Chapter 14:

Bram slid down the slick surface yet again as he attempted to hoist himself over the rainbow. Arthur was flipping a gold piece in his hand, bored over seeing Bram try for...he'd lost count. Bram jumped, scrambling up from a solid second before he fell back to earth, the air knocked from his lungs. He clutched his chest as he laid on his back, Arthur just staring at him.

"Finished now, chap?"

"Oh, shut your trap," Bram groaned. "This is getting me nowhere!"

Arthur hopped onto Bram's chest. "Ye're doin' it wrong."

Bram sat up, letting the leprechaun slide down his stomach. He hopped onto his knees, propping himself up on his tiny cane. "Ye know how rainbows are made, rawny?"

"Reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in moisture in the atmosphere?" He had no idea what he'd just said, but it sounded scientific enough. Arthur laughed, wiping away a fake tear.

"O'course not, lad! Rainbows are the sky's way of saying 'hello, there. I'm a happy man.' Ye know what I'm sayin', boy-o?" Bram stared at him blankly. Arthur groaned. "Ye can only go up a rainbow if ye're feelin' true happiness. And, at the time, ye're doing greeeeeaaaat."

"You know, you are not helping here. I'm very bummed out, and it's not like you could do any better, given how cranky you are."

To his surprise, Bram heard Arthur sigh.

"That be true, lad. The truth is, and 'tis a sad tale, me wife is lost. Went to fetch milk and never returned."

Bram blinked, biting his lip uncomfortably. Not sure what to do exactly, he reached out to pat the leprechaun's shoulder with his finger. Arthur sniffled.

"But, I've been waitin' for her. Today may be the day!" He stared off in a far off direction for a moment before tearing up. Bram followed his gaze and only found a small, thin tree.

"Fiona?" Arthur trembled. "Is that you? Ye came back from the store!" He ran to the tree and proceeded to hug it vehemently, kissing it repeatedly. Bram could only stare at the scene, unable to look away, and just taking in how completely pathetic it really was. The man was hugging a tree, for Jack's sake!

He cleared his throat. "Um, Arthur?"

Arthur opened his eyes in realization and cleared his own throat, releasing the poor tree. He ran up to the rainbow, leaning against it.

"Well, then. Give it a go, lad."

Bram blinked, trudging up to the rainbow. He pressed his back up against the colorful surface, noting how hard and solid it was. He glanced at Arthur, who was smiling and looking oddly at peace. Bram closed his eyes, trying to remember something that made him happy. His dad on Halloween? No, he ran away from that. His mom? No, the look on her face if she found him... The pipe organ? No, he'd never be able to play it again. He sighed, frustrated.

Think, Bram! Think! What would Holly do?

Holly. Holly Claws. The girl who really made an effort to understand him. The first person willing to reach out and accept that he was different. She was smart, and sweet, and beautiful. He hoped she was okay, knowing it was another Holiday she was trapped in.

"Rawny?"

Bram opened his eyes to find himself flying over the stream of colors, the clouds swimming below him over the green pastures. He smiled widely. He felt like, well, flying. He'd finally find his way back to Holly.

I wish Holly could see this, he thought. She'd say something gorgeous like...

"I don't have time for this ribbon-wrapping!"

Holly was growing more anxious by the second, trying to get some information out of her former friend, but Carysa's emotional state was deteriorating. One minute angry, the next sad, the next just plain indifferent. Now, she was simply stuffing her face with chocolate hearts. Holly had tried everything to convince Carysa to give her a map, or a compass, or a guide to the door something!

"Carysa, get a hold of yourself." She set her hands on her friend's shoulders, squeezing them gently. "You could always find the door before. How is this any different?"

Carysa knitted her eyebrows, confused. "Holly, I was always able to find the way back. But, it's not as simply as with Halloween or Christmas."

"Oh, it's the confusing door-finding system," Holly moaned.

"Will you let me finish?" Carysa snapped. "Because the humans see Halloween and Christmas as the 'main holidays' - whoever came up with that is a sick joke - if you live there, you can just hop, skip, and run right to the doors. The others are a bit more complicated. They all tie to the certain emotional connection to be able to return to the Doors. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. So?" Holly probed.

Carysa sighed. "To find the way back to the Doors from here, you have to feel love for someone. A deep love. That's how I always found my way." She glanced up at Holly, guilt in her eyes. Holly knew how Carysa felt about her, and she really like her. But, Carysa was not close enough to really be a deep love. That Valentine's Day, she never meant to hurt her, but she had to tell her that she was being too forward. She hadn't meant to run away from her, or make her run through the rosebush maze, or push her under a bucket of molten chocolate. She was afraid and didn't know how to apologize.

"I know you can find it, Holly."

Holly's eyebrows shot up. "C-Carysa. You know that I - "

"I know. I know you don't see me like that. But, he's very special to you, isn't he?"

Holly took a partial step back. "What are you talking about?"

"It's easy to see the signs if you know what you're looking for. The flushed cheeks, the dreamy eyes, the ditzy attitude with a hint of anxiety. You should know this by now that I can tell when someone is in love."

Holly blushed profusely, taken aback that Carysa would assume such a thing. Yes, Bram was talented, and funny, and had a somewhat dark sense of humor, but how could she be in love with him? Her father would rip out his stuffing if he found out!

"Please don't tell anyone!" she cried.

Carysa blinked, surprised. "Why not?" Her face twisted into a suspicious glare. "Why not, Holly?"

"He's...He's from Halloween Town." Carysa's jaw dropped. "Jack Skellington's son."

Carysa inhaled deeply and put her hands on Holly's shoulders seriously. "Holly, what I am about to say, I will be saying out of love...You have to ditch him."

Holly shoved her away from her. "How is that out of love?! He's not like the others. He's...different." Holly retreated to her thoughts for a moment. Carysa had had certain...feelings towards Holly herself. Could this...?

She shot her a look. "And how can I be sure this isn't out of jealousy?"

"Holly-Bell..."

"Don't. Call me that."

"I'll always be your friend, but I'm saying this because I don't want you getting hurt. You don't know how those Halloween ones are."

"No, I don't," Holly admitted. "And that almost caused me to lose him. Please, Cary-Wings. I'm asking you as a friend."

Carysa crossed her arms, holding her breath. Holly gazed to her, her eyes wide and soulful. She tried looking away, cringing. "Oh...Aw, with the face, and the eyes...FINE! I'll help you find your stupid prince."

Holly threw her arms around the chocolate seller, though pulling away quickly so as not to make the situation awkward. She took Carysa by the wrist, pulling her downstairs. A line of customers were already in line. Carysa stopped for a second, panicking slightly at the clamored people. She ran to the back and dragged with her a tiny little delivery boy, hoisting him onto the counter.

"Little Tino, the store is in your hands now." She kissed his forehead before Holly took her once again and dragged her out of the store. Tino looked back at the crowd.

"Oh, how I have waited for this day!" he breathed, pulling a bow and arrow from his pocket.