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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to Hocus Pocus: The Nightmare Before Halloweentown. This is a crossover fic set in the worlds of Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Halloweentown. I decided to write this fic because I love Halloween and these films all make me happy. This is mainly a way to entertain myself, but if you love Halloween, too, please read it.

Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. Thanks for your support!

THE REALMS

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
The scenes set in Salem take place in 1994, one year after the events of Hocus Pocus. This is the realm where Dani, Max, and Allison live, and where Thackery and Emily Binx exist as spirits. It is the original home of the Sanderson Sisters.

HALLOWEEN TOWN
Halloween Town, when written as two words, is the realm from The Nightmare Before Christmas. The scenes in this realm take place one year after the events of that film. It is the realm where Jack, Sally, Zero, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Oogie Boogie live. This realm exists "a long time ago."

HALLOWEENTOWN
Halloweentown, written as one word, is the realm of the Halloweentown films. In this realm, it is 2001, and the scenes take place right after the events of Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge. This is where Gwen and Aggie are from, while Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie were born in the mortal realm that is connected to it by a portal.

CHAPTER ONE

SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, 1994...

BINX
Something was wrong. Thackery Binx could feel it with every ounce of his being. He turned to his little sister nervously.

"Do not say it, Thackery Binx," Emily said firmly. "There is no need. I sense it as well."

Thackery sighed. "I must investigate, Emily."

"Not alone. I shall come with thee."

He couldn't argue. He'd promised Emily he would never leave her again. Together, they headed to the place he despised the most.

It was odd being there in his human form again. Thackery had spent more time as a cat than a human thanks to the hex the Sanderson Sisters placed on him in 1693.

What he saw made his eyes widen in concern. Winifred's spell book was awake, and glowing, which meant that someone had opened it.

"Book!" A voice Thackery knew all too well bellowed. It was Winifred Sanderson, but she sounded very far away. He almost didn't hear her.

"What is happening, brother?" Emily asked nervously.

"They are awakening somehow, yet the black flame candle had not been lit... I do not understand it," Thackery replied. A horrible thought occurred to him then. "Dani..." He mumbled. "We must warn them, Emily! Dani, Max, and Allison are in terrible danger."

DANI

The night was perfect. Dani Dennison was dressed as Wendy Darling, and true to form, she had held her big brother to a deal he'd made exactly one year before. As they approached Allison's house so they could rescue her from the boring party her parents threw every year, Dani giggled again at the sight of Max's Peter Pan costume, complete with tights.

To his credit, Max wasn't complaining yet. Their adventure the previous Halloween had reminded Max how much he loved Dani and how much he liked spending time with her even when she was tormenting him, so he was trying not to whine.

Dani excitedly ran up to the door of the big white mansion and rang the doorbell. Allison Watts opened the door and immediately pulled Dani into a tight hug. Despite the trauma of the previous Halloween, Allison still loved the legends of Salem and had dressed up as a witch. She looked beautiful in a long, dark purple dress and black witch's hat with dark purple trim, and she wore a necklace that looked like some sort of amethyst talisman.

"Nice tights," Allison teased Max. "You guys look great!"

Max rolled his eyes. "I made a promise," he reminded her before giving his girlfriend a kiss.

"Let's go before my parents notice," Allison said, closing the door.

They started trick-or-treating, scoring pretty big at the houses in the wealthy neighborhood. Dani was grinning from ear to ear as she thought about the sugar rush she'd have for the next month or so.

Suddenly, as Max and Allison were busy making goofy eyes at each other, Dani saw the shadow of a cat watching her.

"Binx?" She asked. Then, she shook her head. Binx was gone. He'd died, and his soul had been reunited with his sister. It couldn't be him.

"Dani," Binx's familiar voice called.

Dani's eyes widened in shock as she spotted his transparent human form. "Binx! It is you!" She flung her arms around him, but they went right through him. Dani didn't care; she was just excited to see him.

"I missed you so much, Binx," she said.

"I missed you, too, Dani," he replied.

Emily showed herself then, smiling sadly. "Hi, Emily," Dani greeted her. "What are you guys doing here? Is it because it's Halloween?"

"They're coming back, Dani," Binx explained. "I don't understand it, but the book is awake, and I heard Winifred. We came to warn you. Where are Max and Allison?"

Suddenly very nervous, Dani shouted, "Max! Allison! Hurry!"

They came running toward her. "Dani, what's wro-?" Max began, but he stopped speaking when he spotted Binx and Emily.

"Binx? You're here..." Allison said in surprise.

