Shaggy blinked and the horns were gone, leaving only light, no shapes, nothing but, they would return they had been blinking in and out all night and it both confused and startled him. What was going on?
"Shaggy are you okay?" Christina asked.
"Yes, yes, I'm like, okay," he promised, toying with the cape he wore.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he promised, grabbing her free hand.
"Okay,"
Sugie spoke up before he could, "You look awesome Christina!"
"Thank you, Sugie, were you surprised?"
"Very," Sugie gushed.
"Everyone thought you were going to be a princess!" Shaggy added.
"I know, I'm pretty sure they were making bets," she whispered.
Not very far away,
"Okay, pay up," Duncan smirked.
"I should've known," Kenny sighed, forking over fifty dollars.
Christina and Sugie laughed at the sight. It felt good to laugh! All too soon Christina would have to leave. Where hadn't been decided nor would she decide. She didn't want to go! But, those were worries for another day. Tonight, she would enjoy some time with her friends.
"Christina, will you dance with me?" Shaggy asked suddenly, catching her off guard.
"I-I'm not good at dancing," Christina admitted.
"You're in good company then," Shaggy chuckled.
Sugie smiled knowingly, her smile only growing as the music shifted to a slow song with an eerie note. Unknown to the trio this was Clawdeen's doing. Draculaura wasn't the only one who could play matchmaker. The werewolf smiled somewhat deviously even as Duncan turned to face her, silently asking what she had done. She simply nodded to where Shaggy and Christina still stood. The duo watched as Christina handed her staff to Sugie and allowed Shaggy to take her to the somewhat empty dance floor.
He pulled her close as they danced.
"You know this song?" he asked upon hearing her hum.
"Yes,"
"Sing for me then?" he pleaded.
"I don't know why you think I can sing so well," Christina said.
"Because you can," he insisted It's beautiful he silently added, "Please?"
Come little children
I'll take thee away, into a land
Of enchantment
Come, little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of magic
Come, little children
I'll take thee away
Into a land of enchantment
Come, little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of magic
"Hey, that's the short version," Shaggy protested.
"No, that's the original version," Christina retorted.
"Sing the other one?"
"Maybe later okay?"
"Okay,"
Shaggy wouldn't dare tell anyone but he liked holding Christina this close to him and he never ever wanted to let her go. Even as the song ended he was reluctant to do so but, she intertwined their hands, making him smile as they returned to where Sugie and their friends were now standing all with smiles that Christina chose to ignore.
"Why Maleficent?" Frankie asked voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"Because I was expected to be a Princess," Christina laughed.
"And I thought she was going to be Sleeping Beauty!" Draculaura cried dramatically, "Or her daughter,"
"Audrey?"
"Yeah,"
"Clearly you thought wrong, Laura," Christina smirked.
"So, Christy-"
"Shaggy? Is that you?"
Sugie's jaw dropped, Fred, Daphne and, Velma came pushing through the crowd only to freeze at Shaggy's wolfy appearance.
"Hi, guys, long time no see," Shaggy greeted nervously,
"How have you-" Fred started.
"Been?" Velma interjected.
"Good,"
"I thought your mom sent you-"
"Dad let us go here instead," Shaggy explained.
"Who are your friends?" Daphne questioned in an attempt to avoid an awkward silence.
Shaggy made quick introductions ending with Christina. Daphne's eyes fell to their joined hands, "Are you two dating?"
I wish Shaggy thought.
"No," Christina replied, turning red at the thought, "We're just friends-"
"Close friends," Sugie piped.
"Yes," Christina nodded, "Close friends,"
Shaggy smiled.
"What have you been up to, Shaggy?" Velma inquired.
"Not much,"
"We miss having you and Scooby around," Fred said.
"Like, if I recall you ran away from me," Shaggy pointedly responded.
"We didn't know you were a-"
"And right now, you're fidgeting, wanting to run again,"
This was true. The rest of the gang weren't comfortable and wanted to make a hasty exit.
Christina looked from them to Shaggy and back. Shaggy was growing tense with every passing second.
"You're scared of me," he continued, shaking.
Christina had to do something!
"FREEZE!"
Everything around her froze in place. Finally, she could hear herself think. She needed to either defuse the situation or get Shaggy away from it but how. She spied Holt still frozen and got an idea.
…...
Shaggy blinked, finding his hand empty. Christina was gone! He wanted to find her but he had to deal with the gang first.
Then the record came to a screeching halt.
"Sorry, everyone!"
Christina's voice wrapped around the room but where was she?
"After much thought and some pleading from a friend I'm going to step out on a limb and perform for you all if that's okay?"
No one except Jackson knew what was going on still they clapped anyway, Shaggy especially.
"Where is she, Sugie?" Shaggy whispered.
"Top of the stairs, How'd she get a piano in here? That door was tiny!"
"Magic," Shaggy suggested as the lights dimmed. Only to reappear blue minutes later.
Shaggy inhaled sharply, he could make out her silhouette again!
I want to see her face but no matter how he tried he couldn't. It was just a dark silhouette against a bright light. His struggle was forgotten when Christina began to play and sing.
Come little children
I'll take thee away, into a land
Of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
Follow sweet children
I'll show thee the way
Through all the pain and the sorrows
"She's very good," Velma whispered.
Shaggy was too swept up in the music to respond. Christina's voice seemed to carry him away. All the tension leaving his body.
