Chapter 9: Beating The Beldam

Jack stood straighter as the Beldam approached the gates of Halloween Town, the creature smirking as she saw him. "Your Majesty," she said with a bow.

He wasn't moved by her show of respect, knowing she didn't really respect him. "Beldam," he said firmly. "You know you are not welcomed here."

"I'm not here to stay, Your Majesty," she said. "But rather...I'm here for my children."

She looked directly at Coraline and Wybie when she said this and the two backed up, moving behind Dr. Finklestein, who growled. "They are not your children, Beldam," he said. "Neither is Barrel."

"Oh, but they are," she said with a sinister smile. "I'm sorry they've been so much trouble. I'll take them off your hands for you."

"You'll do no such thing," Jack said firmly, transforming to his Scarecrow form and ready to breathe Pumpkin Fire. "Coraline and Wybie are my children and Barrel is Clown's son."

Hearing that, the Beldam let out a roar of anger. "Give them to me!" She demanded, her nightmarish form becoming even more nightmarish.

Wybie grabbed Coraline and pushed her gently behind him, worried that the evil one would jump over the gate and grab them. "You won't get your hands on our children, Beldam!" The tallest vampire said, holding Lock in his arms as the boy clung to him. The other three gathered around their brother and nephew while Shock hid behind Helga, who stood ready to defend her.

The Beldam smirked. "Those children are nothing but troublemakers," she said. "Surely you haven't forgotten that they were the pawns of Oogie Boogie so long ago?"

"No, we haven't," Clown said.

"But we've forgiven these young ones and have accepted them as our own," Helga said. "And if you dare take them or the Pumpkin Prince and Princess, you'll be facing all of us."

The Beldam laughed before looking at Jack. "Your Majesty, you couldn't want these two brats," she said, gesturing to Coraline and Wybie.

That was the last straw. Jack breathed out a stream of Pumpkin Fire, making the Beldam hiss and jump back. "Those 'brats', as you so indelicately put it, are my children," he said, anger in his voice. "And you will not touch them."

Coraline shivered a little at seeing how angry her father was, but she took a deep breath and glared at the Beldam. "You can't take away children that have been adopted by a family who loves them and the kids love their families right back," she said.

The Beldam sneered. "Naughty girl, talking back to your mother like that," she said.

The girl glared at her again. "Sally is my mom," she said. "You will never be my mom."

The creature snarled at her and ran towards the gate, preparing to leap over it. "Jack! Now!" Dr. Finklestein said.

"Everyone, stand back," Jack said before unleashing a fireball right at the Beldam, who seemed to dodge it.

But she didn't dodge the other fireballs coming at her from the scarecrows that had popped up out of the ground. These were the scarecrows Dr. Finklestein had promised Jack that he'd make when Coraline came to Halloween Town and he had decided they should be at the gates until needed. They could only be activated with Pumpkin Fire.

And Jack had just unleashed a cloud of flame himself.

The scarecrows belched out Pumpkin Fire and the Beldam screamed as it hit her, melting parts of her as she hit the ground, but she was still determined to fight. "Give me the children!" She demanded, her claws swiping out and nearly catching Jack, but he moved back quickly.

"No," he said firmly. "Now, you can leave...or face the consequences."

She snarled again and lunged for Coraline, who gasped and went to move back. No sooner had she did, Hanging Tree quickly swung out an arm and caught the Beldum square across the middle. The sound of metal hitting wood made a loud clang and the Beldam gasped, choking for air as the blow had winded her. "Coraline, you and Wybie climb up," Hanging Tree said, gesturing to his upper branches.

One of the hanging men reached a hand out and Coraline took it, letting him pick her up and give her a boost up onto one of the upper limbs of the Hanging Tree. Wybie was on the first limb and about to follow his sister when he saw the Beldam point a long finger at Coraline and the hand detached, heading straight for her. Quickly, the boy jumped down from the branches and right in the line of the hand, which pierced his throat with its sharp fingers, making him give a soundless cry of pain as he fell to the ground.

"WYBIE!" Coraline screamed as she saw this.

The Beldam screamed too as she saw this. "You fool!" She screamed out as she felt her power leaving and she began melting again. "NO!"

Jack quickly used more of his Pumpkin Fire and the others helped out with their powers and the Beldam was soon nothing more than a melted pile of metal and some clothing scraps. Jack incinerated the remains so that they became dust and he nodded before turning to see Coraline leaning over Wybie and tears were running down her face.

Wybie lay on the ground and he had a hand up near his throat, almost like he was trying to stop the bleeding if he was human. Jack saw the hand that had struck the boy was now melted, but he saw the boy was looking a little worse for wear. "Wybie, you'll be alright, son," he said soothingly.

Dr. Finklestein came forward, frowning. "Jack, the boy needs medical attention," he said urgently.

Jewel came forward and picked up her grandson. "Helga, we need you and Zelda to make the strongest healing potions you can," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Zelda said as she, Shock, and Helga headed for their shop to get to work.

Sally came forward. "I'll help," she said.

Dr. Finklestein gently shook his head. "No, my dear," he said gently. "Let Jewel and I help the boy. Coraline needs both you and Jack."

Seeing her father had a point, she nodded and went over to Coraline, who still had tears running down her face, though she was trying to wipe them away so that no one saw. The ragdoll hugged her daughter, who returned the hug while fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "Is he going to be okay, Mom?" She asked.

"Yes," Sally said. "Your grandparents will take good care of him and he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Jack came up to them, having done a check to be sure the Beldam was truly gone. "She's gone," he said. "And she's never coming back."

He looked at his daughter before kneeling down as the child turned to him and she hugged him. "Daddy, Wybie took a blow meant for me," she said.

"Yes, he did," the skeleton said. "He was very brave to do so to save you. It means he loves you very much as his sister and he'll do anything to protect you as your mother and I would."

Coraline nodded before quickly going up to her grandfather as he was about to follow Jewel back to the lab. "Grandpa, will Wybie be okay?" She asked.

He smiled and gently patted her hand. "He will be, little one," he said. "Don't you worry. Now, be a good girl and stay with your parents. Jewel and I will bring Wybie when he's recovered."

She nodded before seeing Jewel come up to them and Wybie reached for Coraline, giving her a tired smile. She took his hand and squeezed it in gratitude. He nodded before letting go of her hand and Jewel walked away with her husband behind her.

The young girl just watched, more tears springing to her eyes as she hoped her brother would make it. Feeling two hands pick her up, she turned to find it was her father and she clung to him. "Daddy," she said softly.

"Shh, I'm here," he said soothingly, glad that the Beldam was gone for good, but he was also concerned about his new son.

"He'll make it," he said to his daughter. "Be brave for him, pumpkin."

She nodded, hoping that her brother would be okay.

So the Beldam is finally gone.

Next chapter is the epilogue. :)

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