice as someone picked her up and carried her to their home.

Please review. I apologize for the lack of Halloween Town stuff yet, but that will all change next chapter.