Welcome to Chapter 41, and I hope everyone had a safe Thanksgiving!

Firebird89: I'm glad you liked the scares and Dad Jack! They'll hug soon enough, I promise!

Noro: Chapter 40 has been BROKEN! And yes I apologize for the sadness but am grateful for the radness.

GoldGuardian2418: The answers to the Requim Bell will be revealed...and I'm glad you remembered Sally's vision! This is a hard way to learn you've got premonition powers but...here we are. (And no worries about Firephoenix, we're friends and it was said with love!)

Haley: I'm growing accustomed to the pitchforks, but I'm glad the chapter had such a reaction in you! (And slightly apologetic, of course.) They WILL hug and #ShutUpandBeFriends WILL be back!

Firephoenix: SORRY FOR STARTING YOUR DAY OUT ROUGH BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE.

Guest: Hopefully it was a good dream and not a nightmare! Regardless, I'm flattered that your subconscious decided to set your dream in this story, and thanks for reading!


February 17th

?

?

There was nothing.

The world was dark, any semblance of sound muffled. The soul struggled into consciousness, each thought threatening to send them spiraling back into the depths of slumber. The soul tried to reach out, but there were no more physical cues- no arms or fingers to feel the world, no head for thoughts to reside, no eyes to see, no way to tell which way was upwards, no reminder of life in the chest.

The darkness seemed to press in, a pressure surrounding the soul, and the first moment of awareness sparked to life with a not like this.

The soul minimized and expanded, stretching from its original microscopic state to a larger blob.

This isn't what I feel like, the soul mused. An image or memory swam before the soul, and they instinctively latched onto it, pushing four limbs out of the center mass. A soft glow of red light illuminated a skeletal hand, and the soul grew a pair of eyes to stare at the hand critically. It was far too large and far too empty...theirs had a covering, hadn't it? Something squishy yet firm, hinting at the form underneath.

Fragile, strong human flesh, a man's voice laughed in the darkness. The soul latched onto it- theirs? No, no, it was familiar but not their own, it sounded like…

Jack.

The name created a rush of feeling for the soul, burning from the inside out. Memories began to click into place, a whole sandbag of history poured into the minuscule mind, and more importantly, an identity.

You're Ivy Kunze, the voice of utmost impatience said, and the soul remembered.

Ivy's now flesh-covered hands hit the floor and she gasped, then tried again when no breath entered her lungs. Her now-solidified hands frantically checked over her body and fingers flew to the pulse point in her neck, feeling for the first time what she'd long feared- the absence of a heartbeat.

Many, many, thoughts flew through her mind, but the first to leave her mouth and echo around the shadowy world was:

"He actually killed me? Are you serious?"

"As the Grave."

"AH!"

After a brief pause to figure out how to make her new form turn around, Ivy spun around and nearly collapsed at the sight before her.

A tall, imposing woman, reed like frame gracefully draped in grey robes stood before her, seeming to suck any light from the room towards her form. An instinct as old as life itself had Ivy scuttling backwards, away from the achingly ancient eyes framed by wisps of steely silver hair. Razor-thin lips tilted upwards at Ivy's movement, and the head tilted to the side, examining her like a particularly interesting specimen.

Words died in Ivy's mouth, and she automatically curled tighter around herself.

"It won't do you much good," the thing in female form remarked, tone heavy and hypnotic as a metronome, each word as final as a coffin slam. "You're already dead, as you've noticed."

"You're the Grim Reaper, aren't you?" Ivy whispered, unable to take her eyes off the face that seemed to shift every moment, thousands of taken souls playing out over the features.

"One," the Reaper answered, dipping her head until the thin strands fell across hollow cheekbones.

"Where's the scythe?" Ivy snarked.

The Reaper raised an eyebrow, then held out her palm. White fire erupted from between her fingers and for a moment Ivy's entire consciousness seized at the familiarity to Ciaran. The light grew and solidified, until a gleaming staff and blade appeared, so sharp the very air seemed to sever.

Ivy's grin dropped.

"I am the Angel of Death. You may call me Chakis, Ivy Kunze."

Knee-jerk response taken, Ivy floundered. "Uh- sure, um. Hi?" She shook her head, trying to dislodge the part of her that wanted to run screaming, shadowy realm be damned. Speaking of damned-

"So, this is, like, it?" She asked, the phantom sensation of Ciaran's energy inside her chest making her skin crawl. "He just turns the lights off in me and I'm dead?"

"You're certainly dead," Chakis agreed, "but nothing is final. I haven't rung your Requiem Bell as you're- well, this version of you is a bit ahead of schedule."

"A bit?" Ivy shrieked, trying in vain to get to her feet and holding in a swear when she fell to her knees once more. "When am I supposed to die? And what's wrong with me?"

"They always ask so many questions," Chakis murmured, casting her eyes towards the sky (Ivy giving a shudder of relief). "But very well. Your body is still in action, but your spirit is separated from it- which is why you're having difficulty moving."

Chakis moved for the first time, legs invisible beneath the robes, a single wave of the scythe rendering the dead human motionless. She stopped a few paces before Ivy, her height almost rivaling Jack's as she stared down at her. Ivy no longer had the ability to sweat, but she seemed to have clammy palms all the same.

"What's happening with my body?" She dared to ask.

Chakis opened her other palm and an image danced in the darkness above: Ivy, her eyes and aura glowing green as rocks flew around, soot streaked across her face. Chakis closed her hand over Ivy's shout, causing the image to vanish.

"Ciaran Doherty is destroying Halloween," the Reaper said, far too calmly for Ivy's tastes.

"What?" Another aborted attempt to stand caused her body to jolt, along with a strange pressure at the back of her head. "He stole my body? Are you serious?" Anger replaced her trepidation, and she gripped her hair (which felt more like the suggestion of strands than actuality). "Is -" her body seized. "Is Jack ok? Did I - did he hurt him?"

The Reaper smiled again. "Not permanently."

Ivy moaned and hunched over her knees. A hand, chillingly colder than Jack's ever was, a lifeless suggestion of comfort, settled at the top of her head. Ivy froze, the chill seeping down her back and turning her feet to lead.

"He will burn out of your body before long, especially as you don't want him there." Chakis tilted her head, brows narrowing. "You don't want him in your body, correct?"

Ivy sputtered. "N- not particularly?"

"Hmm." The hand left her head and Ivy dared to raise her gaze, wondering how robes could emulate such power and bite. "Then all you have to do is wait. He'll be forced out, and your body can be properly laid to rest. Now, if you come this way, I'll guide you to your after -"

"Wait!" Ivy managed to push herself to her knees, keeping one careful eye on the scythe casually clasped in Chakis' hand. "What about Halloween, my friends? Don't I end up there, anyway?"

"And why would you believe that?"

"Because -" Ivy stalled, then gestured to herself. "I mean, I've been there for ages now! It's my brush with the supernatural and - and everything! Why wouldn't I go?"

"Because you aren't being forced," Chakis responded simply. "If everyone who encountered the supernatural went to Halloween, well...Heaven and Hell alike would have far more space."

"Heaven and Hell are real?"

"Certain variations of them are. But no matter. Your afterlife is based upon who you are," Chakis continued smoothly. "Do you feel as though your personality is best aligned with Halloween? You are somewhat of an outsider there."

It was said so smoothly, without a trace of antagonism, that for once Ivy didn't take the opportunity to get upset. She looked down at her hands (a definite translucence to them), and felt nausea rise at the thought that the same hands might be hurting Jack.

"I can deliver you to your final place of rest," Chakis offered. "If you don't wish to go with me, then Earth will be your wandering ground- but I warn you, this offer will not come twice."

Ivy held up her hands. "What about helping my friends? Jack, Sally, the rest of the Town? Why can't I go help them? Don't I get a say in this?"

"Of course you do," Chakis said with practiced ease. "Tell me. Before you knew of Halloween, what did you think would happen when you die?"

Ivy blinked. "Uh...that I'd just, like, stop existing. No soul or anything like that, just - gone." Self-preservation made her add, "I, um, didn't picture an actual Reaper. No offense."

"None taken; humans rarely do." Chakis seemed to examine her own reflection in the blade of her scythe, one long nail tapping the steel. "If you had died without seeing Halloween, then that would have been your afterlife. I would have Reaped your soul and destroyed it, so that you might die in the way you wish. If a Christian believes they will go to Heaven or Hell, then it is my duty to deliver them. I transfer Hindu souls through their samsara, and Buddhists to their next life cycle. There is always a choice in death."