"The sisters are awakening," Binx explained again.

"What? I swear I didn't light any candles this time," Max replied.

"The black flame candle wasn't lit. I don't quite understand what's happening, but you are all in danger. We need to stop them from rising before it's too late."

"Let's go," Dani said bravely. They'd beaten them before. They could do it again. As long as they were together, they could do anything.

"Dani, wait," Max said. "Binx, do you have a plan?"

"Not yet," Binx admitted.

"We have to be careful. They almost killed us last time."

"We should at least check out the house," Allison said. "We owe it to Binx and Emily to see this through to the end."

Max sighed. "Alright. I guess we're doing this," he agreed.

Together, they headed to the museum Dani had hoped never to visit again. They were still outside when they heard cackling coming from inside the building.

"Sisters!" Winifred cried. "We cannot fully rise here, but I sense another realm where it is possible. Imagine, a world that knows us not! We shall conquer the realm and make it our own!"

"Oh no..." Emily whispered in horror.

"They're going to escape into another realm," Binx added. "We have to stop them!"

Max opened the door and burst inside. The shadows of the Sanderson Sisters stood around the book, but their bodies weren't anywhere to be found.

"Souls of darkness, take thy leave," Winifred chanted.

"Itchita Copita, Melaka Mystika," Mary and Sarah replied.

"From physical matter to make-believe!"

"Itchita Copita, Melaka Mystika!"

"Trapped no more, again we ride!"

"Itchita Copita, Melaka Mystika!"

"The children shall find no place to hide!"

"Itchita Copita, Melaka Mystika!"

With a flash of blinding light, a portal opened up in the floor. "No!" Dani cried in alarm as the shadows jumped into the portal, taking the book with them.

"They're getting away!" Binx cried.

"We have to go after them," Allison said.

"Are you serious?" Max replied. He sighed at the stern look she gave him. "Fine. Dani, hold my hand."

Dani clung to Max's hand. Allison took a deep breath before jumping into the portal. "Don't let go of Max, Dani," Binx said firmly. He grabbed onto Emily and went after Allison.

Dani looked at Max expectantly. "Here we go again," he said with another sigh. They jumped into the portal together.

They found themselves falling through spirals of light and shadow. When they landed hard on the ground, they were in the woods. A row of doors carved to look like different holidays sat before them.

"What's this?" Dani asked curiously.

"They must have gone through one of the doors," Allison replied.

"Yeah, but which one?" Max asked.

A bunch of autumn leaves suddenly floated toward them and danced around them in a circle.

"The Halloween one," Dani said. "Duh, Max. They're witches. Where else would they go, Christmas?" She laughed.

"She's got a point," Binx added.

"Come on, guys," Allison said as she reached toward the pumpkin-shaped door. "Let's go."

HALLOWEEN TOWN, LONG AGO...

SHOCK
Something strange was occurring, even stranger than usual. Shock looked around, trying to figure it out as Lock and Barrell argued.

"Would you two shut up already?" She finally demanded, making them stop for a moment to look at her. "Something's coming."

"Like what?" Lock demanded.

"I'm not sure yet... Give me a minute to think."

"Maybe Mr. Oogie Boogie Man's back!" Barrel cried excitedly.

"Don't be stupid. Jack destroyed him," Lock reminded him.

"You're underestimating him," Shock said. "He was very powerful. He might be able to find a way back with help."

"Help, you say?" A voice asked. "Then say no more, young one."

"Winnie! Winnie, I smell children!" Another cried in excitement.

"Really? I never would have guessed," the first voice replied sarcastically, "despite the fact that I see children standing before us!" A shadow appeared and let out a frustrated cry. "I am surrounded by fools!" She declared as two more shadows appeared.

Shock could relate. "I know how you feel," she said, motioning toward the boys, who were busy whacking each other in annoyance.

"Yes, I believe thou doth," the first shadow replied. "I am Winifred Sanderson. These are my sisters, Mary..."

The plumper shadow waved and laughed awkwardly. She'd been the one who claimed to smell them.

"And Sarah," Winifred finished.

The third shadow giggled and said, "It's a pleasure," before she curtsied.

"I'm Shock," she replied. "That's Lock and Barrel." She pointed at each of them.

"Ah! Lock wears the face of our master," Winifred declared in delight. "Art thou perhaps his son?"

Lock frowned at her. "I don't know what you're-" he began. Sensing an opportunity, Shock kicked him to shut him up. "Hey! What was that for?" He demanded.

"Yes," Shock said, ignoring him. "Lock is the son of the Devil himself."

