Musically: You've waited, you've wondered...and now, here it is! The long-awaited appearance of Oogie Boogie! I didn't add much choreagraphy on this song because I couldn't remember most of it, but the future chapters will be more eventful, trust me!

Victoria: Do I have do go down a chute?

Musically: Yeah. Sorry.

Victoria: Dang! I always have to do that.

Jack: I'M SANTAAAAAA!

Musically: P.S: My friend gave me Jack Skellington slippers for Christmas today. I shall now die happy.

With a gasp, Victoria was yanked from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes groggily. Blurry figures moved around her in the dusty town while moving boxes and carting ornaments, becoming clear after she blinked a few times. Victoria groaned. She thought that they would have been finished by now. Where was she, exactly? She got up from her seat, and she realized that she had dozed off while sitting on the steps of town hall for about the seventh time this week. She got up and brushed herself off, making sure her hair wasn't too messy. Then she backed up and looked at the large clock that was mounted above her. Below it was a timer that read, "One Day 'til Christmas".

Victoria looked around. It seemed that the monsters had done more than a month's work of decorating, but she guessed that they were just getting finished. Stifling a long, heaving sigh, she started to amble casually around town. She heard familiar voices when she passed a makeshift tent that was close beside her.

"You don't look like yourself, Jack, not at all."

"Isn't that wonderful? It couldn't be more wonderful!"

Victoria edged around the thin sheet. A few steps later, she was standing right in front of Sally, who was with a certain skeleton in Santa Claus garb. Jack was admiring his new red coat in the mirror. He stroked his long, white beard experimentally, and then noticed something new in the mirror. The delicate thread was yanked from Sally's needle as Jack turned around to see Victoria standing right behind the two of them.

"Victoria! I was looking all night for you," said Jack, relieved. Sally gave her a small smile, and Victoria was tempted to throw another sarcastic remark at Jack; she hadn't seen him once this week without getting mad at him. Instead, she shrugged aloofly.

"It's all right," Victoria replied, "I bet you were busy with…things." She couldn't bring herself to say Christmas. Jack nodded eagerly as Sally tried to rethread her needle.

"Oh, wouldn't you know it? Everyone was working together, maybe even harder than for Halloween! I just can't believe my idea actually worked, and it's all thanks to you."

Don't you mean my idea, Jack?, Victoria thought bitterly. Inwardly, she sighed a few seconds later. She would get nowhere with Jack if she continued to be rude to him.

She plastered a smile on her face and asked, "Wouldn't it be better if you just stuck to…Halloween? It's just that there might be a reason Christmas has its own town, and Halloween has its own town. As in separated."

Jack didn't seem to take her hint. He shrugged nonchalantly, sticking out his left arm so Sally could easily restring her forsaken needle.

"Well, like you said, Victoria, Christmas really has no reason. As long as you believe in it, it's real, right? Maybe Halloween applies to that, too," he added thoughtfully. It was everything Victoria could do to keep from slapping a hand to her forehead in frustration. Again, Jack had totally missed the point.

"But you're the Pumpkin King!" Sally protested, dropping her needle. She picked up the pattern and gently lifted the paper, revealing Jack in his haunting black-and-white portrait. Jack shook his head. He grabbed the picture from Sally, and to her surprise, snapped it in half on his knee.

"Not anymore!" Jack said happily, "And I feel so much better now!"

"Jack, I know you think something's missing, but," Sally trailed off as she accidentally poked Jack in the finger with her needle.

Jack gasped, "Ouch!" He put the sore finger in his mouth.

"Sorry!" Sally said quickly.

"Hm," Victoria mused, "I didn't know skeletons could feel pain. You didn't seem to have a lot of trouble when you were pulling your rib out for Zero."

"It's complicated," Jack said passively. He then turned back to Sally, who was still looking a bit abashed about hurting Jack. She finished up the white cuff of his sleeve, and he inspected it fondly in the mirror.

"You're right, something is missing," Jack ruminated, "But what? I've got the beard, the coat, the boots…Oh, it'll come to me."

As soon as Jack's voice faded away, the sound of three familiar voices replaced it. Victoria, Jack, and Sally whipped around to see Lock, Shock, Barrel, and the moving bathtub come hurtling towards them. The children were all yelling with pride, and the bag wiggled around unnervingly. Victoria watched as they came to a screeching halt in front of Jack.