Ivy could feel her mind begin to race. "So- so if I truly believed that I belong in Halloween, then could you take me there? And I'd - I could be a Citizen and everything? I could - I could see Jack again?"

Chakis switched her gaze from the blade to Ivy's own eyes, immediately diminishing some of the girl's bravado. "I could. But what of your family? They do not believe in Halloween, and committing yourself to Halloween would mean risking an eternity without them."

The nausea pushed its way up to her throat, and Ivy gave into the urge to lean forward once more, her forehead brushing the edges of Chakis' robes. The ultimatum weighed heavily on her mind, the faces of her parents and brother coming to mind clearer than they had been in months. A pain traveled through her form, starting at where her heart used to be, then she frowned as her palms began to shake. "Uh-"

"You still have a connection to your ghost," Chakis explained. "Initially he had trapped you inside of him, but I pulled your soul free."

Ivy opened her mouth to protest, but even as she spoke new memories began to drop into place. She saw her own hand blast Jack backwards, a scream trapped inside her throat, feeling her own body move even as she desperately fought against each motion, the barrage between her and Ciaran, hearing the ghost mimic her voice and beg, "Jack, please", the very words she longed to stay but couldn't-

A shudder racked her body as the memories began to fade once more. "I don't- why didn't I remember?"

"Not being in control is one of your nightmares," Chakis said, voice never breaking its monotoned perfection. "And as this is perhaps the most literal interpretation of that fear, I elected to remove them when I cut you free."

If she still had blood, Ivy was sure her face would have paled. "You used that thing on me?" She pointed an accusatory finger at the scythe, and the Reaper simply smiled in a quietly assuming manner that Ivy instantly hated.

"You had to be separated somehow," the Reaper said simply. "And if your spirit is not yet strong enough to face him from the inside."

"So - so you're saying I can save him?" Ivy said in a rush. "I can help Halloween and Ciaran?"

"Why would you want to? He killed you and stole the soul of Quincey Morris. He is currently destroying the place you and countless others have called home. He has wounded Jack."

"Yeah, and don't get me wrong, I'll kick his ass for all of that." Ivy rubbed her hands over her face, trying in vain to ignore the phantom sensations of pebbles hitting her skin. "But- but this isn't like him, or... at least the Ciaran I thought I knew." She closed her eyes, hearing Ciaran's rants and felt for the first time the burn of his anger in her chest. "Jack said that going through the Gateway drove Ciaran mad, but I think…. I think he's lonely. And hurt. Jack's my friend...and Ciaran is too."

"You have nothing to gain from helping Halloween," Chakis warned, an odd note to her voice. "You risk a second grave, being cursed to wander for eternity, or confinement to Halloween Town. It would be better for you to follow me."

Chakis waved a hand, and the air behind her shimmered like pavement in the summer. A soft, welcoming glow emulated from it, and Ivy felt herself being pulled towards it. But she closed her eyes and grit her teeth, forcing her mind to display Jack - smiling, frowning, and that gut-wrenching look of heartbreak when she (Ciaran?) had attacked him.

"Can I help Halloween and Ciaran by going back?" She asked the Reaper.

Chakis sank a hand into her robes, pulling an hourglass from their depths. It was old enough that the wood was cracked, grooves and fingerprints clear on the light brown furnish. A maker made of scrap metal read Ciaran Doherty in exaggerated handwriting, the swirls and loops nearly taking up the entire space. The bottom was filled with black sand, the top slowly trickling obsidian grains into the depths below, though no matter how long Ivy looked, she couldn't tell how much was left.

Chakis, however, seemed to. "His time of suffering is drawing to a close, one way or another." A note of genuine sorrow appeared in her voice for the first time. "It was not his time to be reaped when he died...but perhaps you could change that."

Ivy's palms began to twitch. "Me? So, I can help?"

"Indeed," Chakis affirmed, tracing one nail over the hourglass. "Halloween, Jack, Ciaran - there are paths where it all resolves. It might with you, and without you. Halloween might be destroyed and all you've grown to care about demolished. You have already lost your life, there is little benefit for you." Chakis watched sadly as another black shard fell, then returned her gaze to Ivy. "It is unlike you to act without personal gain."

A puzzle piece fell into place and Ivy stared at the Reaper in accusation. "You're trying to get me to ditch them! Are you lying to me, trying to trick me?"

There was no true temperature in this shadowed, in-between world, but Ivy felt the icy glare from Chakis' eyes all the same, as old and destructive as a black hole decorated with silver. "I have never, nor ever will, lie to you," she said, her tone harder than ever before. "Truth is what gives humanity the most paths forward, what releases you from the binds of your own deception. I give you this as a choice; you simply have made far different ones in the past."

"Yeah, well," Ivy sputtered. Bezata lay on the forefront of her mind, but for some reason, the mental image of her first connecting with those perfect teeth was feeling less and less satisfying. In fact, it was making her kind of sick. She'd heard Bezata's body crack and break before, and the memory of the dark glee she'd felt nearly overwhelmed her. "Ok, so maybe I didn't -" she paused, the part of her that had built itself from the lie screaming against the small, Jack-installed voice that wasn't so small anymore. "I - It wasn't great, sure, but she deserved it, you know? She had to have, otherwise-"

"You believed that at a point," Chakis agreed, not pulling her punches. "But now? It is merely another lie you have convinced yourself of."

"I have not! She deserved it and I didn't, I didn't do anything wrong, it's her it's her it has to be-"

Chakis cut her hand in the air and Ivy fell silent, the force of her own words leaving her shaking. "You and your ghost suffer from the same ailment," she whispered, an exaggerated sigh on her lips. "And the truth will free you both, if you could see it."

"But - I'm not lying! Ok, sure I hurt her, I admit that, I sabotaged her that day and lied about it then, but now I'm telling the truth!"

"Then what are those?" Chakis gestured with the scythe towards Ivy's legs. Looking down, Ivy let loose a shout at the strands of ivy winding around her limbs, securing her to the ground. As though realizing she was aware of them, the vines tightened, containing her thrashes and holding her fast.

"What's going on?" Ivy shouted. "Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong!"

At her words, another ivy strand sprouted and wrapped itself around her wrist, yanking it down. She glanced up at Chakis, who returned her gaze impassively. "Uh, a little help?"

"You'll have to help yourself here, little one," Chakis said. Her eyes flickered to the hourglass once more, and they both watched as another grain fell.

"What do I have to do?" Ivy asked. "Isn't this wasting time? I have to go help Jack!"

"The sooner you are honest with yourself, the sooner you can." Chakis tilted her scythe until Ivy could meet her own eyes- pupils blown so wide that only the faintest traces of iris could be seen. "You cannot cure your ghost until you face the same ailment."

Ivy forced herself to relax, tearing her eyes away from the force of her own gaze. She closed her eyes and tried not to focus on the strands that were beginning to slowly creep up her body. What was there left to fix? She'd done something wrong, sure, but what else could she possibly be lying about?

Alright. What were the facts? She'd tampered with Bezata's board, but she didn't want her to get hurt-

A strand tightened and Ivy grit her teeth.

...ok, so she'd wanted Bezata to get hurt a bit. A fall was inevitable, but she'd expected a funny bone or a concussion, not the break that had occurred. She hadn't wanted Bezata to be as hurt as she was.

The stand loosened and Ivy tried to contain her shout of excitement, despite the sinking feeling in her stomach at the quiet admittance.

But Bezata had deserved it, hadn't she? (Ivy bit her lip as the vines tightened once more, to the point where she knew indentations would remain were she still human.) She'd deserved to get hurt because she'd taken Ivy's place in the program and Dodgers' affections, and if Ivy hadn't done something she would have lost everything, and -

Ivy chanced a peek between her lashes to find that her form was nearly overwhelmed in ivy strands, one curling threateningly around her throat.

"It is easy to assign blame to others, particularly when there are feelings involved," Chakis droned, though Ivy couldn't see the Reaper through the leaves in her vision. "It is far harder to turn that gaze to ourselves, and harder still to admit it."

"It's too hard," she gasped, and the strand around her throat paused, then resumed its path at her utterance of, "I can't do it!"