"Excellent!" Winifred declared.

"And so handsome!" Sarah added. "Perhaps in a couple of years thou whilst consider granting me the honor of a date."

"What are you doing here, Sanderson Sisters?" Shock asked.

"We must regain our lives, but in order to do it, a young witch must cast a spell," Winifred explained.

Shock nodded thoughtfully. "I could help you," she said, "but you need to do something for me in return."

"Out with it, then. What do you desire?"

"After I bring you back to life, you have to help me bring someone else back."

"Certainly. 'Tis a fair price to pay for our return!"

"Seal it with an unbreakable oath or I'm not helping you."

"What a clever little witch thou art! Very well." A book floated between Winifred and Shock. Winifred placed her hand on the spell book. Its eye looked at Shock expectantly, so she did the same. "Under penalty of my own destruction, I solemnly vow to return thy friend to life once thou hath done the same for me and for my sisters."

As magic flowed between them, Shock was satisfied. "Give me the spell," she said.

The book opened up on its own. Shock read it over and nodded. "Lock, Barrel, get me these ingredients! Eye of Newt, tongue of toad, an ounce of bone dust, a liter of blood, and the wings of a bat," she said.

"Wings of a bat!" Barrel repeated cheerfully.

"We'll get it all now," Lock promised. They hurried off to get the ingredients.

"Alright," Shock said to the Sanderson Sisters. "Let's get to know each other."

JACK
He was snuggling with Sally on the couch when she tensed. Jack Skellington was concerned by the vacant look in her eyes.

When Sally finally focused, she turned toward Jack and said, "I've had a terrible vision!"

"Good for you!" He replied with a smile. "How terrible was it?"

"No, Jack, you don't understand. This was the bad kind of terrible," Sally explained ominously.

He had once believed terrible things were always a delight, but he'd learned the hard way that some were bad. He knew better than to ignore Sally's visions now. "What did you see?" He asked.

"Oogie Boogie returned... Three strangers brought him back, and they destroyed everything... Not just our world, but two others as well," Sally replied.

"That does sound bad... I think we'd better investigate. Zero!" Jack called.

His beloved ghost dog came toward him, barking eagerly. "Something's happening. Come with me!" Jack said. He headed out of his house with Zero right in front of him, but the dog stopped at the bottom of the stairs and watched someone Jack couldn't see through the fog.

Zero barked. "Is that a dog?" A young girl asked. Zero eagerly ran up to her, so Jack hurried after him. He was quite startled to see five people, two of which were transparent, and none of which looked like they were from Halloween Town.

Never one to discriminate, Jack smiled at them. "Why, hello there!" He said. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Jack Skellington."

"Holy cow!" The girl who'd spoken earlier cried in surprise. "That's one heck of a costume."

"Costume?" Jack repeated in confusion.

"Dani, I don't think that's a costume," the transparent boy, who must be a ghost, said.

Zero showed himself, jumping at Dani for attention. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she knelt down to pet him anyway.

The ghost girl smiled as well and joined Dani in petting Zero, who was visibly enjoying the attention the girls were giving him.

"Binx, come pet the dog," Dani said.

Binx turned up his nose. "I prefer cats, thank you very much," he replied indignantly.

"Excuse me," the eldest girl began, "but where are we, Sir?"

"This is Halloween Town," Jack replied. "Where did you come from?"

"Salem... I'm Allison. This is Max, that's Binx, and Emily and Dani are playing with your dog."

He smiled. "I've never heard of Salem, but welcome!"

Sally came down the stairs and a troubling thought occurred to him. "Sally... Are they the ones?" He asked.

"No, Jack," Sally replied quickly. "They're here to help us stop this."

"Then I'm very glad you're here, my new friends! Why don't we talk about what brought you here."

WINIFRED
She was growing tired of being a mere shadow. Luckily, the young witch child was ready. She turned to Winifred and said, "The potion is ready. I just need to activate it. Stand together."

Winifred, Mary, and Sarah stood in a circle around Shock. The girl began to chant, "Eye of Newt and tongue of toad, give me strength to lift this load! With this blood and dust of bone, wings of a bat, fly these witches home!"

Magic flowed through Winifred. "Winnie, 'tis working!" Mary cried.

"Of course 'tis working. The book never fails!" Winifred declared.

The shadows soon began to turn into flesh and blood. As the spell finished working, Winifred cried out with glee, "Sisters! We live once more!"

