From Little Flame to Raging Fire

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Chapter 1

"I don't know about this, Xavier."

Xavier smirked. "Oh, c'mon, Arachnid. This'll be fun."

Arachnid Skellington constantly looked around, as though he was afraid something was about to jump out and bite him. After all, if something could frighten the mighty Arachnid Skellington, king of Halloween Town and master of fright, then it must be pretty damn deadly.

They were an odd pair, Arachnid and Xavier. Arachnid was a skeleton with a oval shaped skull, big, wide eye sockets and a mouth that looked like it was stitched together. While Xavier, on the other hand, was a werewolf. Despite this, however, he didn't resemble a wolf. Xavier's hair was scruffy and black, a few bits of grey here there (inherited from his father) and his eyes were a brilliant blue. The only things separating his appearance from an ordinary man's was the pointed ears, the sharp canine teeth, the claws and the fur poking out of his shirt. His ratty old grey suit looked raggedy in contrast to Arachnid's royal, pinstriped suit and spider web bowtie. "But Father said we're not allowed to do this!"

Xavier rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Arachnid. Your father's dead-"

"Don't remind me."

"Sorry. Anyway, you're king. You make the rules. Besides, what's scaring a couple of humans gonna do?"

"Get us arrested!"

Xavier laughed. "Don't be such a scaredy cat."

"I am not a scaredy cat!"

"Yes, you are. I bet you can't even climb up that tree." Xavier challenged, nodding to a tree.

Arachnid glanced at it. The branches were thin and didn't have many leaves. Arachnid looked back to the werewolf. "Of course I can."

"Well, go on then."

Arachnid paused. "R-Right now?"

"Yes. Right now."

Arachnid looked back to the tree and gulped nervously. "Unless you're too scared." Xavier taunted, grinning.

"I am not." Arachnid replied. "I'll prove it." Arachnid walked over to the tree and took hold of a branch, pulling himself up and stepping onto a different branch.

"That's it, Arachnid." Xavier called. "Climb!"

Arachnid grumbled to himself and, when he was satisfied with how much of the tree he had climbed, he sat down on a branch. "There you go, Xavier! I climbed the blasted tree!"

Xavier smiled and climbed up. Due to his claws (and experience), he got up the tree much quicker then Arachnid had. Xavier smiled at his friend as he sat next to him.

The werewolf and the skeleton had been friends since they were both children, since their fathers knew each other. They had gotten along almost instantly (albeit Xavier stealing Arachnid's lollipop, making Arachnid cry).

"Xavier, look…"

Xavier turned to him. "Hm?" Xavier looked over Arachnid's shoulder, placing his hands there. "Whatcha found?" He paused.

They were looking into someone's garden and staring at the young lady sitting on the ground with her back to them, kneeling over her plants and humming a happy tune. Her dress was black and fitting and her hands were covered by gardening gloves.

Arachnid blinked. Her brown hair came down in wavy locks over her shoulder blades.

"Wonder what she looks like from the front…" Xavier muttered, and Arachnid knew exactly where his friend's eyes were located. The skeleton frowned.

The young woman in the garden stood up and took off her gloves, running her hands through her brown locks and smiled. Both men's mouths made little 'o' shapes at the sight of her. She was beautiful, with pale, creamy skin and deep brown eyes.

"Pretty…" Xavier muttered. He grinned. "Bet she'd be a good scare, huh, Arachnid?" He patted Arachnid on the back, apparently a little too harshly; as Arachnid tumbled forward and fell, straight out of the tree. "Arachnid!"

Arachnid fell with a large thud on the hard soil of her garden. He'd hit his chin as he landed and groaned in pain; fixing his jaw bone, which had gone out of place.

The woman turned and saw him. "Are you o-" She stopped herself and shrieked as Arachnid sat up. Arachnid looked up at her, just as the end of a shovel came down and whacked him on the head.