Chakis remained silent, and Ivy realized that the Reaper had yet to blink. She tried to fight the uneasiness and claustrophobia that welled inside her, but she couldn't do this, this was stupid, she just had to go and find Jack-

Jack, her mind whispered, then latched onto it like a lifeline. Forget the creepy Death Angel. What would Jack say?

Ivy thought back to every fireside conversation, the words he whispered to her when he thought she was asleep, the comforting sensation of his hands in her hair or clasped against her face. Jack wouldn't blame her, but-

"You're better than this, love," Jack's voice echoed in her ear, clear as a bell. Ivy felt her eyes and soul burn, trying to twist away from the shame that Jack's voice generated. "You've grown since then, alright? It was a mistake to do something you knew would hurt another."

"But-"

"Think about it. Did she really deserve it?"

Ivy obeyed, thinking about the girl she'd declared her rival. She pushed past the initial wave of anger and - and fear, that's what it was. Fear, fear that Bezata would replace her in Dodgers' and now Jack's hearts, that she'd lose the people and place that she loved.

"I've got fears too," Bezata's voice sounded in Ivy's other ear.

And - yes. Bezata, who Ivy had watched be paraded around by the witch in designer clothing, her face set in smugness - no, not smugness. As a kid, sure, but before the fateful accident Bezata had seemed…more tired. Ivy carefully examined the memory of Bezata's face, her mother's perfectly manicured hand resting threateningly on her shoulder, and saw that while Bezata's lips were turned up, her eyes were as lifeless as Jack's failed garden experiment.

The Abendroth family rumors of cheating and lost wealth, Bezata's deal that she could only skate if she won, the constant attempts at forming friendships within the park. But most of all, the way that her scream of pain had shook Ivy from her self-congratulatory mood for the briefest of moments, the wild look in her eyes. She'd stopped Bezata from competing, but she'd gotten herself kicked from the park. It hadn't even worked.

"Who are you more upset with, Ivy?" Jack asked. "Her, or yourself?"

"Me," she whispered in shock, the cocktail of failure and shame making her head spin. "I- I was so scared and I thought it was my last chance. But- but she didn't…" the words were blocked in her mouth, held back by years of denial, but she thought of Jack's face, perfectly sculpted with concern and pride, and pushed through. "She didn't deserve it. I- I was so angry at myself for not being the best anymore, and she was…"

"An easy target," Jack agreed. "I've made similar mistakes, love." A hand was in her hair, the strokes at a perfect pressure that made Ivy want to throw herself into Jack's arms. "And there are many, many steps after this, but admitting to yourself that you were wrong is the most vital. You don't deserve to keep lying to yourself, you have a right to move forward."

"I was wrong," Ivy whispered, and the admittance flowed easier than she ever could have imagined. "I shouldn't have done it, it was wrong and I hurt her oh my god I wasn't even sorry-"

"Well done, love," Jack whispered, then hand left her hair. "Come home now, alright?"

Ivy's eyes flew open and she spun around, reaching for the phantom Jack, but there was nothing but mist to meet her empty hands.

"Well done," Chakis echoed, and Ivy turned to see the Reaper, her face shifting ages once more. The hourglass was still at her feet, and the top seemed considerably emptier than before.

"How long was I-"

"There is no time limit or expiration date on self-reflection," Chakis countered simply. "And how do you feel?"

Ivy glanced down, her eyes widening in shock at the graveyard of broken and dead ivy strands littering the space around her body, enough to cover a house. Her head had a strange pressure, but despite the swirl of emotion, her shoulders and soul felt lighter than they had in years. She attempted to let out a shaky breath, then yelped as her body left the ground. She kicked frantically, pin-wheeling her arms as she finally floated to Chakis' eye level. "Is this Ciaran again?"

"No, Spirit," Chakis said, her voice rich with amusement. "This is what happens when one takes the first steps toward betterment."

"You float?"

"You haven't forgotten that you're dead, correct?" Chakis watched Ivy flounder a moment more before giving a gentle reminder. "It's air; you can't swim in it. Just relax."

It was a difficult order, but she did so, letting her arms drop and sneakers hang heavy in the air. In the new position, she felt the air currents passing through her form, gently pushing her around.

"Will this help Ciaran?" She asked. "Will he be okay if he...stops lying?"

Chakis smiled- one mixed with threat and promise. "It makes it far easier to help him without the layers of deceit. His truth will set him free, should he choose to accept. And speaking of choices...what is yours, little spirit? Will you let me take you to your afterlife, or risk everything to help your friends?"

"Is that even a question?" Ivy asked, despite a large portion of her that cowered away at the thought. "If I'm going to fix anything, I have to go back. I can't let me yelling at Jack be the last thing he remembers."

"And the human you injured?"

"...we'll get there," Ivy managed.

Chakis shook her head, but she was still smiling, so Ivy managed to relax even more. "Very well then. Shall we?"

Chakis held up two fingers, skin impossibly smooth yet ancient, to Ivy's forehead, and the world went black.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruins of a Village

Middle of the 16th Century

Twilight

Chakis blinked into existence, time travel as smooth as stepping across a creek. She took a moment to survey the town around her- a few shacks, monsters milling about, the general feel of despair in the air.

Yes, it was good that Jack had become King. The Town was far better as a community of maniacal glee and unity.

Unfortunately for her latest tag-a-long, the stream of creation was more a whirlpool.

Chakis dug her hand into the pocket of space and time and yanked the former human free, allowing her to glitch out on the ground.

"Oh my god!" Ivy shouted, closing her eyes and praying harder than she had in years. "That was the wor- oh my god-" her first flew to her mouth as her body lurched, her entire form flickering in distress. Chakis pressed the flat of her scythe against Ivy's mouth, silencing the tirade that was sure to follow.

"Time sickness," she said by way of explanation. "Your soul knows that this is not where it belongs, that it hasn't been created yet. The pain is necessary, to remind you that this is not your home, to prevent you from being lost." She removed the scythe and Ivy winced.

"I can't throw up," Ivy moaned. "Why can't I just throw up? Ghosts should be able to do that." She tried to spit onto the ground, growling when nothing left her mouth. "When does it stop?"

"You'll get used to it," Chakis said simply. She spun the scythe and offered the handle to Ivy, who gingerly took it and allowed herself to be pulled back into the slight floating position. After another moment of fighting motion sickness with no hope of relief, she opened her eyes to look at the ruins around them more critically. "Where are we? And okay, before you say it, when are we too?"

Chakis began to move forward, dragging Ivy along with the scythe. "What will eventually become the place you know as Halloween Town, though the name is not recognized yet."

"What?" Sickness pushed aside, Ivy glanced around at the crumbling buildings. There was no cobblestone path, just a dirt road littered with holes, the ectoplasm bubbling underneath and popping out the occasional bubble. There were a few monsters, forms hunched and gnarled, but there were mostly shaded forms with hollow eyes, winking in and out of existence. The sky was a dark orange, streaks of black clouds hanging low. Ivy was immensely grateful that her feet weren't dragging on the ground- she almost thought that the very ground would drag her down.

"Why does it look like this?" Ivy whispered to Chakis, the solemn nature of the Town forcing her to lower her voice. "My Halloween isn't made of cheerleaders, but they're not this..."

"Lost? Depressed?" Chakis sighed, brushing her fingers over the edges of a smaller soul that ran by their feet. "This is a place for refugees of the afterlife- who cannot or will not be accepted into other realms."

"And we're gonna find Ciaran's truth here?" Ivy asked, looking as skeptical as a floating spirit could. "Is he hiding out in the Forest? Can I talk some sense into him?"

Chakis only hummed, making no movement to lead her away from the center of Town. To be fair, there didn't appear to be a real distinction between Town and Forest- the fields separating the two had yet to be created, and parts of the dwellings had shadows of the empty branches above cast over them. A few of the monsters would look over at the pair, then quickly avert their gaze.

"Are they doing that because you're Death or because I look like a human?" Ivy murmmered.

Chakis glided over a small patch of grass, which instantly shriveled and died. "Why not both?"

They stopped before a structure that looked more like two large rocks pushed together, an imitation of a cave created underneath. It was pitch black and Ivy's nose wrinkled at the smell that emulated from within. "What's that?"

"The King," Chakis answered, a trace of irony in her voice. "We need one of the Citizens to come with us, but unfortunately, we'll need his approval first."

Opening her palm, Chakis led Ivy into the cave, white flames leading the way. Ivy swallowed and gripped Chakis' robes.