"Jack, Jack! This time we bagged him!"

"This time we really did!" Lock assured him.

"He sure is big, Jack," Barrel said.

"And heavy!" Shock added, remembering her struggle to lift him up into the tub. The bag seemed to rustle uncontrollably for a second or two, and then the rope became untied completely. A muffled voice from inside the sack became clear once its owner came into view.

"Let me out!" Santa Claus shouted as he burst from the bag. Everyone, including Victoria, gasped. Sally put a hand to her mouth, but Jack seemed to skyrocket with excitement. Victoria stood dumbstruck, horrified at seeing Santa as a hostage of Halloween Town.

"They did it," she muttered, "They really kidnapped him." Santa, to Victoria's extreme sorrow, was looking very disheveled and confused as he adjusted to this sight. His beard was dotted from candy that was picked up from being jostled around in the bag. Fine, white hair was now scraggly and rough instead of straight and long.

Jack immediately strode over to Santa Claus, shaking his hand. Victoria swore she could see Santa flinch from the coldness of his grip, but Jack didn't seem to notice.

"Sandy Claws in person. What a pleasure to meet you!" he said amiably. Jack looked down at the hand he was shaking, and then he drew back unexpectedly.

"Why, you have hands! You don't have claws at all," Jack said in wonder. In a daze, Santa stared back up at him.

"Where am I?" Santa asked the air. His gaze seemed to come into focus, and the first thing he noticed was the normal girl standing in front of all the monsters. "Is that…is that Victoria Dalton? What in the world is a nice-list child doing in this place?"

Victoria blushed slightly, and replied, "In all honesty, Santa, I don't really know." Jack was quick to regain the conversation.

"Surprised, aren't you? I knew you would be. You don't have to have another worry about Christmas this year," Jack vaguely explained.

"What?" Santa exclaimed in shock.

Jack was quick to add on, saying, "Consider this a vacation, Sandy! A reward! It's your turn to take it easy."

"But, but, there must be some mistake!" Santa haplessly sputtered. Jack, smiling widely, addressed Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

"See that he's comfortable. Just a second, fellas!" Jack said, snapping his bony fingers. Almost greedily, Jack reached forward and grabbed the drooping hat off of Santa's head, revealing a wisp of white hair that was gathered on the top of his otherwise bald head.

"Of course! That's what I'm missing," Jack 'realized', much to the disappointment of Sally. "Thanks."

"But…but! You just can't…"

The rest of Santa's sentence was cut off as he was forced back into the bag. Barrel secured the rope tightly this time, giggling evilly as he did. It wasn't long until Santa and his captors were well on their way. In the meantime, Jack was practicing his Santa routine.

"Ho, ho, ho…no. Ho, ho, ho!" Jack bellowed experimentally. Behind him and unheard, both Sally and Victoria were whispering quietly.

Simultaneously, they said, "This is much worse than I thought, much worse."

Then, "I know!"

For a moment, the two stared at each other, Sally with a look of confusion, and Victoria with a look of sudden awareness.

"You know what?" she asked Sally cautiously. Sally cast a mournful glance over at the Santa skeleton for a moment, and then looked back at the waiting Victoria.

"Well…I think I have a way to stop Jack from entering the real world. I hate to crush his spirits, though."

Victoria shook her head and said, "Sometimes you have to hurt some feelings if you want to do the right thing. How about this: I follow those kids and get Santa Claus back, and you stop Jack from going into the real world. Okay?"

After a second of consideration, Sally nodded with a small smile.

"Good. See you when I see you," Victoria said, and with that, she was off.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

From inside the bag, Santa's rumbling voice was barely audible.

"Me on vacation? On Christmas Eve?"

Barrel, who sat comfortably on top of the bulging bag, kicked the top of it lightly with his foot. Shock followed Lock, who confidently led the way.

"Where are we taking him?" Shock asked irritably. She hated it when Lock kept things from her.

Barrel added, "Where?" Lock smiled in a way that could have almost been mistaken for charming instead of poisonous.

"To Oogie Boogie, of course! There's no place in the world more comfortable than that. And Jack did say to make him comfortable, didn't he?"

Shock and Barrel grinned slyly, answering, "Yes, he did."

From the bag again, Santa shouted, "Haven't you ever heard of peace on earth and goodwill towards men?"

"NO!"

