A/N: This chapter did not want to be written. It stubbornly refused to come out the way i wanted it too, so im not sure how much i like it. I also apologize for the lack of BJ/Lyds. Dont worry, they'll be here next chappie.
Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed. Seriously. I nearly fell out of my chair when i saw how many i got, and i assure you i was smiling all day.
Dedication: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my bestest pal in the world. Though she did not find it necessary to actually read my story, she did leave two highly interesting comments for my viewing pleasure. If you want to read them, they're the ones that make absolutely no sense.
Disclaimer: I know i said i wouldnt do this again, but theres something new this time. The Council are mine. I made them allll up. Miney mine mine.
Alright then. Enjoy!
Jacques was on his treadmill when the strange noises outside started. Though he was terribly tempted to investigate, he was also certain that whatever was going on had to be linked to Beetlejuice. And if that was the case, then he definitely did NOT want to be involved. So with a shake of his bony head, and a long-suffering sigh, he continued jogging.
When the entire Roadhouse began to shake only moments later, Jacques decided that maybe he had been wrong to not look around.
"Zut!" he cried, falling backwards off his treadmill. Using the walls to steady himself, the skeleton stumbled into the living-dead room.
"Be-atlejooce! Ginger! What 'ees going on?" he shouted, clinging to the doorway for dear death. He got no answer, but he also expected that he would not have been able to hear one through the infernal racket from outside. The entire house jolted violently for a few moments more, then, right as the noise reached an angry crescendo, stopped abruptly.
Everything was suddenly perfectly still. Jacques released his breath, which he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He peered around the room fearfully, certain some hideous monster (or worse, Beetlejuice) was going to crash through the wall any second. Just as he took his first unsteady step, a small shape fell to the floor in front of him. He would have jumped out of his skin, if he'd had any.
"Ohh my head…"moaned Ginger, holding it in two trembling legs. She looked up at Jacques.
"Wha' was that?" she asked, rising shakily to all eight limbs. He shook his skull slowly and shrugged his shoulders.
"I do no' know." He muttered. Carefully, he continued across the room to the front door. Ginger followed, tapping nervously all the way.
Jacques reached the door and yanked it open- only to reel back in shock. Quickly, he slammed it shut and turned to Ginger, eye holes wide.
"Wha'?" she asked. He didn't answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if to steady himself, the slowly opened the door again. This time there was no slamming. He just stared.
"Impossible." He murmured, still gazing at the outside world.
Ginger tapped a foot impatiently a few times, and, getting no answer, scuttled around her skeletal friends legs to see for herself. Her jaw dropped in disbelief.
All the surrounding roads were…gone. Lost Souls highway, their twisty side street, the Monster Across the Street's skull shaped home (luckily, he and Poopsie were at a country music festival): all vanished. Not even dust remained. Floating a ways in the distance, Jacques and Ginger could make out the door to the Outerworld. It appeared that the Roadhouse was the only thing left standing in probably a square mile.
Jacques turned to Ginger. Ginger turned to Jacques. They gaped at each other. Ever so slowly, Jacques shut and locked the door.
"I…I…I do no' undeerstan'…" he sputtered. "Wha' 'as 'appened?"
Ginger shook her head.
"I dunno Jacques." She nearly whispered. "But…but I betcha I know someone who does."
They stared at each other. Then, together:
"Beetlejuice."
Deep, deep in Sandworm land, where no ghost of ghoul has ever been, there was a building. It stood on a foundation of solid rock, several hundred feet above the dunes. Around the base of the stone, huge sandworms, the biggest ever seen, were chained, assuring the end of any poor soul who ventured near. They slithered through the sands, all four eyes scanning the horizon for tasty, ghostly treats…like guard dogs protecting a home from intruders.
The building itself was huge. Rising and spreading in all directions, it was a world of Neitherworldian art- all angles and sharply twisting towers. It gleamed silver in the harsh sun, strange reflections giving the walls the appearance of movement- like a structure of liquid metal.