"We live!" Sarah echoed. "We are free to run amuck! Amuck, amuck, amuck, amuck!" She danced around until Winifred smacked her in the chest to stop her.

"Oh, glorious return!" Mary shouted. "I knew thou would save us, Winnie!"

"Now it's your turn," Shock reminded Winifred.

Winifred nodded. "Yes... Give me the remains," she said.

Shock gave Winifred the thread which had once belonged to Oogie Boogie. Winifred held it in her hands, sniffing it before focusing and beginning to chant, "Come forth, foul vermin which fuel this soul! Return him to power and maketh him whole! Worm and spider, centipede and ant, empower this monster with my furious chant!"

The thread began to move as the insects answered Winifred's call. As a giant sack appeared, they crawled inside. The thread sewed the sack shut. A face appeared, and a single snake slid into its mouth. The glorious sack creature open his eyes and stood up.

He smirked at everyone. "Well, well, well," he began, "what have we here?"

"We are the Sanderson Sisters," Winifred replied.

"Sandersons, huh? Oooh, I'm really scared," he taunted them.

"They brought you back, Sir," Shock explained quickly.

"Oh! Then it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said. "Hmmm... Especially you," he added flirtatiously to Sarah, who was giggling and waving at him with a seductive smile.

"Sarah!" Winifred snapped. "Hath thou no dignity?"

"Sorry, Winnie," Sarah replied quickly.

"Winnie... I smell children," Mary said suddenly.

"These children?" Winifred asked.

"No... Others." Mary sniffed the air again before gasping. "Tis the ones who defeated us before!" She cried in alarm.

"Oooh! Is the boy with them?" Sarah asked excitedly.

"Yes... It is the boy, and both girls... Oh, the younger one still smells so delicious!"

"They must have followed us," Winifred said in annoyance. "There is one other realm to which we may flee. I shall open the portal so we may make our escape, for that is the land I plan to conquer."

"Conquering a new land sounds like a plan," Oogie Boogie said. "I will go with you."

"Oooh, take me!" Lock cried.

"Then I'm going, too," Shock chimed in.

"Me too, me too!" Barrel added.

"What do you say, ladies?" Oogie Boogie asked. "Good minions are hard to find. I'll share them with you in exchange for accompanying you to this new world."

Winifred considered this. Billy hadn't made the journey with them, so she had no minions to call upon unless she counted her sisters. Oogie Boogie was quite powerful. Perhaps he would prove useful. "Very well," she agreed. "Hasten, Sisters! We have precious little time to escape."

She jumped into the portal. Her sisters immediately followed. Mary let out a nervous cry while Sarah cheered in glee. Oogie Boogie followed with Lock, Shock, and Barrel wrapped in his arms. He landed on his back and tossed them off of him so he could stand up.

"Where are we now, Winnie?" Sarah asked.

Winifred read the sign that stood a few feet away. "Halloweentown," she read. "How curious..."

"But we live in Halloween Town," Barrel protested.

"It's not the same, dummy!" Shock said. "Our Halloween Town is two words. It's one word here."

"It's not like he can read, Shock!" Lock scolded her.

"He doesn't even try!" Shock shook her head. "You're both idiots."

"Winnie, where must we go now?" Mary asked.

Winifred focused. "This way," she said. "I sense a place where we may rest and gather our strength. Soon, we shall make this place our own!"

HALLOWEENTOWN, 2001...

MARNIE
She knew she shouldn't be there. Sure, she and her family had managed to change the magical laws of the realms so that the portal would open whenever someone needed it to, but no one was really going back and forth yet.

"If the portal's open, we might as well use it, right?" Marnie Piper asked aloud. Since no one materialized out of thin air to contradict her, she decided that counted as a Right you are, Marnie!

At first, everything seemed normal. It felt great to be in Halloweentown when it wasn't Halloween in the mortal realm. Marnie was thrilled to be surrounded by witches and warlocks, goblins and ghosts, vampires and werewolves and everything else that the mortal world had stopped believing in.

Her bliss was interrupted by a sense of trouble in the air. Frowning, Marnie hurried toward the source. She watched in surprise as several people fell through a portal and landed in a heap on the ground. It looked different from the portal Marnie was familiar with, and it lingered in the sky for a moment before it sealed shut and vanished.

"Owww..." A boy mumbled. "We really need to work on our landings."

"I second that, Max," a teenage girl replied as she sat up.

"Sally, are you alright?" A skeleton asked. "Pull yourself together."

A woman with red hair lay in pieces, her arms and legs no longer attached to her body. Marnie watched in fascination as she slowly reattached them, using her teeth to sew one arm back on before using that arm and hand to sew the rest of herself back together.