Victoria was running to catch up with the three demonic children and their tub, trying not to wear herself out too much in the process. She was a bit grateful for the chilly fall weather; she was sure she wouldn't have survived if it was Independence Day Town with its sweltering July temperatures. Bravely, if not foolishly, Victoria called out to them when she was close enough.

"Hey! HEY!" she shouted. To her relief, the bathtub came to a halt in front of her and the children turned around.

"What do you want?" Lock sneered. This Victoria person seemed like she became more and more authoritative by the minute, and he couldn't stand people like that. Victoria took a second to regain her breath, and then she started to talk again.

"You remember that little conversation we had in the tree house the other day?" Victoria said coldly. Shock and Lock shook their heads vigorously, but Barrel merely stared at her.

"Let me refresh your memory," Victoria said, grabbing a pitchfork and holding it up dangerously to Barrel's eye level.

In a mock sing-song voice, Victoria sang,

"You can't kidnap Santa Claus,

You'll have to go through me!"

Cautiously, Shock asked, "What are you going to do, then?" She glanced angrily at the pitchfork that Victoria held at Barrel's head.

Victoria considered this a moment, and then she used the pitchfork to point to the bag.

"You let him out, and I won't have to get violent," Victoria said forcefully. Shock seemed like she had just remembered something, and then pointed at the other girl. Her hand began to glow a bright green. Victoria's stomach seemed to drop down to her stomach as a green bolt rushed toward her in the blink of an eye. The pitchfork was knocked from her hands as she flew backwards. While trying to catch her breath, Victoria noticed a bright green rope quickly coiling around her wrists and tying in a knot.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, tugging at the thick rope. It was no use. Suddenly, she felt like a hand was pulling at her wrists with amazingly strong force, dragging behind the bathtub where Barrel sat backwards, looking at her bemusedly.

"Hope you don't mind coming along for the ride," Barrel said cheerfully, "I'm sure Oogie Boogie can find room for both you and Sandy Claws!" His companions sniggered with glee as they took their two new captives to their tree house.

After much pulling and resisting, Victoria was getting tired out. They were now heading up a ramp that Victoria hadn't seen before, one that led up to the house that was nestled among the spidery branches. Soon the bathtub burst through the doors. The same rusty, metallic smell wafted around Victoria as soon as the glinting, sharp weapons came into view.

Shock finally stopped in front of the large tube, letting Santa out of the bag. The children giggled madly as they forced Santa headfirst into the tube, pushing him in with a plunger, a broom, and the infamous pitchfork.

Santa's echoing voice called to them, "Don't do this! Naughty children never get any presents!" However, Lock, Shock, and Barrel merely laughed at Santa's pleas.

"I think he might be too big!" Shock grunted as she pushed.

"No, he's not. If he can fit down a chimney, he can fit through here!" Lock replied as he managed to finally shove him down. Clanking noises were made until a few seconds later, when an unpleasant thump signaled Santa's landing.

The children then turned to Victoria with malicious grins.

"Now you!" Shock ordered, beckoning her with a glowing green hand. Victoria was tugged violently by the magical rope, making her levitate and slide into the opening of the tube. Miraculously, she managed to flip onto her stomach and grab the rim with her hands. With a frown, Lock grabbed the pitchfork from Barrel and aimed it at her fingers.

Instinctively, Victoria let go. As she slid down the pipe, she could hear the laughter of the children following her. Despite the slippery metal, Victoria was able to roll over again, and she held herself back with her shoes. She slid down much more slowly now. It wasn't long before she had overcome all of the twists and curves and was staring at the opening. Luckily, the end of the tube evened out just enough so that she wouldn't fall if she kept herself away from the edge.

Noises came from below her. Noises that didn't belong to Santa, noises that came from someone else. With difficulty, Victoria twisted herself around so that she was lying on her stomach and facing the opening like a child on a rug, watching television. She inched carefully towards the edge, just enough so that she could see what was happening to poor Santa.

Santa was on a wheel. His hands had been tied with the same green rope, except his were held high above his head. They drooped down slightly over the edge of the table-like wheel, and his boots did the same on the other side. He looked around wildly for some kind of villain or criminal. Soon enough, his villain was found.

Suddenly, neon lights seemed to fill the area, making Santa's coat turn a vivid purple. Victoria blinked once or twice to adjust. A pair of dice came sailing out of the air, hitting Santa on the beard harmlessly and bouncing off to make snake eyes. From her loft, Victoria watched in confusion.

