Bite
A/N: As usual, I own nothing, though I wish I did.
-C-
Coraline Jones stepped out into the harsh winter air, the sky the pitchest of blacks. The porch was covered in a fine layer of frost, and the remnants of dead leaves fluttered sadly in the faint breeze, shackled under a layer of ice and snow. As a particularly strong gust whistled by the faded pink building, she shuddered. Coraline's arms were bare, and had already gained a legion of goosebumps, as her hair shifted slightly under the breeze.
Clad only in light blue pajama bottoms and a sweat shirt, she stepped out onto the ice, and embraced the chill. Tendril's of cold slithered down her shirt, and she shivered once more, before opening her arms to embrace the feeling. Her breath puffed in front of her as she tilted her head toward the dim gray sky and sighed. Coraline had never been much of a winter person, or even fall; the adventurous girl had always preferred the warm colors and winds of spring and summer, when the sky lit up in blues and oranges and purples, and the grass and the trees played their songs in harmony. Then everything changed. Coraline still liked spring and summer; but she had gained a new found appreciation of the colder seasons.
The Other Mother could do many things; she could make the sky darken and the rain pour; she could spin lies like sugar on gossamer threads into tantalizing dreams and things you've never seen, but there was one thing she couldn't do. Coraline reveled in the harshness that winter could provide, because it was sharp, and cold, and real. The Other Mother could do many things, but cold wasn't one of them. She might have been able to imprison her parents in the snow globe, but there wasn't a place in the Otherworld that had the slightest touch of chill.
Coraline turned and walked back toward the palace. As she hopped up the steps, she turned one last time and breathed in deeply. The scent of cold and snow hung lightly in the air, and Coraline smiled; the Other Mother may have had claws, but winter had bite. With another sigh, Coraline turned once more and entered the house, the door closing softly behind her. As Coraline Jones crawled back into her bed, she smiled once more, and peaceful dreams overcame her.
Elsewhere, down a very deep well; a black key was waiting. The touch of winter had reached even into the darkness, and in fact seemed almost to target it, as if nature would not abide the abomination. The ice had stolen quickly over the black, metallic object, and had creeped into every hole, crack, and scratch it could find. As another chilling breeze sneaked through the holes in the lid, the key shook. Ice filled the black veins, pushing against it from the inside out. Then with a quiet, almost mournful sigh, it broke; and with it died whatever remnant of the Beldam remained. The little door in the Pink Palace shone for a brief second with a green light, and the faintest echo of a scream could be discerned for a moment before the house fell silent again.
Outside the iron gates, a black cat prowled, bright blue eyes widening, torn ear flicking, and tail curling into something resembling a question mark. With something that could only be described as a smirk, the cat padded away into the darkness and faded from view. A peace not felt for over one hundred and fifty years stole over the residents of the Pink Palace, and in a small home not far away Mrs. Lucretia 'Lucy' Lovat smiled in her sleep.
All was well.
-C-
A/N: Alright, this was originally supposed to just be about Coraline enjoying winter, and how it assured that she was no longer in the Otherworld, and then the key and everything after just sort of . . . happened. Regardless, I'm rather happy with how this one came out, and I hope you guy's liked it, as always, please review.