"Ow!" Arachnid yelped and rubbed his head. He whined, "That hurt!"

The woman stared at him, eyes wide with fear and panic; clutching the shovel so tightly her knuckles were white. "Who…What are you?"

Arachnid stood slowly but, before he could reply to her question, she cried for help. Arachnid panicked and quickly covered her mouth with one hand. "Please, don't scream…anymore then you already have. I'm not here to hurt you. I fell out of the tree. My friend accidentally pushed me."

The woman slowed her breathing.

"Now," Arachnid said calmly. "I'm going to let go, so please don't scream. Ok?"

The woman nodded.

Arachnid slowly took his hand away from her mouth and she gulped, but didn't scream. Arachnid sighed in relief.

"W-Who…?" The woman trailed off.

"My name is Arachnid. Arachnid Skellington. And you are…?" Arachnid asked politely.

The woman hesitated, then said, "Amanda."

"Well, lovely to meet you, Amanda." Arachnid held out his hand.

Amanda stared at it, but didn't take it. Arachnid realized this, then slowly took his hand back. "Ok, no handshake. That's fine."

"That's not a costume…" Amanda muttered, then put a hand to her forehead. "I must be dreaming…"

"Oh, no. No dream." Arachnid turned to the tree, wanting some help from Xavier. But he wasn't there. "He abandoned me…" Arachnid muttered. He turned back to Amanda. "Are you alright?"

"A bit faint, I think…" Amanda replied.

"Well, I'll catch you."

"Thank you."

And Amanda fell. The last thing she saw was the tall skeleton darting across to catch her.

…

Amanda awoke to warmth and the smell of…coffee? She sat up, realizing she was laying on something soft, and put a hand on her head. Eyes darting around the room, she realized that she was in her living room, on the sofa. Then…who was making coffee? She didn't live with anyone…

"Hello, there."

Amanda looked up and the skeleton from earlier was smiling at her, holding a cup and saucer. "I hope you're feeling alright."

Amanda hesitated, still weary of this new person (if she could call him that), but nodded anyway.

"Oh, good. I made you some coffee." He held out the cup and saucer.

Amanda took from him and stared at the brown liquid in the cup. She took a tentative sip, then smiled lightly and put the cup and saucer on the table. She turned to him and tried to be polite. "What're you doing here?"

Arachnid paused. "What? Here, as in your home, or here as in the Human World?"

Amanda paused, raising an eyebrow. "Both…"

"Oh, well, my friend- Xavier, that's his name- and I came to the Human World to scare people."

"Scare people?"

"It's a hobby." Arachnid shrugged.

"So…you meant to scare me?"

"Not you, specifically. We were…Well, we spotted you in your garden, and we were just curious…"

Amanda looked at her lap. Ok, so she had a skeleton in her living room, that was ok…Wasn't it? "Where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't, but I'm from Halloween Town." He did a little twirl, arms out. "Pumpkin King Arachnid Skellington-" He spotted when he heard something and turned.

A vase, which had been perched up on the shelf, had fallen over and now lay in at least a hundred pieces on the floor. Arachnid gasped and fell to his knees. "I can't fix this." He said quickly, picking up some pieces and trying to see how they fixed together.

Amanda giggled at his hospitality. "It's ok. That's just something my brother told me to get. To be honest, I've never liked it, but it made him happy."

"O-Oh…"

…

Xavier ran through the streets, panicking. Arachnid had been kidnapped, he just knew it! Admittedly, he hadn't stayed to find out, because that human had hit Arachnid over the head with a shovel. Xavier had to get help. This was their king, for God's sake! He couldn't let him get hurt!

Xavier slammed his fist onto the door of the Mayor's home, and the cone-shaped, short man opened the door, dressed in pyjamas and a nightcap. He rubbed at one eye drowsily. "Xavier…? That you?"

"Arachnid's been kidnapped!" Xavier exclaimed.