A large, burlap sack appeared to lumber over to Santa Claus. It took Victoria a moment to realize that this was Oogie Boogie. He was large, larger than anyone she had seen in Halloween Town, even Behemoth or the bass player. A cruel smile played across his face as he surveyed Santa, who glared defiantly back at him. Greenish tints covered the yellow-grey of his natural skin, and his eyes and mouth were a beady black. To Victoria's surprise, Oogie began to sing.

"Well, well, well! What have we here?

Santa Claus, huh? Oh, I'm really scared!

So you're the one everyone's talking about, ha, ha, ha!"

Victoria squirmed uncomfortably in her place as she saw Oogie take Santa and pick him up, mocking him directly.

"How dare he talk to Santa like that?" Victoria whispered furiously. The rest of her thoughts were drowned out by Oogie Boogie as he continued.

"You're joking. You're joking!
I can't believe my eyes!
You're kidding me, you gotta be.

This can't be the right guy!

He's ancient, he's ugly.

I don't know which is worse!

I might just split a seam here

If I don't die laughing first."

"Looks a right sight better than you do," Victoria muttered to Oogie as if he could hear her.

"Now, Mr. Oogie Boogie says

There's trouble close at hand.

You better pay attention now,

Cause I'm the Boogie man!

And if you aren't shaking,

There's something very wrong.

Cause this might be the last time

That you hear the Boogie Song."

Victoria watched as the neon lights lit up skeletons and bats, who all began to echo Oogie as he danced around his lair.

"Whoa-oh!"

"Whoa-oh"

"Whoa-oh!"

"Whoa-oh!"

"Whoa-oh!"

"Whoa-oh!"

"I'm the Oogie Boogie man!"

At this point, Santa broke in, singing as well.

"Release me now, or you must face the dire consequences!

The children are expecting me, so please, come to your senses."

Oogie snatched Santa up again, laughing mockingly.

"You're joking, you're joking!

I can't believe my ears!

Would someone shut this fella up?

I'm drowning in my tears.

It's funny, I'm laughing!

You really are too much.

And now, with your permission,

I'm going to do my stuff."

Oogie had now cornered Santa, making a miniature snake flicker out of his mouth every now and then. Santa was now quite worried.

"What are you going to do?" he stammered.

Smart-alecky, Oogie replied, "I'm gonna do the best I can."

Victoria's fists clenched tightly. A deep dislike for this Oogie Boogie was welling up deep down inside of her, as if it had been there all along. Still, Oogie sang on.

"WHOA! The sound of rolling dice to me is

Music in the air!
Cause I'm a gambling Boogie man,

Although I don't play fair.

It's much more fun, I must confess,

When lives are on the line.

Not mine, of course, but yours, old boy!

Now that'd be just fine."

Oogie now had Santa rigged up to a pulley that lifted him by the ropes on his wrist. Santa, who was becoming infuriated, interjected.

"Release me fast, or you will have to

Answer for this heinous act!"

Either Oogie really thought that this was all terribly funny, or he was ignoring Santa, because he still went on with his song.

"Oh, brother! You're something!

You put me in a spin!

You aren't comprehending

The position that you're in.

You're hopeless! You're finished!

You haven't got a prayer.

Cause I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie,

And you ain't going nowhere."

Oogie's cruel laughs mingled in with those of the kids above her. However, the children's laughs faded away faster, which meant they were leaving. Victoria was racking her brain by trying to figure out how she was to escape from the lair, when suddenly, her wrists felt looser. She looked down. The rope had been cut when she was chewing on it during the song (by habit). Relief flooded her senses. Maybe now she could get help for Santa.

After a few shaky steps, Victoria climbed up the metal chute quite easily. She discovered that she had a knack for escaping tight places ever since she came to Halloween Town. At first, she glanced around nervously for any sign of Lock, Shock, or Barrel. There were none. She climbed out of the tree house, ready to tell Jack about Santa, if he would listen, or more importantly, if Sally had succeeded with her mission.

Victoria: I didn't know I'd have to climb back up it, too! (rubs sore hands)

Musically: You determine your own fate, Ms. Letsuseviolencetosolveourproblems.

Jack: I thought that was you who decided our fates.

Musically: Why, of course not. How would I be able to do that? You know I wouldn't mess around with greater powers like that... (sinister grin) ...Mwuaha..mwuahahahaha!