Got some people questioning just what the heck Jade is. I figured her more along the lines of a type of imp. I think I even said that and in this chapter she introduces herself as one. It seems weird, yes, but I wanted something random yet kinda odd, like the characters Tim Burton comes up with. If it doesn't come off that way, then oh well. She looks a certain way in my head and if it's too strange for you then imagine her however you want, even if that is a gargoyle. Either way, hopefully the story itself will at least be enjoyable.


I came back into consciousness surrounded by warmth and a sweet smell clogging my sensitive nose. It was a little less bright but still not as dark as I would have preferred. Something damp and warm touched my cheek and I jolted fully awake, scrambling over soft sheets of a bed to fall off the side and onto the floor. I backed up until I was pressed into a corner. I eyed the space under the bed briefly but thought better of it. I was in an unknown place with unknown people, and after learning of the mortal world shooting down Jack in order to stop him in the past I had to be on my guard.

"It's ok. I'm the only one here," a gentle yet firm voice spoke to me. I focused on the girl speaking and marveled at her beauty. The lights in the room were off but the colorful additions from outside shone on her through the window. She had an angular face, tanned skin that looked warm, and the most welcoming gaze I had ever seen on anyone. They were a soft brown like chocolate, rich and captivating. She smiled and it triggered a crooked one on my own face. She wore a purple version of the clothes the redhead had worn.

"I saw the stitches and, um...did you want them taken out?" she tentatively inquired, setting down the damp rag she held and stepping closer while raising a small pair of scissors. I tried to relax and nodded, allowing her closer. She came over, movements slow, and crouched down in front of me. Mother would be mad if I removed them but I was done letting her tell me what to do. Plus, I really wanted to be able to talk right now.

"Ok then. Hold still," she cautioned. Her left hand reached out and carefully made contact with my cheek, cupping under my jaw so that she could angle my face up. My eyes closed involuntarily at the warmth of her skin.

"What did you get yourself into?" she wondered under her breath, her eyes on my mouth where she was working on snipping off the wiry thread sealing my lips. My brows creased and my eyes flicked to her own. She caught my gaze then and her movements ceased.

"Your eyes are glowing…" she mumbled. If I could blush I would. My eyes only glowed when I was experiencing strong emotions. She was fascinating, and being here, no matter how uncertain I was, excited me. That must have been the reason. I waited patiently for her to get back to work and then finish, her slender fingers sliding the thread loose.

"There," she said, sitting back on her knees after setting the scissors on the nearby desk. I flexed my jaw with a sigh, rubbing at it while I continued to flex the stilted muscles in my face. I could feel the holes healing. She gasped suddenly and I looked up at her, wondering what made her eyes go wide with fear. Or was that wonder? That was strange.

"Sorry. It's just that, your teeth…" she commented. Oh, my fangs. I smiled, revealing the rows of razor sharp teeth I could alternately use. She just stared.

"So, you really are from Halloween Town," she finally whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Yes, and this is Christmas Town," I replied. It was weird to hear my voice after going so long without it. She nodded.

"Who are you? What do you call yourself?" I continued, crossing my legs and bringing my tail around to curl at my side. I watched as she scanned over me, lingering on my swaying tail and clawed feet before meeting my gaze again.

"I'm an elf. I help Santa Clause make toys for the children of the mortal world. I'm a new helper in the factory this year along with Cat. You know, the girl you saved," she answered. So that was who helped make the toys. Why in the world were children given toys anyway? Treats and tricks were way better, but whatever. If children didn't like it then it wouldn't still be needed.

"What about you?" she inquired.

"I'm an imp. I scare children by playing tricks or pranks on them during Halloween and add treats to their trick-or-treat bags if they're good sports about it," I responded. She made a face but seemed to come to the same conclusion that I had about her holiday. I looked away from her curious and searching eyes to idly scratch at the wooden floor under me with a sharp nail.

"What's your name?" she asked next.

"Skirra," I answered quickly, refusing to give her my real one just yet.

"Like the origin of the word 'scare', meaning 'to frighten'?" she elaborated with a quirked brow and knowing smile. I looked up at her, wondering how she knew that.