"I'm alright, Jack," she reassured him.

"My friends," a male ghost said, "we are not alone." He motioned toward Marnie.

Knowing her cover was blown, Marnie shrugged and revealed herself. "Hi," she said. "I'm Marnie Piper, one of the Cromwell Witches. Who are you guys?"

"Greetings, Marnie Piper," the ghost replied. "I am Thackery Binx. This is my sister, Emily."

Marnie felt sad for them. He didn't look older than a teenager, and Emily looked like she was about her little sister Sophie's age. That was really young to die, even if she got to live on as a ghost.

"It's nice to meet you," Marnie replied. "Who's everyone else?"

"I'm Dani," the other little girl replied. She also looked about Sophie's age. "This is my big brother, Max, and his girlfriend, Allison." She smirked at Max. "And that's Jack, Sally, and Zero." The ghost dog barked, happy to be acknowledged.

Marnie smiled as she pet Zero. It was Allison who asked, "Where are we, exactly?"

"Halloweentown," Marnie replied.

"Yet it is not our Halloween Town," Jack said with a curious expression on his face. "How unusual..."

"Miss Marnie..." Emily began shyly.

"Yes, Emily?" Marnie asked.

"A terrible threat has come to your world. We are here to help you stop it."

"A threat?" Marnie repeated.

"The Sanderson Sisters," Max explained. "They're evil witches from Salem."

"Salem? Like where they had the Witch Trials? Oh my gosh, I've always wanted to go there!"

"Maybe we can take you," Max said dryly, "after we stop them."

"They're not alone," Sally added. "They brought Oogie Boogie and his followers here."

"I'm sorry... Oogie Boogie? What kind of a name is thar?" Marnie asked with a laugh.

"He's our world's boogie man," Jack explained. "He's very dangerous and doesn't care who he hurts in his quest for power."

"Working together, they'll be unstoppable," Binx added. "This world is in terrible danger."

Marnie sensed something ominous in the air and knew he was right. "Then we'll stop them," she said firmly. "My grandma will know what to do. She's back in the mortal realm. Follow me." She led them to a dark alley before opening the portal. The gates appeared in front of her and opened slowly.

"Here we go again," Max said with a groan.

"Don't worry," Marnie replied. "This works like a door, so you won't fall out of it. Just step through the gate."

Dani put on a brave face before stepping through the portal. "Come on, you guys!" She shouted, waving at them to follow her.

Binx, Emily, Max, and Allison stepped through. Jack took Sally's hand and gently guided her through. Finally, Marnie followed them into her kitchen before sealing the portal.

"Marnie!" Her mother snapped. Marnie cringed as she realized she was busted. "What do you think you're doing? And who are all of these people?"

She spun around to face her mother. "Hi, Mom," she said innocently. "No time to talk! There's a crisis. I'll go find Grandma." She tried to walk away.

"Not so fast, young lady!" Her mother said, stepping into her path before she could escape. "Sit."

Marnie was about to sit at the kitchen table when Zero enthusiastically sat down at her mother's feet, barking eagerly as he looked up at her.

Her mother sighed. "You can explain over dinner. I guess I'm making extra," she said. "Hello, everyone. I'm Gwen Piper. Make yourselves at home in the living room." She paused, looking at Binx and Emily. "I hope you're not offended; that's just what it's called."

"We are not so sensitive, Mistress Piper," Binx reassured her politely.

"Gwen is fine," she replied.

"We appreciate your hospitality, Gwen," Jack said.

"If you need anything, I'm happy to help," Sally added. "I'm quite handy in the kitchen."

Marnie noticed her mother smile slightly at that. "I could use a hand mixing some ingredients together," she replied. "Thank you."

"Of course."

"Come on, everyone," Marnie said. "I'll introduce you to the rest of my family." The threat they'd spoken of was obviously very real, but Marnie figured waiting to discuss it over dinner was better than explaining everything twice.

Whatever came next, Marnie was determined to be ready to face it head on.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. There's plenty more to come!

Chapter Text

CHAPTER TWO
AGGIE
The arrival of unexpected dinner guests didn't bother Aggie Cromwell, but the conversation that followed did.

"Tell me more about these witches," Aggie said.

