Sorry for the long wait. I kept doing revisions through this chapter.
Jack. Jack and Sally headed through the door to Halloween Town, so they could find the door to Dream Town. They found it and stepped through. It took moments for Jack's eyes to adjust; the sky was not quite day, not quite night either. He didn't know why this surprised him, when he knew already that the sun never showed here. "Does the sun ever rise here?" He asked, just to be sure. "My gosh, no," Sally answered,"it would be too difficult to fall asleep if the sun was up; this is the perfect amount of light for rest." They followed the wide path out of the forest, the air cast in twilight. There were fields of lavender and people in the fields, who seemed harmless enough. "Is the Sandman the only one in this town who is cruel?" Jack asked Sally. "Yes, pretty much everyone else here is friendly," she answered. After a while they made it to the sleepy town which was blocked by a wall about two stories high with two heavy wooden doors; at the top of the wall, a metal spike pointed upwards, and etched into the stone were the words: Dream Town. "Is this the wall you were talking about?" He asked. Sally nodded. There were two men posted at each side of the doors, both in midnight blue pajamas, with long shepherd staffs at their sides. Jack expected them to ask who he was, but they only glanced at Sally, then nodded. So Jack and she passed through the gate. "Why did they let me through with you?" he asked. "Probably because they trust me," she answered. She led him to the tallest building in Dream Town. "Is that a real owl?" asked Jack, pointing to the top of the building. "Yes it is the clock owl, a white snowy owl; he perches atop the Lullaby Library, which as you can see is the tallest building in town".
Inside the library candles lit the way, like a maze of books. It was even bigger than Jack's library back at his house. Sally walked towards a shelf of old looking books that had not seemed to have been read in a long time. She then found a book titled: The ancient realms. "The ancient realms were around long before the holidays ever existed," she told Jack. She opened the book and together they read about the other ancient realms: Father Time, the Tooth Fairy, Wish Town, and lots of others. "I suggest we look through the other ancient realms," Sally said to Jack,"come on, we should go." So they headed back to the forest where they ran into Edward. "Sally, why are you still with that skeleton?" he asked, taking her hand," come with me instead." He turned to Jack,"what did you do to make her want to be near you?" "Nothing," Jack answered. "Edward, I told you, I'm fine with Jack," said Sally. Edward grabbed Jack and knocked him over. "Listen here, skeleton," he said,"if you do anything to Sally or if anything at all happens to her, you will regret it." "Edward, why don't we all just work together?" Sally asked. "I don't want to work together with that skeleton," he answered," and let me know if he does anything to you". He ran off.
Jack and Sally searched for the other doors, when they realized that some vines had been tucked away, by the Sandman most likely, revealing a collection of doors. Jack chose the door shaped like a tooth; above it carved into the tree trunk were the words: The Tooth Fairy. They tumbled through the door. In the town the buildings were made of teeth. The town was populated by winged creatures, some with pointed ears. Lots of them had jewelry made of teeth. The amount of daylight here seemed normal. And like the other towns, they were asleep. Next to what seemed to be a castle was the tallest among the creatures, her wings all shiny, asleep just like the others. Suddenly Jack and Sally once again found themselves face to face with Oogie Boogie. "It seems you still have that rag doll with you," he said to Jack. "Yes, and we're not giving up on stopping you," he replied. "What are you going to do?" Oogie asked, as he took out a knife and tried to slice Sally's fabric flesh. But without thinking, Jack jumped in front of her. "Why are you protecting her?" Oogie asked. "I just feel like I have to protect her," Jack answered. "Jack, you don't have to do this," Sally said. "Yes, I do," he argued. Oogie pulled out a controller, using it to summon small robots. Jack slammed his fist into one; it cracked a little, and Sally did the same to another. Oogie Boogie yelled in frustration as if he had expected the robots to be stronger, and ran off. "Jack, you really didn't have to do that for me," said Sally. "Well, I wanted to," he answered," I felt like I just had to". Jack wasn't sure why. He and Sally headed back to the forest and chose the door shaped like a leaf that had: Mother Nature carved above it; they plummeted through it.
