I know this chapter isn't that good. the epilogue will clear a bunch of stuff up, though. Don't worry.


I wanted to be with you alone and talk about the weather
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face
Won't escape my attention
You keep your distance fear the system of touch and gentle persuasion
I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much
Oh, you're wasting my time, you're just, just, just wasting time

Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out till I'm head over heels
Something happens and I'm head over heels
Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart
Don't, don't, don't throw it away

-Head Over Heels, Tears For Fears


Something told Wybie that he should have thought this whole "rescue" plan through more thoroughly.

He didn't know what exactly he had expected, but it didn't include a giant, sickly green snake that looked patched and glued together with needle-like fangs jutting from its jaws.

The snake immediately lunged toward him, and on a reflex Wybie ducked out the way of its angry, thrashing maw.

"How nice of you to come, kid," the being hissed, "I do get hungry when I'm on the job."

Despite the distorted voice, Wybie had a pretty good idea who this was. "I knew there was something wrong with you," he muttered.

"Yes, how clever," Sebastian somehow turned his serpentine jaws into a wicked grin, "shame you couldn't do anything about it."

Before Wybie could blink, the snake was inches away from his face, its steaming breath making him gag. Its needle fangs glinted in what little lighting this horrid copy of the Pink Palace possessed.

"You scared, little boy? I'll make you a deal," Sebastian wrapped the lower half of his tail around Wybie and lifted him into the air to face him, "I'll let you leave here with only minor damage, if you let me keep the girl and stop being just a pesky little thorn in my side."

As frightened Wybie was, his body shaking and his eyes as wide as dinner plates, he knew what his answer was.

"No deal."

A furious roar erupted in Sebastian throat and he lashed Wybie out against the wall. The boy barely noticed Cat appear next to him.

"Run," the cat said.

"Good idea--" Wybie's eyes widened even more, "did you just--"

"Run!" Wybie didn't need telling twice. He'd ask about the talking-cat thing when he wasn't about to be killed.

"You can try, boy! You and your vermin cannot escape me in my own domain!"

Stopping in a hall when they could no longer hear him clearly, Wybie panted, and then turned to Cat.

"Can you explain all this to me?" He asked.

"Not if you want to get Coraline out of here soon," Cat said seriously, "all you need to know is how to defeat him."

"And do you know how?" Wybie asked hopefully.

"I have an idea, but I'm not exactly sure."

"Well, better let me know now, I don't want to be here for long."

"Neither do I. And if my assumption is right, we won't be."

Sebastian bared his teeth in the direction the boy and his mangy cat had disappeared in before turning back. They weren't his focus now, he'd find them later. They couldn't really go anywhere, anyway.

Turning back to his prey, Coraline, he growled as he loomed over her. Mother was going to be very happy with him.

The girl was unconscious, which wasn't exactly preferable for him. He'd wanted to watch her scream, watch the light fade from her beautiful eyes, all of what he'd looked forward to since he'd first saw her. But that wasn't the most important thing now. The most important thing was that he had her, and now it was time to finish the job. Opening his lethal jaws, he poised for a killing bite with his sewing needle fangs.

Just in time to be hit in the head with a…was that an umbrella holder?

With a screech of fury, Sebastian turned around to see that accursed boy was back, and looked more determined than ever.

"You are making this harder than it needs to be, boy," he hissed dangerously.

That boy didn't even flinch this time, "you wouldn't kill me."

"You wanna bet?" Sebastian growled.

"Yeah. If I go, so does this," and with that, the boy pulled out.

The locket?

Sebastian bellowed, enraged, and lunged at the boy hungrily. How could he know about that stupid thing…?

"I don't think you want to do that, do you?" the boy had the nerve to smirk at him. "See, me and cat figure that even if the Beldam was strong enough to create you, she couldn't sustain you if you went into the real world. She doesn't have enough power for that, so…" He traced the outline of the locket with his fingers, "she gave you something that could. Something that would give you energy for a couple of days until you could put it on Coraline and take her energy."

Sebastian offered no reply, and Cat meowed.

"Are we getting warmer?" the feline asked.

"So it stands to reason that, if this is destroyed, then so are you." The boy finished.

Sebastian dove at them in pure rage, and Wybie and his cat dodged him with some difficulty. Wybie kept a firm hold on the locket, backing away from the angry serpent to find what he was looking for. He just needed something blunt or sharp. Something he could destroy the damn locket with. He looked up, just in time to see a very angry snake lunging at him. Dodging just in time, Wybie saw Sebastian sink his teeth into the wall that he had been in front of just moments before. He pulled away, leaving some of his huge needle-teeth behind. Wybie's eyes widened.

"This'll work." He muttered, pulling one of the large needles out of the wall with quite a bit of effort. A yowl told him that Cat had seen what he was doing, and was trying to distract the snake.

"Well, let's see if we guessed right, Cat!" Wybie said before plunging the needle into the center of the locket.

A screech of terror and pain erupted from Sebastian, and a magnificent flash of light blinded him for a split second before the snake in front of him fell. Getting up, Wybie saw that it was because Sebastian had been reduced to nothing but stitches and fabric. At least, that's what he saw. He decided not to kick it or check it out any further.

Finding Coraline, Wybie stood over her worriedly. Relieved to see she was still breathing, Wybie sighed.

"Should we wake her?" Cat asked from beside him.

"How?" Wybie looked bewildered.

As soon as he asked the question, the inscription on the locket appeared in his mind once more.

Remember the story of Snow White.

It clicked in his mind, and he knew what it meant. He looked at Cat, who had seen the locket too, and gulped.

"She is going to hit me so hard for this." And with that, Wybie leaned down…

And kissed her. Wybie Lovat had kissed Coraline Jones, and had (so far) lived to tell the tale.

When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open and they looked at each other silently for a moment before Coraline sat up and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"You found me," she whispered, "I don't believe it."

"I would've looked for you forever, don't you know that?" Wybie told her. He could sense Coraline was smiling even though he couldn't see her face.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"This is all very touching, but we really ought to be going." Cat interrupted, looking at them both and seeming a bit amused.

"Uh, right," Wybie said, helping Coraline up. She winced as he pulled the arm she had hurt, "sorry."

"No, it's fine. Just aches," she assured him.

"Okay," Wybie nodded. He looked at Coraline and then at Cat. "Let's just get out of here."

"Agreed," Coraline seemed a little shaky, but she didn't complain or anything as they made their way to the tiny door. Climbing into it one after the other, they didn't even think about looking back.