6) Fire ~ The Nightmare Before Christmas
People don't learn things completely on their own. Not even I, Rachel Terrera, was able to learn without someone to guide me. Everyone needs a teacher to gain more experience, and that's just what Jack Skellington had when he was learning to become the Pumpkin King from his father.
Cedric Elroy, Jack's father, was a living scarecrow that could control fire. And later, Jack, who originally couldn't control fire, created a form for himself called 'The Pumpkin King' which could control fire. He would become like a scarecrow, just as his father was, and would be able to control the unsteady element. But it was hard, and even Jack knew his powers might not quite be ready for such a big step…
Jack was pacing around the living room in Cedric's house in Halloween Town. Cedric noticed his son's discomfort and asked, "What's wrong, Jack? You look troubled."
Jack nodded, "I know I have talent and power, but I'm still angry and annoyed with myself that I can't control fire like you." Cedric smiled wisely, knowing just the solution. But deep down, he knew it would be dangerous. This was Jack's only way of learning how to control the unstable element and if something bad happened, Jack may destroy himself in the process.
As those thoughts came to Cedric mind, he shuddered. "Take it from me, Jack. There is a way to learn, but if you get it wrong, you could be incinerated." Jack had only heard the first part of the second sentence, and immediately lit up.
"How?" He asked excitedly. Cedric sighed and motioned him to the training room. They went down, the light from Cedric's head acting like a jack-o-lantern and lighting the way, along with a flame within his hand. When they reached the bottom, Cedric pulled out a book from a shelf against the cave-like training room wall.
Scanning through it, he smiled sadly. It would be a difficult process, but he knew Jack could do it if he tried hard enough. All he needed was the strength, boldness, power, and, of course, the right teacher, all of which he did have.
"Okay Jack, the process is like this." Cedric explained, showing Jack the book. "You need to create a form for you to take on first." Cedric paused to let this sink in. Cedric added, "Remember the time I was training you and I transformed into that reaper creature to scare you?" Jack remembered easily…
"Well, kid…I hope you're ready for this…boy, you're going to be tired when I'm finished with you!" Cedric laughed maniacally, his voice echoing around the cave before, suddenly he totally disappeared. Cedric was gone.
Jack panicked, knowing very well he was probably about to get a scare. "Listen…" Jack's voice began shakily, his knees buckling. "…I know scaring is what you do best, but…" Jack gulped.
"And you need desensitizing." Cedric's voice came out of nowhere.
"Pardon?" Jack asked the cave walls. "Desensitizing?"
"I mean," Cedric explained wickedly. "The more scares you get…the less afraid you will become."
Jack didn't know where it came from, but a whole new determination hit him. "I'm not afraid of you!" Jack roared, gritting his teeth.
"That's the uspirit/u!" Cedric encouraged. "Excuse the pun." He laughed amusedly.
Putting one foot in front of the other, one hand in the shape of a fist and the other a claw, Jack stood defensively. "Come out and face me, you coward!" He taunted.
Turning on the spot, he wondered if Cedric was still there, but– "WOWHA!" Jack jumped a mile high, spinning around to see what could only be described as Death. His tall figure stepping towards poor Jack, its long black robes flowing behind like water, scythe clutched tightly in its moth eaten hand.
Upon seeing Jack so terrified, this muted creature reached deep within his robes to pull out a loosely tied noose, in which it continued to make its way towards Jack. The creature's hand, still holding the noose, was outstretched towards Jack.
Backing up, Jack felt unusual fear; he didn't know why he was so afraid, but the mere thought of having that rope around his neck brought frightened tears to his eye sockets.
Slowly, the slim dark figure was persistent to advance on Jack, who continued to back up right until he was against the cold stone cave wall, the freezing rock sending a chill up his spine.
He's never been so afraid in his life. It wasn't the tall figure or the eerie wind…but the noose he was holding that caused Jack's insides to freeze in terror.
"C-Cedric-c?" Jack whimpered the scarecrows name, being that he had always called him that since he had met him before he died. Now Jack was desperate for some kind of help.
Obvious to the fact that Jack wasn't to receive any sort of help, he turned his face to the side, not having enough guts to face him but more than to cover his face and totally pathetically melt.
In this rather helpless place, Jack's thoughts whizzed around his skull faster than normal, his chest heaving as he continued to think. There had to be a way, there just had to be, "…There's no such thing as impossible…" Jack reflected on the Cedric's teachings.