In Mother Nature, the forest seemed much bigger than the ones outside the other towns, the treetops a deep green. The sign outside the town had vines wrapped around it. The houses and buildings were inside trees, windows and doors cut into the trunks. There were adults and children with leaf clothes. Once again they were asleep-lying on the grass, on the floors of their houses, or slumped against trees, with sand around them. Next to a giant tree was a tall woman dressed in the same kind of clothes but more elegantly. "Do you think we really should keep searching for the Sandman in the places we haven't searched yet?" asked Jack,"we haven't found him anywhere." "We can't give up," Sally answered," we have to look in any place he could possibly be." She placed her hands on his shoulders,"you don't have to worry, we'll do this together". Jack looked into her eyes; she clearly was not ready to give up, well then he wouldn't either. He nodded,"you're right." As they headed back to the doors they saw Edward again. "Alright skeleton I've had enough," he told Jack," you do realize Sally would be much happier with me, don't you?" "She seems fine with me," Jack answered. Edward shoved him, so Jack hit him. And then pretty soon they were in a fight. "Jack, Edward, stop this!" Sally ordered, grabbing Edward and pulling him away from Jack. "Sally, why do you travel with that skeleton?" Edward demanded. "Edward, he's not what you seem to think," Sally answered,"he's not cruel if that's what you think." "Soon you'll realize the truth Sally," said Edward and ran off. Jack opened the door shaped like a star, took Sally's hand and they were pulled through the door. In that place a beautiful starry night sky that swept across the land, appearing to fill even the trees with tiny stars. The sign at the front of the town read: Wish Town. Inside the town there were stars on the ground with words written on them. The houses and buildings here didn't look very unusual. The people here all gave off glowing light, all of them asleep, just like the other towns, and a little beyond the town was an old well.
In the place that had Father Time carved above its door, the houses were also pretty normal except for a big building shaped like an hourglass. There was a giant clock at the center of the town. The people there didn't seem so unusual, and they were all asleep. "Was that the last realm?" Jack asked. "I think so," Sally answered,"so I guess that means the Sandman has been to every realm; we have to find where he is and Oogie Boogie as well." "If I'm the only one who isn't from Dream Town who is awake," said Jack,"then maybe the Sandman is back in Halloween Town. Does the Sandman know when there's still someone around who is awake?" Sally thought for a moment," some say he can," she answered," so maybe it's worth a try heading back to Halloween Town." So they headed towards the holiday doors, and stepped through the door shaped like a pumpkin. Everyone was still asleep in Halloween Town. Jack and Sally searched for the Sandman but just as they began, they ran into Edward.
Sally. "Sally, what exactly do you see in this skeleton?" Edward demanded," why do you choose him over me?" I merely see him as a friend," Sally answered. "Do I really only see him as that?" she thought."No, I can tell that you see him as more than that," Edward argued,"or else you would have come with me and agreed to be my woman when this is over." "Edward, you're also just a friend to me," Sally answered. Jack came forward. Edward hit him, and Jack hit him back. Pretty soon they were in a big fight, kicking and punching. Sally bit her lip. This was not what she wanted to happen; she wanted them to work together not be against each other, and why was Jack fighting him? Was it possible he saw her as more than a friend? Just as they were about to punch each other again, Sally stepped between them,"stop this, both of you," she begged, grabbing Jack's arm. He turned to face her," I-I'm so sorry Sally," he said gently. "Well, I already told you I won't work with that skeleton," said Edward, and he walked away." Sally, I don't know why I keep fighting with him," said Jack.
Then Sally saw something in the distance," look," she told Jack," I think I see Oogie Boogie." Jack looked in that direction, "I think you're right," he said. So they followed what they saw, which led them to what seemed to be a creepy lair." Do you know what this is?" Sally asked. Yes," Jack answered," this is Oogie Boogie's lair, we have to be careful, there are lots of traps here." He peeked through a barred window and Sally did the same. Oogie Boogie was inside the glowing lair looking angry. "Why is everyone except Jack and that rag doll asleep?" he demanded,"even those henchmen of mine are asleep." Slowly Jack and Sally slipped into the lair with Zero following them, and it was filled with flashing colorful glowing lights. "Hello Oogie," Jack said calmly. "Jack?" asked the surprised Oogie,"why is everyone else except you and that rag doll asleep?" "That is the work of a monster known as the Sandman," Sally answered. "Well you two will be dead before you have a chance to stop him," he answered. He stepped on a button, and life-sized playing cards popped up wielding maniacal swords. Sally had never seen something like this before, but right now she was ready for anything. To get close to Oogie Boogie, they would have to dodge those swords. Jack took Sally's hand, and together they dodged those swinging swords. One sword almost cut off Sally's arm, but she was too quick. She and Jack ducked and dodged. Oogie grabbed Jack, but Sally punched him, which made him let go. He pushed another button, and the playing cards lowered and were replaced by three slot machines each topped with a skull with glowing eyes and each also held a pistol in one hand as well. They all started shooting. To Sally's surprise she saw Edward also dodging the obstacles. "Edward!" she cried out," what are you doing here?" "I couldn't just leave because of Jack," he answered," I'm going to help you two now." "Edward," Sally whispered, worried that he and Jack would just fight again. But right now she had to focus on Oogie Boogie. Giant glowing dice rolled in front of Jack, Edward, and Sally, with blades swinging all over the lair. "This place is full of traps," Jack called, "be careful!" A giant sharp wheel came flying towards him and Edward as they tried to avoid giant dice and didn't see it coming. "Look out!" Sally called. That made them notice the saw wheel, which they quickly dodged.