Weep not poor children
For life is this way
Murdering beauty and passions
Hush now dear children
It must be this way
Too weary of life and its deceptions
Shaggy was solely focused on Christina. In that moment. No one and nothing else mattered to him.
Rest now my children
For soon we'll away
Into the calm and the quiet
Come little children
I'll take thee away, into a land
Of enchantment
Come little children
The time's come to play
Here in my garden of shadows
Everyone applauded. In a snap, Holt's DJ booth took the place of the piano and Christina had disappeared from where she previously stood.
"You're welcome," Christina whispered, taking his hand once more.
"Thanks, Christy," he smiled, feeling his face heat up.
"Don't mention it,"
The gang took this moment to slip away and go speak with some of their other friends. They didn't want to anger Shaggy.
"Dance with me again?" Shaggy pleaded.
"Sure,"
Every time a slow song was played that night Shaggy would dance with Christina if only to hold her close. Their friends watched sometimes from the sidelines other times from the dance floor. Draculaura was happiest of all, seeing her cousin so at ease and like herself again. After the dark times from the year prior, it put a smile on her face to see Christina happy. Even if it was only for one night.
…...
Dracula was still freaking out, pacing his study. After Christina and the others had left he'd called on Vincent Van Ghoul.
"Vhere did I go wrong? Vhat does this mean?" he asked desperately.
"Dracula, You're overthinking this," Vincent sighed.
"Vhat do you mean?"
"As far as Christina knows Maleficent and fairy-tales are fiction. She has no clue of her roots there, her grandmother, nothing, as far as she knows she's simply dressing as a character from a movie,"
"And vhat happens when she transforms?" Dracula questioned, "It's coming, Vincent, I see it now more than ever!"
"She has the Dragon within her, it can't be contained, Dracula, you know this,"
"Vhat do we do!"
"There's nothing that we can do, my friend-"
"You, you vill take her, teach her, keep her safe,"
"Dracula I don't-"
"You must,"
"We're home," Christina's voice rang out through the halls.
"Christina, come here," Dracula called in response.
Christina poked her head inside and Dracula tried not to squirm at the sight of the very realistic looking horns in her hair.
"Yes, Uncle Dracula? Hello, Mr. Van Ghoul,"
"Call me Vincent, Christina, you know this,"
"Sorry," she giggled, "Old habits are hard to shake,"
"I have decided you vill go with Vincent," Dracula declared catching Christina by surprise.
"But-but y-you said-"
"You never made your choice, you vill leave in three days,"
Christina ran, crying bitterly.
…...
she shut the door and locked it tight, using her magic to ensure that her uncle wouldn't be able to get inside. Tossing the staff aside, Christina hurriedly changed out of her costume, sobbing all the while. She was burning up again, trying to breathe as she went. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! Once out of her costume and in her most comfortable clothes did Christina go outside, sitting on her balcony as the tears blurred her vision.
She fell back into her chair, throwing a blanket over herself. She would sleep outside under the stars tonight. To make herself feel better. Hours passed, her uncle tried to come in, tried to land on her balcony but her magic kept him out and far away while she slept, dead to the world and what was going on around her.
The shield was made to keep her uncle out, allowing uninvited guests to slip in far too easily from the outside. Drew landed softly on the balcony with a smirk
It'd be so easy to take her now but I must wait. Mother's preparing for her arrival.
Slipping into her room, he hid his spy inside her trunk with orders to stay out of sight. Drew made a hasty, silent exit afterward.
Another hour passed, Christina still slept peacefully, even as the pair of ravens landed beside her.
We've found her, they thought.
The larger of the two, Diablo, ventured closer, sitting on her arm even as she began to stir from her sleep.
Christina blinked sleepily, trying to figure out what had woken her up. As her vision adjusted to the dark shadows she was able to see the cause. A bird. And while it was not uncommon for birds to find their way to her balcony this one seemed different although in her sleepy haze she couldn't figure out why.
"Hello," she yawned, stroking it's feathers, "Where'd you come from? Pretty bird,"
Diablo watched her until she fell asleep once more, spying the birthmark on her arm.
The two separated, Diablo would keep watch over her while Dival would return home with the news, their mission had been a success.
/
Shaggy was heartbroken when Draculaura delivered the news of Christina's impending departure. So much in fact that he stayed quiet the rest of the very long school day, slipping into the music room during free period, sitting at the piano and attempting to play. Again and again and again. A sadness like he'd never felt before weighed upon his heart, building, and building until it was unbearable. He transformed, not even paying mind to the silhouettes that blinked in and out of existence.
He howled with sadness before letting his head drop and crying.
…...
The day of her departure was upon her faster than she would've liked. The morning dawned cloudy and gray, rain was coming. Normally, she would've at least smiled at such a cliche but she could bring herself to do no such thing. She dressed warmly, trudging downstairs for a quiet breakfast before going to sit in the parlor as she had been told.
A gentle flapping of wings brought her attention to the window. The bird had returned once more. He stared at her almost sadly, tapping the glass. He wanted to be let in. Christina obliged as it started to rain. He perched on her shoulder, hiding in the hood of her jacket whenever someone else entered until he stayed there entirely.
Vincent came to collect her shortly after
and off she went without so much as a goodbye to Dracula
….
Okay, First, the reason Hocus Pocus shows up so much in my work: simply put It's because of my Mama. We'd watch it every year and I now carry on that tradition with my grandparents.
Second, I have zero idea where to take the story from here! Sorry! :(
Review, please!