"It's also related to skjarr, meaning 'timid' or 'shy'. Did you know that?" she said, her smile growing when my face said it all. I hadn't known that. In fact, I was certain she was teasing me now because I really was feeling a little timid and shy. No one ever made me feel that way.

"Jade," I stated gruffly, needing to change that.

"Hmm?" she said, her head canted.

"My real name is Jade," I clarified, looking her right in the eyes.

"My name's Victoria, but I like Tori better. It's nice to meet you. Especially someone from such a different holiday as mine. We haven't come in contact with anyone from Halloween Town since that fiasco years ago with your king, Jack Skellington," she told me.

"You know about that?" I questioned her.

"It's a story passed around here all the time. Hasn't it been told to you?" she countered.

"Yes, but…" I confirmed with a single nod before contemplating something else. Tori waited for me to keep going.

"You aren't scared? That other elf was," I said, staring at her curiously. She fidgeted and looked at the floor before shrugging.

"I kinda always wanted to meet someone from the other holidays, someone from Halloween Town being at the top of the list," she admitted.

"Really?" I said with a small laugh.

"Yeah. Um, is that weird?" she wondered. I shook my head.

"Heck no. I always wanted to go to a different holiday's world with this place being the first I would go to. Here I am. So I guess we both got what we wanted, right?" I replied, my smirk falling back into place again. She laughed but nodded in agreement.

"Is she up?" another voice questioned. We both looked up to see an older woman in red and white come in along with the girl from earlier.

"Oh, Mrs. Claus! I hope this wasn't a bother!" Tori hastily addressed, getting to her feet rather clumsily. I suppressed a chuckle and pushed myself up too. I was prepared to feel pain in my side but then I remembered just how much time must have passed so I was sure I was fully healed by now. I shifted a little and realized that I had been bandaged.

"Oh no dear, not at all. We extend help to any who need it," Mrs. Claus responded in a gentle tone.

"I'm so glad to see you're feeling better. Cat told me you heroically stepped in when those troublemakers were bullying her and you got injured in the altercation before you were thrown here with her. It seems she dragged you all the way from Yuletide Hill down to the entrance to town before Tori here noticed and helped her the rest of the way. You're in good hands," she said, turning to me.

"Thank you. I didn't mean to intrude or overstep boundaries, but as you can see, I kinda had no choice," I replied, grateful but running a hand through my hair with some discomfort. This place was so cheery and strange but they were hospitable enough. I felt out of place. It wasn't that those from Halloween Town were mean, it was our job to cause fear, but at the same time we weren't a cheery bunch. We excelled in the stoic, creepy, or plain crazy.

"It wasn't a problem dear. If you're feeling better Tori and Cat can show you the way back. You must want to return home," Mrs. Claus continued.

"Yeah, I do," I muttered, glancing at Tori who was already looking at me with a small smile and a calculating look. When she realized I caught her she looked down with a blush. I laughed internally at her endearing behavior.

"I can't go with you guys. I was assigned to the present machine. Robbie told me he was going to show me how to use it and then Andre needs me to help him with something too," Cat spoke up, pouting slightly.

"I don't want to hold you up any more than I have already. Thanks for the help but I should get going," I directed at her, walking over to hold out a hand. She took it, a look of awe on her face, before she crushed me in a hug that was surprisingly strong for someone so small. I grimaced and pried her off then stepped back. Mrs. Clause smiled warmly at me and I made sure to shake her hand too before looking back at Tori, gesturing for her to lead the way. She was ready with a bright smile on her face.

"I'll be quick," she said to Mrs. Claus who nodded.

"Come on," she chirped, nudging my arm as she passed. I glanced once more at the red headed elf and the kind woman next to her then followed Tori. We left the room we were in to come out into a small yet spacious room filled with chairs and stuff. I think the mortals called it a living room. Hm, they seem to follow the mortals' way of life in a way we never do. We all have a place but most of us prefer outdoor locations rather than buildings. I followed her to the door and we walked out on a snowy walkway. Following that took us out on a wide stretch of open snow that cut through the brightly lit town and branched off in some parts. It was all so new and interesting and it dawned on me that I had an urge to make the most of the situation before I had to go. Who knew when I would get another opportunity.