The Mayor jumped in surprise. "What?"

"By humans! He's been kidnapped by humans!" Xavier scratched at the back of his head. "Oh, man. They're probably torturing him right now!"

…

"…And so, she said, 'But we're out of Witch Hazel!' and the rest is history!" Arachnid concluded, sitting opposite Amanda in an armchair. He burst into laughter and so did the human woman.

Amanda put a hand in front of her mouth to try and silence her laughter. "Oh, Arachnid…" She muttered through her laughs.

Arachnid's laughter died down and he glanced at the clock. "Oh, my…" He muttered. "That time already? I'm afraid I've got to go."

"Really?" Amanda asked as Arachnid stood. "Then…perhaps you can visit me…Perhaps tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes." Arachnid said. "That sounds horrible!"

Amanda paused, then frowned. "It does…?"

Arachnid pondered, then realized something. "Oh, no! Horrible means good where I come from…Well, in certain occasions- such as this one!" He quickly added. "I mean, I don't fully understand it…I just…talk…"

Oh, god. If Xavier was here, he would be laughing at how foolish Arachnid was being. Oh, God, she must think I'm such a fool!

Amanda, instead, smiled. "Oh, well then, have a, um, 'horrible' night, Arachnid."

Arachnid paused, then nodded slowly. "Yes…You too…"

…

"Ok, here's the plan." Xavier said. "We barge right into their home, grab Arachnid, then get the hell out of there. And we'll beat up a couple of humans if we have to!"

The Mayor nodded, still dressed in his night attire. "Right."

"Let's go!" Xavier exclaimed and charged. Almost immediately, he stopped; making the Mayor walk into him.

Arachnid was skipping- bloody skipping!- down the street, a bright smile on his face. Xavier and the Mayor glanced at each other, then back at Arachnid. "Evening, gentlemen." Arachnid sighed happily.

"Arachnid! You ok?" Xavier asked, rushing toward him.

"Oh, I'm fine, Xavier. More then fine! Oh, Xavier, she was so lovely!" Arachnid exclaimed, hands clasped together.

"What? Who?"

"Amanda! That human woman we saw! She's lovely! She gave me coffee and we talked and talked and talked! It was wonderful…" Arachnid explained.

"Are you crazy?" Xavier asked.

"No! And- hey, wait a minute." Arachnid stopped, then frowned and put his hands on his hips. "You left me!"

"I panicked!" Xavier exclaimed. "But I was gonna come back to free you!"

"Free me?"

"Yes! She coulda killed you!"

"You wouldn't have cared."

"Now, that's harsh, Arachnid. I just panicked, ok?"

"Well," Arachnid said, shutting his eye sockets. "I'm going back tomorrow."

"What?"

"Come with me, if you're that worried."

Xavier growled angrily and tugged at his hair. "I can't believe you've made friends with a human!"

"Well, I have and she's lovely. I'm going back tomorrow and that's that." Arachnid walked passed him. "Goodnight, you two."

"Arachnid!" Xavier yelled, running after him.

…

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of grey eyes had been watching them. A man's head poked out from the bush he was hiding in, his caramel coloured hair covered in dead leaves and small twigs. He stood up, picking up his over-sized, pirate-styled hat from where it had dropped off of his head, and brushed off the dirt from it. He put his hat back on, then brushed off dirt from his large, orange coat. He blinked his grey eyes. "A human…? King Arachnid's made friends…with a human…?" He panicked and turned. "Oh, man…I'd better tell Montarg about this…" And he ran off toward his home.

…

Author's note:

Me: Yay! First chapter! And the first time you guys meet Xavier!

Mav: That's…my dad…?

Me: Yep, that's your dad.

Mav: Wow…he's cool.

Me: So, what will Arachnid do now?

Mav: Will Dad accept his friendship with Mum?

Mav + Me: Find out next time!

Mav: Glad you're all as excited as we are! *Smiles*