"What have you, Reaper?" A voice growled from within. "That damned skeleton is already dumping Souls on our doorstep, don't let's have this argument again!"

"There is no argument to be had," Chakis said, her voice harder than Ivy had ever heard. The Reaper glowed, sending a wash of white light through the cave and illuminating-

"Ow! Ow! Bully!" the monster roared, hairy palms covering his eyes. "Reaper, you've already taken my life, why must you torment me?"

"Enough of this tantrum, Grendel." Chakis slammed her scythe onto the ground and Grendel huffed, fake tears ceasing as he flopped onto his back.

"You're a terrible flirt, Angel," he said, voice restored to a gravelly norm.

Ivy stared in shock at the King of Monsters, who was….sure, he was ugly: covered in fur, far larger in height and width than any normal man, hands that were curled with age, small dark eyes that were only alight with rage, but other than that...it was a man.

"What is this?" she whispered to Chakis, who brushed her off like a gnat.

"Grendel, Descendant of Cain, act like the King you are and face a negotiation."

Grendel seemed to perk up at that, yet another mood swing entering the mix. "Ooh, you've brought me a snack, dear Angel?" He battered oversized eyelashes and Ivy put herself even more behind Chakis. "After all those presents I gave you before you let me die...I'm flattered!"

"They weren't 'presents'," Chakis retorted flatly, "there were killings you used me a scapegoat for. Do you realize how overworked I was when you were terrorizing Heorot?"

Grendel waved a colossal hand, nails digging into the blood clumps on his fur. "Irrelevent. What is that, then?"

"Your negotiator," Chakis answered.

"What?" Grendel and Ivy shouted. Chakis used the scythe to draw Ivy close, then whispered in her ear.

"Ask for Rosalyn. If Ciaran destroys the Holiday Doors, then the Holidays will be…. hmm. The History of them will be forgotten, re-written. They might even be lost to the Human World forever."

"You're telling me this now?" Ivy hissed, flickering her gaze to Grendel, who looked on in amusement. "What am I supposed to offer him?"

"He'll tell you," Chakis said, and the cold bite of the scythe seemed to cut in that much more. "And it'll be up to you to decide what the holidays are worth." She turned Ivy around and used the bottom of the scythe to push her forwards. Ivy did a few mid-air summersaults before righting herself, looking up at Grendel (leering down at her), before casting a glance over her shoulder to see...nothing.

"Of course," she whispered angrily. Grendel laughed, the sound a mix of breaking glass and bone.

"Get used to that, human," the King howled. "She'll never do what's easiest for everyone else." He settled himself against the back wall, using a human pinky bone to dig between his teeth. "Now, what is it that you want, and why should I give it to you?"

Ivy hit her hands behind her back. "Uh, well, we need to borrow Rosalyn. We'll, uh, give her back...somehow."

"My witch?" Grendel's immense brows furrowed together, somehow causing his eyes to darken further. He snapped his fingers and a small, disheveled woman appeared- her eyes large and skin of soft sepia, her fingers thin but calloused. There were burn marks across her legs, her clothes scorched and the smell of smoke and burnt flesh hung in the air. She stared between the glowing human and her King, a look of apprehension stealing across her scarred features.

"Yes, Highness?" she said, the same lilt to her voice as Ciaran, though her gaze never fully left Ivy.

"The Angel has brough this human from the future who wants to… 'borrow' you," Grendel sniggered, hiding his smirk behind his hand. "What say you?"

Rosalyn blinked slowly, tracing the edges of her apron as she took in Ivy's own disheveled appearance. "What is it about?"

Ivy sucked air through her teeth and clasped her hands together. "Ok, bear with me: Ciaran is kinda going on a rampage, and Chakis thinks that something about you will stop him-"

"Oh, not him again!" Grendel moaned and Rosalyn winced, her shoulders coming up to her half-melted ears. "Rosalyn, you sentimental bitch, that little pet of yours almost killed us!"

"Yeah, well, he's gonna do it again," Ivy snapped. "He's destroying Hallow- this Town as we speak and will probably do worse the more we sit around talking about it!"

"But...I don't understand," Rosalyn said, her voice low. "Ciaran, he...he died after a week with us. We've been searching-"

"You've been searching," Grendel interjected sullenly.

"-we've been searching for his spirit to no avail." She raised her eyes and Ivy forced herself to swallow at the brown irises that were streaked with white, melted residue leaking from the sockets. "Is he still out there?"

"Not the Ciaran you remember," Ivy said as honestly as she could without crying. "He was nice to me at first, but...he's gotten worse than he even was here. I don't know how you can help, but Chakis seems to think you can, and you're the only thing he seems to be uncertain about."

Rosalyn held up her hand and Ivy felt silent. "I have been half a soul since...since I died," Rosalyn said, the weight in her words enough to silence even Grendel. "I accept that as my reality, but I will forever do what I can to help him."

"Awesome!" Ivy said, with a tad too much forced enthusiasm. "So, uh, I'll try to figure out how to get Chakis back here, and we'll head back to-"

"Not so fast!" Grendel held out a paw to keep Rosalyn back, pointing a claw that was as big as Ivy's body at her head. "You think you're going to take my best witch without paying?"

"I'm your only witch," Rosalyn muttered, unheard.

Ivy instinctively dug into her pockets, but there was nothing there - stupid coat hadn't died with her. Oh, she was going to really kill Ciaran if he destroyed it. "What can I offer?" She said.

"You're going to be taking her for a time," Grendel said, his smile touching the edges of his eyes, "so I want that repaid."

Rosalyn sighed, rolling her melted eyes to the ceiling, and Ivy felt a bolt of trepidation streak through her. "Uh...how do I pay that?"

"Simple," Grendel shrugged. "You're taking hers, so give me yours."

"And that means…"

"Time off the end of your life," Rosalyn cut in, clearly fed up with Grendel's dramatics. "Six months to a year should be enough, I'd say. It's what I would ask for."

"But- but I'm already dead," Ivy stammered. "How does that work?"

"We can shave some off before your second grave," Grendel said easily, flicking a nail into her chest and sending her into a backward spiral. "Not as ideal as human life, but that Angel will send me to my second grave if I turn you away, so this will make us all happy. Do we have a Deal?"

Ivy blanched, but...Chakis had said this was one of the only ways, and Halloween was running out of time. And if it was taken off her second life...well, that was supposed to be longer than her original life, right?

"Teenagers lack the ability to make decisions that benefit them long-term; they simply cannot see the big picture," an educational program in the back of Ivy's memory droned. "They make decisions that are only beneficial in the short-term, simply because of the way their brains operate."

Ivy scowled at the memory of the program and shook her head, offering out her hand. "Sure, Deal. How are you gonna take my time?"

Grendel was smiling again. "Rosalyn, terror?"

Rosalyn walked forward, waving a hand to bring Ivy's form close to her own. She gently clasped Ivy's face in her hands, her sockets leaking liquid tears onto her dark cheeks as she gazed at Ivy.

"He has hurt you," she whispered. "I am sorry."

"Hey, you didn't do it," Ivy joked weakly.

"No. But I am sorry anyway. And I am sorry that I must take this from you." With that, she took a deep breath in, and Ivy's energy churned.

It was too much like when Ciaran had taken her energy, drained her until there was nothing left- she tried to press against Ciaran's (Rosalyn's?) grasp, but it was too tight and she couldn't breathe because she'd never take a breath again, and she gasped only to see a streak of brown light escape her lips, floating over to Grendel who breathed it in eagerly, and she was too scared and stuck in the past to even be creeped out by that because her energy was being taken, she was gonna die again and again and again-

Rosalyn let go and Ivy sank to the ground, hands around her chest and throat as she gagged. Rosalyn stood mutely and Grendel laughed, but even his taunts couldn't overtake the ringing in her ears. It felt like an age before the sounds died down, before she could force herself to separate the memory from her reality. She tried to ground herself with physical sensations, but she couldn't feel anything- no dirt, no pinching, no pulse, just Ciaran's hands inside her rib cage. Shaking her head frantically, she glanced up at Rosalyn, forcing herself to focus one of the few senses she had left. It was Rosalyn, not Ciaran. She was in whatever year and had to somehow teleport a witch to the 20th Century to somehow defeat a maniacal ghost who stole her body.

The sentence was enough to snap herself back into the- well, the current present- and she floated off the ground once more, shaking out her limbs.