Inside, the rooms were as would be expected in a large mansion or castle: lounges, studies, libraries, dining halls, parlors, bathrooms, and bedrooms upon bedrooms. And all decorated in much better taste that one would ever find elsewhere in the Neitherworld. But throughout the entire house, for that is what it seemed to be, there was not a window to be found.
And every single wall was a mirror.
In the very center of this terribly odd creation, there was a gigantic circular room. The mirrors in here covered not only the wall, but the dome-shaped ceiling as well. Even the floor, which appeared to be the very rock the house was built upon, seemed to gleam. On one side there was a single, large metallic door. Directly facing it sat ten chairs- not quite thrones, but certainly elaborate looking. And in these chairs were nine people (the 5th spot was notably empty). Dressed in varying degrees of finery, from kingly robes on the male figure in the first chair, to a dark, plain dress and hooded cloak on the fourth, they all seemed entranced by the doorway…though for seemingly different reasons. The first looked irritated, the second and third quietly expectant, the fourth sad, and the seventh through tenth nervous and twitchy. Only the sixth seemed wholly uninterested. They all jumped in surprise when the door unexpectedly burst open.
A man, tall and lean, with long dark hair pulled into a horsetail, strode fiercely into the room. His long, back cape snapped at his heels as clouds formed around his head. His face would have been very handsome, were it not twisted with rage. Stomping loudly, he reached a point directly in front of the seated figures and stopped. Snapping his head up, he glared pointedly at the fifth, empty chair.
All those sitting leaned forward expectantly, but the man continued to stare. The clouds around him were growing and shaking now, crackling round his body.
The seventh through tenth all cleared their throats anxiously, eyes widening by the moment. The second and third glanced knowingly at each other. The fourth frowned mournfully, and pulled her hood over her head, while the sixth looked bored. The first gave a long sigh and, getting no reaction, finally harrumphed loudly.
"Evarios." He snapped.
The dark one, who seemed to be Evarios, switched his burning gaze to the first, looking like he wanted to incinerate his elaborate clothing and accessories. However, the storm clouds vanished suddenly.
"Yes, Appius? Have you something you wish to ask?" he said icily.
The first, Appius, glowered sternly at Evarios.
"You set out to do a task." He stated. "You have already kept us, your brothers and sisters, waiting long enough. What is your report?"
All eyes turned to the only standing member of the gathering. He sucked in his breath angrily.
"The criminals have escaped to the Outerworld, brother dearest." The last part was clearly sarcastic, but it was barely heard over the collective gasp of Appius and the seventh through tenth. The second and third looked relieve, and the fourth peeked out of her hood confusedly. The sixth looked bored.
"Escaped? Evarios, how could you possibly allow this to happen?" Appius did not seem angry, only upset.
"I did not allow it to happen." Evarios growled in reply. "I believe I clearly said they escaped, Appius, not that I let them go."
Appius opened his mouth to speak, but the second stopped him.
"Both of you, be quiet for a moment."
She was shorter than most others there, with long, brown hair and green eyes. Her lilac dress was long and embroidered with a twisting pattern of vines. Now, she caught both of their gazes, assuring their compliance.
"Appius, allow Evarios to give his full report. Arguing will do you no good if you do not know the details."
"Yes Appius, listen to Maiara." Evarios said mockingly. The first stiffened noticeably, but kept his mouth shut. The second, Maiara, shot an annoyed glance at him.
"Must you always act like a spoiled child?" The third said quietly, looking at Evarios. He glared at her; then his face suddenly softened and lost its anger.
"A spoiled child, sister? Your words hurt me, Aisha. However, I shall give my account of the failed punishment of the criminals."
The third, who was slim, blonde haired and blue eyed, blinked at this statement- as did the other eight. But none of them wished to disrupt Evarios's sudden change in temperament, so they did not question it.
"As soon as our decision was reached, I made to find the two in question. I located them near Lost Souls highway…and apparently, their door to the Outerworld." The last bit of his sentence was bitter, and Evarios's face changed once again into a cruel mask of hatred. But, with a shake of his head, his features smoothed again, and he continued.