"So, you wanna do a little exploring before I go?" I suggested, smirking at Tori. She seemed caught off guard for a moment before looking around like someone could have heard, biting her lip anxiously.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" she mumbled, avoiding my eyes.

"Aw come on. It'll be fun. I always wanted to see this place, remember?" I reminded her.

"Yeah, you see it, now it's time for you to go home," she sternly replied, pushing at me with warm hands splayed against my back. I launched into the air to escape, so without me there she flailed forward but I caught her before she could face plant into the snow. I hovered over her, gripping her by the back of her sweater. I pulled her back on her feet and then pushed through the air to hover in front of her.

"Don't be a buzzkill," I stated casually.

"I'm not. I just think we shouldn't. I mean, yes, you didn't mean to come here, but we shouldn't push it, you know?" she hesitantly replied, wringing her hands. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't know. Look, you have to live a little," I persisted, flying closer to take her hand in mine and tug her forward.

"Now show me," I continued to persuade. She allowed me to move her a few steps before she dug in her heels again and I sighed.

"But it's against the rules. You should go home as soon as possible," she declined, bowing her head.

"I don't care much for rules. I never got along well with them. In fact, rules can bite me. I have better things to do that include not following them," I intoned, squeezing her hand in mine. When she didn't look at me or even say a word against my latest attempt and just stood there worrying her lip, I resorted to desperate measures. I wasn't an imp for nothing. I flew in close to her and used my free hand to hold her softly by the chin, tilting her head up so that she looked into my eyes. I could see the excitement making them glow and reflect in her own. Now, I didn't call it 'hypnotizing' or something stupid like that, but the glowing eyes of an imp could lure or persuade almost anyone into mischief. I watched as she was caught in my gaze even after trying to blink it away a few times.

"Please, Tori? Just a quick tour and then I'll go right after. We'll have fun. I promise," I whispered, smirking when she groaned and pulled away from my hand.

"Fine. But do you really promise you'll go right after?" she inquired, a brow raised.

"I promise you'll have fun. Isn't that enough?" I answered slyly, chuckling when she began to sputter.

"Let's go Miss-Wrapped-Up-Too-Tight. We have exploring to do!" I exclaimed, scooping her off the ground and flying high into the sky. She shrieked and clung to me but I just laughed. I took her into a stomach clenching loop then swooped down to land on the snow covered roof of what looked to be the toy factory.

"Oh…my…gosh…I think-I think I'm going…to be sick," she gasped, leaning on her knees to brace herself as soon as I set her down. I laughed and patted her back.

"You'll be fine. It'll pass. So where should we start?" I replied. She glared at me and swallowed before taking a deep breath to steady herself. She stood up straight and looked around.

"We could visit the reindeer. It's where Santa Claus keeps his sleigh too," she proposed. That was good enough. I nodded, stepping closer to hold out a hand to her.

"Let's go," I urged. She looked at my hand like it was the last thing she wanted to do, but sighed and eventually placed her own in mine. I yanked her into my arms and took off fast so that I could get into the air and then cruised using the drafts of cool wind.

"Over there," she pointed out below us. I looked down to see a tall wooden red gate arranged in a huge circle. To one side the big red sleigh was parked and on the other side were the reindeer in their pens. I descended in a circular manner until we landed on solid ground again. Tori pushed away from me and started taking deep calming breaths before attempting to talk.

"You can look, but please don't touch. And if the reindeer put up a fuss then stay clear. We can't draw any attention," she cautioned. I ran over to stand next to the sleigh and marveled at the intricate designs etched into it. I then turned around to approach the reindeer but they were already fully aware that I was there. They stared at me with wide eyes and perked ears as I walked closer. I reached out and carefully ran my hand over the side of one with a bright red nose. The others began shifting nervously but the one I petted just looked at me, unaffected. I stepped away so that they would calm down and Tori appeared next to me.

"Rudolf likes you," she said, looking at the reindeer that allowed me to touch him.

"Most animals don't. I guess they feel threatened. I would never hurt anyone or anything," I replied with a wry yet mildly sad smile, glancing at the others who were still eyeing me warily. A silence fell between us before Tori placed her hand on my arm.

"Wanna see the tree?" she offered.