"Good doing business with you," Grendel said, sweeping into a low bow that had both Ivy and Rosalyn glaring. "Have that Angel return her and we shouldn't have any other problems!"

Ivy flipped Grendel off, scowling. Rosalyn offered her hand, palm up, and Ivy stared at it, confused. "What now? You gonna suck even more out?"

"No," Rosalyn said, without a hint of aggression in her voice. "But I know how it is easiest to transport a Spirit, and I imagine you don't want Ciaran to know you have me."

Ivy shrugged guiltily.

"Then take my hand and don't let go," Rosalyn instructed. "It won't be unpleasant for you, I promise."

"So what if it is?" Grendel shouted. "It's a human, and not even one that can be eaten! Throw her to the firesnakes for all I care!"

Ivy bristled but Rosalyn ignored the beast behind her, sliding her thankfully dry palm across Ivy's own and closing her eyes. The witch began to glow, soft pink and gold swirling around the room, before condensing into a singular ball of light, one long strand still loped around Ivy's fingers. The human stared in wonder at the sheer brightness and power that Rosalyn emulated, and even Grendel seemed impressed. After one long, agonizingly short moment, the ball of light burned brightly one last time and then dove into Ivy's palm, which erupted into a buzzing sensation. It was as though every nerve was filled with TV static, each vein experiencing a jolt after falling asleep. Ivy blinked and the light ball was gone, but her translucent hand now had rivers of gold and pink running through it.

"Cool," she said breathlessly, causing Grendel to snort.

"If you're the best that my future self has to send, then I weep for what I've become," Grendel spat. "We're doomed, aren't we?"

Ivy gave a grin of her own, carefully confining Rosalyn's influence to her palm- she'd learned her lesson from Ciaran. She flexed the fingers and rolled her neck, meeting the first King of Monsters' gaze head on.

"You might be," she said, feeling her own glow strengthen. "But Halloween is going to be around long after you."

Grendel seemed to recognize the threat in her voice, a trace of fear entering his eyes for the first time as he leapt to his feet and gnashed his teeth, but Ivy pushed herself off the cave wall and shot out, leaving the echoed insults of, "filthy human lowlife! Pig! I suppose you think yourself a hero, eh? You heroes! Always the same, always thinking you can exist outside poetry or a Shaper's song!"

There was more but Ivy blocked it out, clenching Rosalyn tight in her palm.

"Chakis?" Ivy asked, spinning around. The Reaper was nowhere to be seen, and she concentrated on keeping her feet only a few inches off the ground. "Uh, hello? I kinda need you to zap me back to…"

She trailed off, her eyes catching sight of a figure coming over the crest of the hill. It was a skeleton, dressed in rags, holding a dark mass in his arms. There weren't nearly as many grooves to his face, his rags were long and old-fashioned, and his aura was defensibly spread, but Ivy would recognize Jack anywhere.

Her form instantly tried to move forward, but without Chakis' lead, she only floundered and flipped in the air. She clawed at the air, frustrated, until she saw the blades of nearby grass rustling.

"Wind!" She called in delight, flapping her hand. "Can you hear me?"

The grass stilled, and then a gentle breeze spun her upright. "I am more surprised that you can hear me," came the raspy voice. "Are we familiar with each other?"

"Not yet, but we will be," Ivy grinned. "Give or take a couple hundred years."

"Fascinating. I take it you have travelled with the Reaper, then?"

Ivy glanced at her palm, where the strange ball of light made her form glow ever so slightly. "Yup. Taking a little field trip before we have to save the world." She looked over to Jack once more, an idea occurring to her. "Hey, mind blasting me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Ivy opened her arms and wriggled onto her stomach, pointing at Jack. "I can't move that great yet, and I don't have time to learn. So if you could send me over to Jack there, that'd be perfect."

"You know Jack?" Ivy didn't miss the hint of alarm in the Wind's voice, but determinedly brushed it off. There was a pause, then: "Who are you, exactly?"

"Million-dollar question, really," Ivy huffed. "But my name is Ivy Kunze. We're friends, in the future."

The Wind swirled around her, applying the slightest of pressure to her palms. "Then I hope it shan't be too long, Miss Ivy." And with that, the Wind sent a gust of Ivy towards the forlorn looking skeleton.

The skeleton in question looked up in shock as Ivy pinwheeled in the sky just above his head, trying to right herself.

"I don't recall bringing this spirit," he said, and Ivy froze for a moment at the Irish accent that sounded nearly identical to Ciaran's. "So who might ye be?"

"Hi Jack!" Ivy waved, the motion sending her into a sideways spiral. Jack's hollow sockets tracked her wearily, gripping the soul in his arms closer. "I know this sounds weird, but I'm from the future, and-"

"Another one?" Jack moaned, rolling his sockets to the sky. "So many lasses know more about me than I do about myself!"

Ivy frowned from her upside-down position. "Wait, what do you mean another one?"

"Are we almost there? I swear you're going to find a way to kill me again with all this walking," Came a huff. The owner of the voice appeared over the hill, and it was only due to Ivy's time in Halloween that she managed to hold in her scream.

It was a girl, or at least what was left of one after a fire. Burns and scorch marks decorated her face, flesh marred and drooping. Blisters covered every inch of visible skin, tugging painfully with each movement and re-opening with every step. But her jaw was set and her eyes hard, and her stance sent a flash of recognition through Ivy. And by the way the girl's eyes instantly went to her sneakers, one brow raised, Ivy thought the girl recognized her too.

"You're not from here either, are you?" The girl asked when no one immediately spoke. Jack looked frantically between the two, his eyes wide, clutching the soul more for his own comfort.

Ivy shook her head, wiggling back into an upright position. "Nope. Time Travel field trip?"

The massacre of the girl's face re-arranged itself to form a smile of confirmation. "Yup."

Jack shifted himself so that he was able to face them both, sockets flickering frantically. "I am familiar with thy presence," he said, gesturing to the bloodied girl, "but thine?" He waved a hand frantically to Ivy, disbelief on his face. "What sins have I committed to have two Spirits of the Future haunt me?"

"I ain't here to haunt you, Jack," Ivy assured, holding out her own hands. "You don't have to worry about me for a long time, I promise. Her? Ok, yeah, focus on that for sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The burned girl retorted, her shoulders drawing up. "How did you get here?"

"Oh, funny story about that-"

The air pressure changed, the girl's face and Jack's along with it- the girl of expectation, Jack of dread. Ivy craned her neck back as far as she could without risking another flip to see Chakis standing there, sans scythe, a look of impassive resignation.

Jack groaned and shifted a look sideways at the other girl, a hint of resigned exasperation on his face. "Ye can't let me have one trip smoothly, Spirit?"

"This isn't my fault!" The girl retorted, throwing up hands oozing with a mixture of blood and pus that had both Jack and Ivy grimacing. "For once, I'd like to go to sleep without a horrifying trip to the past!" She winced in pain as a light breeze came their way, pulled her arms down, keeping them close to her body.

"It is necessary, Light," Chakis chided. "Hello, Jack."

"Ma'am," Jack said wearily, dipping his head. "I don't know what I've done to earn such company, but I do have a task to attend to…" he shuffled the soul awkwardly, showing it to the Reaper.

"Wait, why're you bringing souls to Hallo- to here?" Ivy asked, using Chakis' shoulder to flip herself down and stare at the soul.

Jack stiffened. "Because this is where they need to be. What's thy interest in their fate?"

"Yeah, who are you?" The girl- Light? - asked, casting a distrustful look at Jack but walking closer to the trio.

"Oh, I'm- "

"Another spirit," Chakis interjected. Ivy's stomach sank, glancing down at her hands to see her red glow overtaking her. She swallowed but didn't bother correcting Chakis- as much as she wanted to throw herself into Jack's arms and beg for the skeleton to forgive her in the far, far future… it was probably best that Jack didn't know who she was. "Did you get what you needed?"

Ivy turned to Chakis and opened her palm, furrowing her brows in concentration until the soft pink light gleamed. She closed her fists and blinked up at Chakis for confirmation. The Reaper nodded, then waved a hand towards Jack. "Might I confer with you a moment?"

"Of course," Jack said, shuffling the soul once more and reluctantly following Chakis to the side, leaving the two girls together.

"...unless your parents are weird, I'm gonna guess your name isn't actually Light," Ivy said, going to dig the toe of her shoe into the ground only for the motion to send her into a backflip.