"When I announced their crimes and punishment, they fled. Although I tried to stop them, they reached the door, and passed though. Then I returned here."
The others held their breath for more, but Evarios was finished. Finally, Appius let out a sigh and sat up straight.
"Well." He said. "Are there any questions?"
Aisha eyed Evarios warily.
"Was there any collateral damage?" she asked, as though already afraid what the answer would be.
"Only some roads. Do not worry, no ghosts or ghouls were harmed." He replied with a smirk. Aisha didn't look fully convinced, but accepted this as the best she would get.
"Evarios…" Maiara began. "In what way…how did you-" she faltered, trying to find a way to word her question without setting off a mood swing. Today, that seemed to be a delicate matter indeed.
"In what way did you go about informing the individuals of, and attempting to administer, the punishment decided upon?"
"It was within my rights as a member of The Council." He replied, face expressionless.
Maiara and Aisha shared another glance and winced. The fourth drew back into her hood. After a moment, Maiara turned back to Evarios. She opened her mouth to speak, but was abruptly cut off by the seventh.
"What in the name of the Neitherworld are we doing? We must catch them!" he cried, leaping to his feet. Easily the tallest of those assembled, he now towered above the eight still seated, eyes wide with…fear?
Seven of those sitting whipped their heads around to stare at him; the sixth was busy examining his nails. None of them saw the look of shock and returned anger that flashed across the face of their only standing member.
"Fool." He muttered darkly. The others turned their attention back to him. "Nsonowa, YOU, of all people, should know that we cannot travel to the Outerworld."
Nsonowa sat abruptly and ducked his head.
For several seconds, there was full silence in the domed room.
Finally, startling everyone, the sixth spoke up.
"Seems to me," he drawled slowly, eyes closed halfway, still cleaning his fingernails (though by now he had moved on to the other hand). "That our only option is to wait for them to come back here. Think about it. We are forbidden, by our own esteemed laws, to travel to or communicate with the Outerworld. And we cannot send a ghost to fetch them, as Evarios here has quite sufficiently convinced them of our existence. Besides, the ghoul is probably strong enough to dispatch any spirit we might send. However, it has been shown that both of the criminals have attachments here. They are bound to return. And until they do, we can at least get to work locating them."
A moment of contemplative quiet met the end of his speech. Then, Appius sighed tiredly.
"Fine." He said. "I, Appius of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal."
Maiara raised her head from its perch upon her hand.
"I, Maiara of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal."
"I, Aisha of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal."
The dark fourth one did not emerge from within her hood.
"I, Enid of The Council," she murmured, "favor Rokuro's proposal."
Evarios moved to speak, but Rokuro cut him off.
"I, Rokuro of The Council," he said, a small smirk, his first sign of emotion the whole meeting, upon his lips. "Favor my own proposal."
Though his face had been contorted into yet another glare throughout this whole process, Evarios's eyes suddenly lit up, and he grinned.
"I, Evarios of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal."
Nsonowa and the others remaining looked surprised by this. Subtly, Evarios nodded at them. Nsonowa gulped and spoke up.
"I, Nsonowa of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal."
"I, Tavita of The Council, favor Rokuro's proposal." Said the eighth.
"I, Audie of The Council, favor Rokuo's proposal." The ninth.
"And I, Zebulun of The Council, also favor Rokuro's proposal." Finished the tenth.
Appius nodded curtly.
"It is unanimous. The Council will await the return of the ghoul Beetlejuice and the mortal girl Lydia Deetz, at which time their punishment shall be brought upon them. Until then, we-the-Council shall use our resources and information to find and observe the criminals in question. This meet is adjourned."
The nine sitting Council Members stood as one. Evarios spun on his heel and strode from the room, cape snapping and black clouds gathering once again.
Like it? Dont? Send me a review! I promise you the next chapter soon!
-Mel