'S…Stop!" Jack began, shakily pointing his finger, totally oblivious to where this new bravery was coming from. "Keep away or I'll–!" He stopped, throwing his empty threat.
At this sudden outburst, the creature shrunk back, hand retracting slightly, as if almost interested in what Jack had to say.
"I-I-I um…" Jack began again, hands retracting and body quivering all over.
Cedric wouldn't let such harm come to him surely? But then again, the nagging voice at the back of his skull told Jack that Cedric wasn't here…Jack would just have to fight his own battles for once. Heck, he was soon to inherit the throne and become the king! A king…what great and glorious things came attached to that word. And what was Jack…? Backed up against the wall as floppy as a jelly-fish…some greatness!
Frowning deeply, Jack pushed off the wall, glaring into the dark hood of the creature. Where was being scare going to get him? Nowhere! Time to show a bit of backbone. Jack nodded to himself in thought as he took a step closer to this dark stranger.
Recognizing the challenge, the creature hissed lowly from inside his hood, though this did nothing to shake Jack.
"Get out…" Jack spoke lowly, a growl in his voice, "….of my town!"
There was a pause in which Jack's heart bounced around his rib cage, but much to his relief, the figure simply lowered its head in a respectful bow before it spoke up, "Your town, aye…?" It chuckled in Cedric's voice, before swirling strangely back into scarecrow form too…
Jack sighed, "Does this mean you're going to scare me and hope I'll be brave again?" He crossed his arms and glared at the scarecrow as Cedric smiled, chuckled and shook his head.
"No, I was talking about how I was able to transform into a reaper creature. That took practice, Jack, and a lot of it. And not many can do it and survive. I came here with the ability to control fire. You did not. If you want to learn, it'll be a difficult process."
Jack nodded, "I'm ready."
The two worked for hours, doing different techniques. Cedric even gave Jack fire to hold, but it only ended up burning him. Finally, when it came close to both of them giving up, Jack got an idea.
"Wait! Why don't I try to be more like you? You're the one who controls fire, not a werewolf or a vampire, so why don't I take on a form that looks like a scarecrow."
Cedric blinked and then chuckled, "Oh yes, this should be amusing." Several more hours went by, and they used different techniques that Cedric had been taught when learning to control his abilities. And finally, came the moment we've all been waiting for…
"Are you sure you want to try this, Jack?" Cedric asked the skeleton as Jack held a torch in his hands in front of him. "I mean, that potion is supposed to make you inflammable, but it hasn't been perfected enough yet. It might not work. And I don't think I want to see my son go down the way I did."
Jack smiled, "I can do this." And with that, Cedric watched fearfully as Jack threw the fire to his feet. But as it rose, Jack wasn't being burned. If anything, it only tickled a little bit. As soon as it engulfed him completely, Jack felt a new feeling. It was like the fire was alive, but his will was overpowering it. Next thing he knew, the fire was being sucked towards him and his body was shifting.
Jack knew what to do. He filled his head with one picture: himself as a scarecrow. It didn't look exactly like Cedric, but it was close enough. When the fire was gone, Jack looked down at himself.
"It worked!" They said together.
"Try something! A trick or just throwing fireballs!" Cedric instructed enthusiastically, overjoyed that Jack had succeeded. Jack concentrated, bringing the fire within his soul into his hand and throwing it outward. It hit a torch and immediately ignited.
"Yes!" Jack and Cedric shouted together. Jack did a few more fire tricks before transforming back, bats emanating from him as his skeletal form reappeared.
"Excellent!" Jack said. "And it's about time! Now that's what I call a good day of training!"
Cedric chuckled, "Just remember…don't burn down the town." Jack grumbled as he and Cedric made their way upstairs, Cedric still laughing happily at his son's success.
Author's Comments: This is by far my favorite story in this series as of now. A little info about this part specifically.
Cedric (c) Ladybirdbuzz on deviantART
Ideas are based off of the stories Metal Wings by Ladybirdbuzz and The Nightmare of Her Dreams by Mystic Spirit Angel on , plus the game Oogie's Revenge...
Metal Wings: The italicized part in the middle is directly from that story. I only edited it because it had grammar issues.
The Nightmare of Her Dreams: The potion scene from that gave me the idea for a potion in this one.
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Oogie's Revenge Video Game: Jack has three forms, including his Pumpkin King form. I thought that this could be the scene where he got that, so originally he wouldn't have had a Pumpkin King form until now.
That's all! Thanks!