"Heh. Nope." The girl stared as Ivy managed to right herself, her eyes flickering over to where Jack and Chakis were standing. "But I can't say my name in the past- keeps me from spoiling everything with Jack, I guess."

"Oh, weird. I could tell the Wind who I was, but I guess you and Jack aren't supposed to know." She crossed her arms with a sigh, narrowing her gaze at a tuft of hair floating in front of her face.

"I really should try talking to the Wind more…" Light murmured to herself. Did she realize she was speaking aloud? She looked up at Ivy again and the human tried not to give the impression that she'd heard.

"You're human too," Light said, staring at Ivy's form. "Or- died recently?"

"Pretty sure it's been like half an hour," Ivy agreed. "Honestly? If I weren't trying to save everything, I think I'd be in hysterics right now."

Light raised a burned eyebrow at that, and it looked so much like Jack that Ivy's jaw dropped. "Oh my god. Are you-"

"What did you mean, save everything?" Light asked at the same time. "Is Halloween in trouble?"

Ivy winced. "Yeah, it's, uh- kinda in shambles right now, or so I've been told. I died right before and I'm still trying to figure out how much of it is my fault but it's not, like, great, you know?"

Light studied her intently, and Ivy felt thoroughly exposed- she had to be made for Halloween with a gaze like that, one that stared right through the other.

"Am I in your version of Halloween?" Light asked with a critical tone. Her jaw became that much tenser as Ivy saw her thinking through a million thoughts, attempting to lay down a mental timeline.

Ivy shook her head, the new weightlessness of her hair making the strands float more than swish. "If you are, I haven't met you. But hey- maybe I'm there first, doesn't mean anything."

Light closed her eyes, sparing Ivy from the soul-searching gaze for a moment. "But I don't remember you from my Halloween either," she said. "I haven't seen anyone who looks human like you do. So what might that mean?" She opened her eyes again.

It meant that Ivy didn't feel great, for one thing. She thought back to Chakis' repeated insistence on taking her somewhere other than Halloween and tried not to panic, but her glow flickered like a broken lightbulb. Light looked over to Jack again and Ivy followed, watching as the two argued.

"Is he like this in your time?" Ivy asked, not taking her eyes off the pair. "With the dramatics of a disgraced Shakespearian actor?" Jack wasn't shouting, but his hands were clutching the soul and his face was drawn tight in a way that made her heart ache.

Light laughed, close-mouthed and genuine. "You have no idea."

"He pouts when he loses Rock, Paper, Scissors," Ivy said quickly, with a grin of her own.

A blistered hand flew to Light's mouth to cover her next laugh. "He caught me using a ballpoint pen I found. Went into a ten-minute speech about the aesthetics of dip pens."

"Oh my god, that sounds just like him! He won't use anything else in those journals of his! Took me like a week to learn how to use one without getting ink all over the 'antique' furniture."

The girls shared identical grins, the experience of dealing with Jack linking them across space and time. Jack shot them a glance, trepidation in his gaze, which only made them laugh harder. Ivy sent herself into another backflip, but Light reached out and steadied her by the sneaker. "Thanks."

"No problem." Light let go and ran a finger over a blister on the back of her hand, her gaze dropping to the ashen ground. "You're...close with Jack?"

Ivy shifted mid-air, looking over to the skeleton who would one day laugh with her, hold her close, and change the way she thought. A denial was on her lips, to casually brush it off, but...maybe Chakis was right. Maybe being truthful was the only way to move forward.

"I want to be," she replied. "But I've...made mistakes. And I have to fix them if I want him to forgive me."

Light gave a soft snort at that, crossing her arms and then wincing at the motion. "He's the forgiving type," she muttered, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "No matter how little sense it makes."

Ivy took an unnecessary breath and turned back to Light, meeting the burned girl's gaze. "He's also the apologetic kind," she said, taking a risk. "He's told me about the things he regrets, that he wishes he could do differently-"

"You know?" The girl said, shocked. Her easy but calculated tone dropped, and for the first time Ivy saw a hint of the true personality underneath.

Ivy held up her hands. "I found out about his Deal from elsewhere, but he told me most of the story later." Light scoffed, her gaze hardening, but Ivy pressed on. "He's terrified of you, of what your reaction is, and when he told me he kept saying how sorry he was-"

"I know he's sorry!" Light snapped. Her hands clenched and un-clenched, betrayal and frustration swirling in her eyes. "I've heard his apologies, his excuses, too many times! He's sorry, but that doesn't change that I died because of him, that my family is in danger because of him, that I can't even separate myself from the Skellington name in my afterlife because of him!"

Her voice rose to nearly a shout before she regained control, closing her eyes and pressing the back of her hand against her mouth. "Will I ever have an afterlife that is my own? All anyone will ever see me as is related to Jack!"

"For what it's worth," Ivy offered, "you're pretty separate to me. As your own person, that is."

For once, Ivy's words didn't seem to make things worse. The tension seemed to drain from the air and Light's shoulders, and Light herself didn't suddenly look like she wanted to punch something. Her voice was weak when she spoke, a hint of embarrassment at showing her feelings to someone who was a stranger, regardless of the time travel. "I just want to move forward," Light whispered. "I want to make the best of this, but…"

"It's hard," Ivy finished, her own voice low. "Especially when everything seems to send you two steps backward."

Light nodded, her anger diminishing. "Do you ever feel like we're too young to be figuring these things out?" she asked. "I don't know about you, but I thought that turning sixteen would mean that only driving would change my life. I know movies and books have kids fixing everything and saving the day, but…" she trailed off, staring at her hands, giving the digits a squeeze and recoiling at the subsequent pain. "It's too much, sometimes."

"Hey, I'm sixteen too!" Ivy said, flashing Light a weak thumbs up. "But I get what you're saying. I didn't think that dying was going to be a problem for, like, ever, let alone trying to deep everything from destructing. But I'm not handling things perfectly." She glanced down and steeled herself.

"As someone who's...looking to fix a mistake," Ivy managed, "any advice on how I can do it better than Bone Boy over there?"

Light wrinkled her nose at the name but seemed to give it some thought. "Just- remember how it affects the other person," she said slowly. "I understand why Jack made the Deal- really, I do. But what hurt is how he treated me when I got to Halloween. He hid it from me, acted like I didn't exist unless he was forced to. It was like he was...trying to bury the truth. Maybe he was scared. Maybe he wasn't expecting me for another century. Maybe he just...panicked and didn't know how to approach me. Whatever the case...he didn't handle it right. I almost lost...more, because I didn't know what was going on. I felt abandoned, and I don't think he...realized." Light glanced away and frowned at the dirt as if she had also just realized something.

Ivy rubbed her hands over her face but eventually nodded. "'K. Sorry he's an idiot; you definetly didn't deserve that. I told him to get his act together...oh, well. I'll take your advice. It's gonna be a bitch but I'll do it. Once I stop my body from destroying everything, of course."

"Your body?"

"It's a long story. Unless you've got, like, five years to kill, it's better you just go with it."

Light smiled, one that seemed to suggest there was more going on inside the half-melted skull. "You are from Halloween. That's the way of survival there, isn't it?"

"Good to see that hasn't changed."

The girl rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Good luck saving Halloween."

Ivy held out her fist. "Good luck corralling Jack."

The two bumped fists, their glows mingling for a moment, then Light vanished into thin air.

"What did I do?" Ivy shouted, staring at her own hand in horror.

"Nothing, Spirit," Chakis said from directly behind her. Ivy gave a yelp and spun in midair, Chakis watched in amusement. "She saw all that she needed to; it was time for her to wake. And the time has come for us to take our leave, as well." She raised two fingers towards Ivy's forehead, but Ivy forced herself into a spin to avoid them.

"Can I say something to Jack?" She asked, eyes wide and pleading. "I won't, like, break all of space and time, but-"

"We're on our way back now," Chakis assured her. "You look a bit different than you normally do- anything you say, he might not remember as you."

Ivy looked over the Angel of Death's shoulder to where Jack was marching towards the Town, his shoulders hunched and spine trembling with rage. She recognized the posture and guessed he was muttering to himself, but then he turned around and took a final look at the Reaper and Spirit.

Taking a breath, Ivy focused on the buzz of energy that had always existed in her chest. She felt her glow get brighter until she was a gleam of red and brown light, highlighting her arm as she reached up to wave to Jack.