"What's so special about a tree?" I responded, unimpressed.

"Oh, you'll see," she answered. Her smile was infectious and made me smirk in place of a returned smile.

"Alright," I agreed. I scooped her into my arms and she giggled this time.

"Hey, this isn't a joy ride. I'm not doing this to be nice or anything. I just don't want to have to wait on your slow walking. Plus, I hoped it would scare you. So be scared," I chided. However, an unintentional hint of playfulness seeped in with the words. She hid another laugh and made a big deal of acting scared, clinging to me with fear on her face before she buried it in my shoulder. I smiled at that and then launched into the air. I twisted through it and stopped high above town.

"Where to?" I inquired. She pointed to a giant tree at the center of a plaza off to the left so I darted over, fitting in another tight loop that I came out of into a free fall. Tori screamed and I laughed, full of euphoria with her fright. I pulled out of the drop at the last minute and landed gracefully right in front of the lit up tree. I set her down and she swooned so that I had to catch her or she would fall.

"Hey, you ok?" I asked, knowing full well she wasn't. She tried to glare but it dropped when she swayed on the spot again. I held her up and she just made use of it, leaning back on me. I wanted to cross my arms but she was in the way so I just wrapped them around her middle.

"It's beautiful," I observed, looking up at the tree, all the way to the gold star perched on the top.

"Yeah," she murmured, most likely still preoccupied with being too ill to properly speak. We stood like that in silence before she finally spoke up with a much more steady tone.

"The only other place that's worth looking at is the factory, but we can't go there so we should start heading for Yuletide Hill to get you home," she stated. She slid from my arms and it was then I took note of how comfortable I had been. I wasn't a fan of anyone getting in my space, but with Tori, I didn't mind. I felt like I could trust her.

"Ok," I agreed, causing her to shoot me a surprised look.

"What?" I inquired.

"You just agreed without a fight," she responded. I shrugged and dragged my clawed toe through the snow uneasily.

"You're growing on me…" I admitted. Her smile was adoring so I continued flippantly.

"Like a tumor," I added. She frowned and I laughed.

"It's a good thing. Believe me," I insisted. She looked unconvinced but let out a sigh and indicated to follow her. She led me out to the main street and then we followed it to the entrance. We passed under the archway that was lit up as well, bearing the name of the town on posts that were striped with white and red. We walked up a somewhat steep hill and the snow slowly became deep. Tori was having trouble walking through it and I gave up a long time ago to hover instead. I watched her struggle a little longer before I took pity on her. I hauled her up from under her arms and flew the few feet to the top where I dropped her. She landed heavily, almost falling into the snow, and glared at me. I ignored the look and landed next to her. In front of us was the same line of trees with their respective doors.

"What I wouldn't give to go through them all," I muttered reverently.

"You're going home," she reminded me.

"Yes ma'am," I replied sarcastically, saluting her. I could see her trying to hold back a smile but she ultimately failed.

"So I guess this is it," she said, thrusting out her hand between us. I looked down at it and then back up to her warm brown eyes. I gripped her hand in mine gently and we shook once before she let go.

"It was nice meeting you, Jade," she carried on, seemingly unaffected.

"Yeah, you too. But it won't be the last," I stated. She tilted her head in confusion and narrowed her eyes. I couldn't just never come back. This place was everything Jack said it was, strange and wonderful and full of color. It should be annoyingly cheerful but it wasn't. It just gave off this feeling in my chest that was warm and secure. Geez, I sounded so cheesy.

"I want to see more and I would like it very much if you showed me," I requested.

"I-I can't…" she disagreed with a shake of her head and a step back.

"But..." I began, moving closer to look her in the eyes. She gasped and squeezed them shut.

"Don't," she ground out. I didn't even know I was trying to persuade her again. It was instinctive that time so I did as she said and directed my eyes to the white ground.

"I'll be back. Expect me here at any time. You could bring me a treat. I'm curious to see what kind you give to the mortal children," I told her, turning away when she said nothing. I pulled open the pumpkin shaped door but looked back at her. She stood knee deep in the snow with a mix of emotions on her face.

"I guess I'll see you then," she muttered, disjointedly. I nodded and then hopped into the darkness beyond.