As Sally turned around, she saw a huge blade coming straight for her, but when she turned around there was another; before she could move Edward sprang in front of her, pushing her out of the way and the blades sliced through his fabric flesh. "Edward!" Sally cried out in horror. She ran over to him, tears welling up in her eyes as she knelt beside him. "Sally…" he said gently." Why did you do that?" She demanded, as her tears began to show,"I could have just dodged that… you didn't have to do that…" Edward shook his head; he reached out his hand and gently touched her face." I couldn't just watch you get hurt; I knew there was a chance you might have been hit by that, I'd rather it be me." Sally shook her head, tears streaming down her face; she couldn't bear to see her friend like this." No Edward, don't go, you're going to be fine, you… " "No," Edward cut her off, his eyes locking onto hers with a serious look in them that made her heart ache."Sally, there's something I need to tell you, you might have realized already, but I still feel like I need to tell you." "What?" she asked, her voice trembling. Edward took a deep breath, his hand still touching her face. "Sally, I love you; for a long time I knew you were the one I wanted to be with, but I was too scared to tell you, and when I saw you with Jack I let jealousy get the better of me." Sally couldn't believe what he had just said; she had suspected this, but she hadn't expected him to say it aloud." Edward, I… I know." Edward interrupted her softly," I know you don't feel the same way, and that's okay, I just wanted you to know, so you'd understand why I did what I did." With those final words, he went still.
Sally let out a heart-wrenching sob, clutching his lifeless body, realizing what had just happened."Edward, no, please, come back," she sobbed. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head to see Jack. "Sally, he did it to protect you," Jack told her. She nodded,"I know, Jack, together we will defeat Oogie Boogie, so that his sacrifice won't have been for nothing." Jack gently took her hand. Oogie Boogie's cruel voice rang out," it doesn't matter that the rag doll sacrificed himself, you two will still be destroyed, ha, ha, ha!" Jack and Sally turned around, and Sally's sorrow turned to fury. She charged towards Oogie with every bit of her furry channeled into her attacks, and Jack did the same. They dodged blades and other obstacles with Zero following them barking, all worried. There was a big pit of lava that Oogie tried to push Sally into, but Jack grabbed her just in time. Then she noticed that Oogie had a loose thread on him from being attacked so much. "Jack," she whispered,"maybe if we pulled that thread on him and unraveled him, it would end him." "Good idea," said Jack. Together they charged at Oogie."Face it Jack, you can't beat me," he cackled. "We'll see about that," Sally replied. Both she and Jack grabbed the thread on Oogie Boogie and tugged on it, unraveling him, revealing that he was filled with bugs." He howled,"now look what you've done! My bugs! Oh this isn't over... No!" All of the bugs scattered, some of them falling into the lava.
When that was over, Sally turned to see that Edward's body had been sliced by more blades that had happened to come down on him during the battle, so there was nothing left of him but scraps of fabric."Goodbye Edward," she whispered," I'll never forget what you did for me," she let more tears fall from her eyes. To her surprise Jack wrapped his arms around her from behind her, "Sally, I'm so sorry about what happened to Edward; maybe if I had done something I could have saved him for you." Sally shook her head,"No Jack, I know that there was nothing either of us could have done to stop him; this was his choice, but it still hurts so much." She thought about what Edward had confessed to her; he really had loved her, and he had proved it to her. Without warning Jack wrapped both his arms around her, and she felt warmth spread through her. "Sally, I can tell that what happened is making you suffer, and I promise that together we will end this then both our towns will be at peace," he gently wiped away her tears,"Sally, when I first met you I had no idea what we would eventually become, but there was part of me that wanted to be near you." He clasped both her hands in his,"but now I…" Jack seemed to be searching for words; he seemed to be looking at her like she was the most important person in the world. He leaned in closing the distance between them. Sally felt his mouth on hers in a kiss, soft and gentle. She kissed him back letting herself relax, one of her hands pressed against his chest and one hand in his and his other hand against her face. To Sally the kiss seemed to last for hours. When the two of them finally pulled away, Sally felt herself blushing, with a mix of unknown feelings inside her. And together, hand in hand, the two of them walked out of the lair.
Aww, they finally kissed. I really couldn't wait any longer and I might have seen this happen faster in other stories. This is the first time I tried to write a detailed romance scene. Disclaimer: I did not come up with the Ancient Realms; they were mentioned at the end of the original novel. However the details are from my mind.