"See you later, Jack!" She called.

Jack blinked in confusion, holding up his own arm for a half-hearted, awkward wave. Chakis gave what might have been a laugh as she pressed her fingers to Ivy's forehead, and the world went black once more.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stadtmitte, Germany

Schloßplatz

7:30am

Crack!

Ciaran's forehead hit cobblestone and he groaned, not bothering to move for a moment as his head throbbed. He spat out stones and dirt before pushing himself to Ivy's elbows, blinking at the cold morning light that filtered into the square around him.

A giant column, topped with an angel, towered above his head, glowing in the cold dawn. Two fountains sat nearby, the soft sound of water falling echoing around the square. Behind the column stood one of the largest buildings he had ever seen- scattered with countless windows, doors, and decorations. He slowly climbed to the feet, a hand flying to cover Ivy's mouth as his spirit bucked against being in a time period where he was long dead.

Leaning over the knees and panting heavily, Ciaran pushed Ivy's growing bangs out of his eyesight and stared in horror at the buildings around him that seemed to stretch upward, made of materials he'd never seen before in his life. He caught sight of himself in one and shouted, stumbling backwards as the reflection did the same. He shook his head frantically, flexing Ivy's fingers in an attempt to ground himself. Where was he?

"Was mascht du?"

Ciaran turned around to see a man, decked out in a bizarre uniform and checkered hat, striding towards him.

"Dia dhuit?" Ciaran called wearily. The man paused, confusion on his face.

"Wie bitte?"

The words scratched at the inside of Ciaran's skull, a sense of insistent recognition building. He blinked and fumbled with the tongue, trying to sort himself out.

"Englisch?" He asked, the words clumsy and unfamiliar. The other man paused, furrowing his brows together.

"What is the matter?" Came the response, the voice heavy and thick. Ciaran stared at his hands, without any sense of how to answer. The door - he needed to find the doors. To destroy them.

The man stepped closer and Ciaran backed away, the authoritative presence of the man overtaking his joy at seeing another human.

"Nichts," he found himself responding, Ivy's voice flowing easily from his lips. "Danke, ciao."

He turned and began to walk away, feeling Ivy's body tense in anticipation of being followed, only for the man to mutter, "Amerikanerin," and stalk off. Ciaran breathed his first real sigh of relief in centuries and continued down the path, marveling at the smoothness of the pavement under his feet. His ease quickly melted away into horrified awe as he rounded the corner.

A giant flat rectangle was suspended above him, images flashing across it, the speed and colors making his eyes hurt. Despite the early hour, other humans were walking around, carrying bags and purses, dressed in thick coats and hats. Ciaran's eyes bulged at the sheer number of women in pants, of lights beckoning from store fronts. He approached a nearby window with caution, watching as Ivy's coat flapped in the wind and her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Numerous outfits were on display behind the glass, human forms of felt and plastic gesturing towards him. He shuddered and stepped away, wincing as he felt the bite of the wind on Ivy's ears and face.

So, he was in Germany, clearly- and likely Ivy's hometown. Why was a question he had no answer to, but given that this was where she had found the doors, it served his purpose well enough.

The back of Ivy's skull exploded with pain as he collided with a tall rectangular post, illuminated from within with the symbols of a green S and blue U at the top. The ground beneath his feet rumbled and Ciaran threw himself to the ground on instinct, memories of demon attacks rooted in his soul. Ivy's nose wrinkled at what had to be cigarettes littering the dirty pavement- though the look had changed much since Ciaran had last indulged in one.

None of the nearby humans seemed to be alarmed by the rumbling, instead casting suspicious looks at the cowering Ciaran, who reluctantly clamored to his feet as the rumbling ceased.

"Aww, hat sie Angst vor dem Zug?" Came a mocking voice, and Ciaran turned to see a group of boys, wrapped in scarves and smugness, smoking at the edge of a storefront. Ivy's brain helpfully translated, but the words remained unfamiliar- what was a train? - but the tone was one that hadn't changed since the beginning of time.

"Verpiss dich," he called back easily, adding a slight glow to his eyes that had the boys' jaws hanging open, cigarette butt dangling from their bottom lips. Ciaran had a moment of triumph before church bells sounded, a welcome sound to the former ghost.

"At least that hasn't changed," he muttered to himself as he stalked away from the boys, following the sound of the tolls and doing his best to look at everything. A growl and harsh yelling sounded behind him, making his hair stand on end. He glanced over his shoulder and yelped, diving out of the way of a - a gruesome bicycle, it had to be, but what was it so large and loud and fast-

"Dummes Kind!" the rider yelled, twisting his wrist and somehow encouraging the - the whatever it was to go faster. Another person bumped him from behind, and Ciaran twisted himself around to try and see where the crowds were coming from. He backed into another shop window, turning to look at the contents and feeling faint at the items on display. There was no blood in Ivy's body left for blushing, but if there were, Ciaran would have been red up to her ears.

How could such things be- be in the public eye? How were some of them even permitted to exist under law? What were half of them?

A shopkeeper, wearing a corset and a face of boredom, flipped the sign from Closed to Open, adding an additional one that cheerfully read Sensual Sales up to 50% off!

The shopkeeper made eye contact with Ciaran and waved him off, and after frantically crossing himself, he gladly took the opening to unfreeze his legs and ran faster than he could ever recall in his life.

He sprinted over to a fruit stand, taking refuge under the wide overhand (though he eyed the metal limbs holding it up with suspicion).

The ground rumbled again and he whimpered, clutching the stall for comfort. The young woman behind the counter stared at him in distaste, though thankfully keeping her comments to herself. They passed a moment in silence, Ciaran attempting to swallow down the panic attack, before a sharp noise rang through the shop, prompting the former ghost to scream.

The woman jumped as well, holding a small, bulky object that continued its own screaming, a demented jingle echoing from it. She stared at him in disbelief before taking the object apart, the jingle stopping at she raised it to her ear. "Hallo?"

"Yes?" Ciaran answered in fear.

The woman threw a glare at him and pointed to the object, then continued speaking. "Ja ja, sorry...da is dieses Mädchen here….nein, she's a bit komisch. Sie hat my Handy angeschrien, also…"

"I apologize for screaming," Ciaran said, and the woman stared at him in utter incredulity. "I protest that I am strange, but I have a question for-"

The woman yanked the object from her ear, pointing to the street. "Geh weck!" She blurted, then added in accented English, "go away, you noisy thing!"

"Of course, madam," Ciaran muttered, none too glad to be leaving the stand of rudeness and racket. It did, however, mean that he faced the challenge of the main strip once more.

Dejected, he sank the hands into Ivy's pockets and marched down the path, watching as (thankfully normal) bikes rode past and women jogged with far too few items of clothing. He shuddered and averted his gaze to the best of his abilities, but then he bumped into pedestrians or some confounded metal pole, covered in papers advertising things such as "drag" and "hookah palaces" and...him.

Or rather, her.

Ivy's face- a shot of her grinning painfully in front of a field- was plastered onto a poster, along with rather alarming words such as 'missing' and 'please call'. After a hasty scan around him, he pulled the poster off the pole and shoved it into Ivy's jacket pocket.

It wasn't just the sights and sounds that made him long for the darkness of his cave for the first time. There were so many smells- something oily and thick, cigarette smoke, and baked goods that made his head swim. He passed a floral shop and nearly gagged at the thick perfume that emulated from the flowers.

Ah, well. At least the sky was still-

A thunderous, echoing sound reverberated through the air as a large object- skinny tube, with two small wings on the sides- flew through the air. It passed above the indifferent shoppers' heads, shadows larger than the waves Ciaran had once feared, and then faded into the distance, taking its roar with it.

Ivy's legs began to tremble.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A wondrous thing about the modern age was despite the too-tall buildings and paved paths full of screeching metal things, racing at speeds Ciaran's horse would have fainted at and yet somehow carrying passengers, there were still plenty of wonderful spots to have a breakdown. Ciaran had found the stoop of a shop that was still closed to hunker down in, Ivy's mind providing only the translation of "boba tea" on the storefront with no elaboration. It didn't help that there was no other German or English on the glass, instead characters he'd only seen once before painted in exuberant mockery.

He tried to settle his breath, thankful that the rumbling was lessened here and fewer humans passed by. He was glad to see them, he was, but… centuries of isolation also meant that being around a crowd was somewhat… unwelcome.

"Can I help you?"

Ciaran jerked the head up to see a- man? Woman? - standing before him, hair shorn close to the skull and an enormous batch of keys dangling from their hip. He stared in alarm at the gleaming spikes sticking from their thick boots and blinked in confusion at the tone, husky and low but frustratingly androgynous.

"Yes, I believe so, ma'- si- my friend," he stumbled, using the sides of the frame to haul the body to its feet. Clasping his hands together and feeling sweat bead at the back of the neck at the height of the other person, he asked, "would you happen to know where I might find the Gateway of Spirits?"

An eyebrow (pink, he noticed with distress) raised high. "Come again?"

Perhaps the numerous earrings affected their hearing. "I am looking for a doorway known to be inhabited by Spirits," he said, as loudly and clearly as he could. "Do you know of any such place?"

The person crossed their arms and visibly scanned Ciaran up and down, taking note of the numerous scuff marks and holes in Ivy's clothing, the blood under her nails, then onto the still-visible black eye decorating Ivy's face.

"Are you drunk?" They asked plainly.

Ciaran threw his hands up. "No, no, I am not. I am simply looking for a place where Spirits gather!" The rush of emotion had him leaning over the knees once more, his head spinning. "I am not under the influence, haven't touched a drop since I took my vows, I swear it. If you be one of the Lord, then I beg you to assist me in dismantling this evil!"

"Well, I sure as hell aren't 'one of the Lord'- Jesus, are you ok?" They asked as Ciaran gasped, pure horror on the face at the other's words.

"Are you one of the monsters?" He asked, hating how Ivy's voice squeaked up an octave. "You have abandoned God's path? Do you not know of the damnation that causes?"

"Christ, you sound like my grandmother," the other snorted. "Look, I'm trying to help you-"

"And I you!" Ciaran lunged forward and seized the person's arms, a new wave of fear going through him at the (very firm) muscles beneath Ivy's fingers. "I have seen this damnation, good- good creature, and it is a fate I wish on no other human!"

The other eyebrow (blue) rose to join the first. "So, you're on God's path and saw- what, Hell?"

Ciaran nodded eagerly. "Or a very close variation, yes!"

"So if you went to Hell, then what difference does being on the path make for me?"

Ciaran opened the mouth, then faltered, letting out a distressed whine.

"Ok, kid," the other said patiently, peeling Ivy's fingers off their arm while snaking one of their own across the back. "Let's find some polizei and get your parents, huh?"

Ciaran shook his head but not the grip on the back. "I cannot! I have my mission to accomplish first, the Doors to destroy- if only I knew where!"

"The only mission you've got is sobering up," came the retort. A powerful smell was on their clothes, one that Ciaran couldn't identify. The strength was that of a man, but the nails were that of a woman- what of the chest? Ciaran quickly perished the thought from his mind: he hadn't fallen that far into damnation to throw the rules of how one ought to treat a lady out the window.

"Friend, I am as sober as the day is young," he tried, pushing at the iron grip to no avail. "I swear I shall trouble you no further if you give the location of the Spirits."

The person took a firm hold of Ivy's chin, staring into Ciaran's eyes. He instantly attempted to look as harmless as possible, throwing in a weak grin. "That is, ah, if you care to? I should hate to trouble you further."

The other person rolled their eyes, mumbling "I'm the one whose too sober for this shit." One hand came up to run across the fuzz on their scalp, the other shifting to the back of Ivy's neck, holding the body firmly. Ciaran instinctively went limp.

"Ok, where do you live, kid?" They asked, flipping their wrist around to check the time. Ciaran's eyes grew wide as the sight of the inky black tattoo wrapped around their wrist.

The question brought to his mind a quiet coastal town, where there was only the smell of salt spray and overturned Earth. It wasn't glamorous, but it was simple, and the wind in his hair was always enough to ease his restlessness. But he knew, even in his desperation, which answer would give him more assistance.

"Near Sindelfingen," he muttered, grateful that Ivy prevented him from tripping over words. Ivy has said the doors were near her home, so- so perhaps this was the answer all along.

"Ok," the person said, giving Ciaran a firm shake and steering him towards one of the posts with the glowing S. "Lucky for you, that's on my way to work. I won't call the Polizei if you let me see you get off on your stop, ok?"

"Much obliged," Ciaran muttered. He stumbled along, occasionally attempting to break the grip but accepting his fate.

...besides, no matter how firm, it felt good to be held by another person again. Even if they were...rather colorful.

He shouted again as the ground opened up beneath him, stairs moving down into a dark pit. If it weren't for the grasp of his acquired guide, he would have fallen to the ground once more. "What fresh torture is this?"

"An escalator," came the dry response. "What did you take, kid, that smoked you back to the Medieval days?"

Ciaran made a face and gingerly stepped onto the… escalator, holding in a scream that wouldn't come close to manly as it moved beneath the feet. Against his better judgement, he leaned into his guide, clutching their (tattooed) arm for dear life.

"Say, kid," they asked as the daylight slowly faded away, "haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

Ciaran gave a nervous smile, the poster in his pocket burning.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Outside Halloween Town

After Ciaran has Vanished

A bird landed on the edge of a bare branch and shook its body in the cold winter air. It was exactly like any other bird, if one ignored the lack of feathers, skin, or eyes. Its bones rattled in the slight breeze, but otherwise it was content to enjoy the silence of the forest.

Then the air pressure changed, making the bird's bones quake, as two figures materialized into being. One of them, human shaped, collapsed to her knees in mid-air and threw her arms out. "Oh sweet, sweet 1992, how I've missed you!" A hand flew to her stomach, her euphoric gaze swiftly changing. "Ew. What just…"

"Your soul is snapping into the place it belongs," replied her companion, and the bird took one look at the grey-cloaked figure and took flight.

"I don't even have organs anymore to be shifted around," Ivy said, straightening as best she could. "So that...shouldn't have felt the way it did."

"You still think of yourself as human," Chakis said simply, walking forward and resting her hand against a nearby tree, which writhed beneath her palm. "Do you feel as though you still have a heart, lungs? Or are you empty inside?"

"Can we save the existential crisis for after I help the others?" Ivy asked weakly, even as she poked at her own stomach. "Everything's gonna go to shit- who knows what Ciaran's doing to Jack and the Citizens!"

"Alright, Spirit," Chakis said. "Though I do offer you one last chance." She turned and held out her hand, a magnetism pulling Ivy towards it. "If you deny me now, then you will be faced with whatever comes next, be it a second grave or a life in Halloween Town. What say you?"

Ivy swallowed. It felt like too big of a choice for a sixteen-year-old to make, but even as she looked into Chakis' overwhelming eyes, she knew what had to be done.

"I can't be selfish anymore," she said, despite the shake in her voice. "I mean, this is already so messed up- might as well keep going, right?" She tacked on a grin, but Chakis only seemed to sigh.

"If that is what you wish," the Angel of Death said. "Very well. I shall see you again, Ivy Kunze."

"I'll fix this, Chakis," Ivy promised.

"You will," Chakis agreed. "You have no choice."

Ivy's grin froze, and Chakis stepped closer, tilting her head and reaching out with the back of her fingers.

"Wait, we just got done time traveling!" Ivy protested. "I thought-"

"Succeed, Spiritus Dolo," Chakis said ominously, and then-

Ivy blinked. The space around her was empty, but she got the distinct impression that someone had been standing there. There was a warmth in her palm, and she opened it to see the soft pink glow, Old Halloween coming flooding back- Grendel, Jack, the burned girl- but all with the niggling sense that someone was missing.

She shook off the thought and looked up, seeing a tunnel stretch overhead. It was the very same tunnel, she realized with a jolt of recognition, that she'd fallen out of so long ago. The human world lay above, and now that she could float…

Her own words echoed in her mind, though she wasn't sure to whom they were spoken.

I can't be selfish anymore.

She squared her shoulders, turned her back on the tunnel, and twisted her form in the direction of Halloween Town. Now there was just the small problem of moving…

"I'm coming, Jack," she promised. "Just hang on."


Chapter 42 will be posted on December 12th!

Light in this chapter (though not her real name...) belongs to the wonderful Corona Pax, author of Skeleton Anne. If you're into rich storytelling, a large cast of unforgettable characters, and Jack dealing with some of the events hinted at here in Tricked Out, I highly encourage you to check her out!

-Aria