"The Sanderson Sisters were the most vile beings ever to exist in Salem, Massachusetts," Binx began. The ghost looked as if he was haunted instead of the one doing the haunting. "Three hundred and one years ago, the youngest, Sarah, sung an enchantment which lured my sister to them." He looked at Emily sadly. "I tried to save her, but they placed a hex on me which made me immortal and turned me into a black cat for the next three centuries. They stole Emily's life force to make themselves younger. That night, they were arrested for their crimes and hanged, but they vowed to return."

At the mention of how Emily had died, Gwen automatically wrapped Sophie in her arms protectively. Aggie could tell Marnie and Sophie were hooked on the story. Even Dylan looked interested, although he tried to keep a neutral, bored expression on his face.

"What happened next?" Marnie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"My brother, the virgin, lit the Black Flame Candle and brought them back from the dead," Dani replied. "Then they chased us all over Salem and Binx helped us, but after we thought we killed them, they came back, and I got kidnapped."

"So Max and I went after them, and that's when we finally defeated them," Allison chimed in. "Well, with Billy's help, anyway."

"Who's Billy?" Sophie asked curiously.

"Winifred's lover, who she tortured, killed, and raised as a zombie after he cheated on her with Sarah."

"Whoa. I bet he regrets that relationship," Marnie said with a laugh.

"Billy betrayed Winifred and protected us," Max explained. "And when they almost got Dani, I drank the potion so they'd have to take my life instead. There was no way I was going to let them hurt my sister."

"I get it," Dylan said seriously. "I may not be into all this magic stuff, but I'd have done the same thing you did if it was Sophie." Sophie beamed at him in response.

"So these witches target children?" Gwen asked in horror.

"They want to steal the life force of children to make themselves young and beautiful," Allison replied. "It's also the only way to keep themselves alive forever."

"So they're after immortality and eternal youth at any cost," Aggie said. "Witches like that are extremely dangerous."

"Wait... Binx, if they turned you immortal, why are you a ghost?" Sophie asked.

Binx softened for the youngest Cromwell. "Well, Sophie, after we defeated the Sanderson Sisters, the hex was broken," he explained gently. "I completed my mission, and when my body died, my spirit was finally free to reunite with my sister."

"Now that they're back, we're going to stop them together," Emily added.

"Well, they may be witches, but we're Cromwells," Marnie said confidently. "We can take them."

"There's still the matter of our problems," Sally said softly.

"Yes, please tell us about them," Aggie replied.

"Oogie Boogie is pure evil," Jack explained. "He is our world's Boogey Man. He's capable of great destruction and mayhem."

"Jack defeated him a year ago," Sally added. "He tore out the thread that holds him together."

"That sounds simple enough," Dylan said hopefully.

"It wasn't," Jack replied. "Oogie Boogie is a formidable opponent. If we do manage to tear him open, the bugs inside of him will escape. We have to destroy the hundreds of bugs to fully stop him."

"Bugs? Yuck," Marnie mumbled.

"Cool!" Sophie declared at the same time.

"Oogie Boogie has three kids working for him," Sally said. "Lock, Shock, and Barrel are experts at causing trouble. Don't underestimate them."

"This might take some time," Jack added.

"We'll set up rooms for all of you," Aggie decided. "You can stay here until this situation is resolved."

"Can Thackery and I stay together?" Emily asked nervously.

"Of course you can," Aggie replied. "Does anyone else want to share a room?"

"Sally and I are a couple," Jack said.

"So are Allison and-" Max began.

Allison swatted his arm. "We're not at sharing a room yet, Max," she scolded him gently.

"You've fallen asleep in my arms before."

"Yeah, with Dani a few feet away to keep us on our best behavior." She laughed. "We can sleep in rooms that are next to each other, okay?"

"Alright. I'll set up the rooms appropriately," Aggie said with a smile. She walked away so she could cast a construction spell.

As the rooms appeared, Aggie thought about what they were up against. She had a feeling that winning this battle wouldn't be as easy as it sounded.

OOGIE BOOGIE
Their new location was certainly an interesting one. Oogie Boogie felt right at home amongst the creatures who roamed the streets of this new Halloweentown.

He noticed a pair with uniquely powerful energy. The girl was singing a song that made musical notes appear in the air, floating around her along with her long purple hair. Her features were unfamiliar to Oogie Boogie, but people from other worlds would have identified her as being of Asian descent.

"She's a witch," Oogie Boogie realized as the music continued to physically manifest.

The boy smiled peacefully as he watched her. His skin was as dark as night, but his soft grey eyes were full of light. He pulled the girl into his arms, holding her protectively.

"Georgie..." He said softly. "Someone is watching us."

She tensed slightly as she looked around. That was when Oogie Boogie decided to attack. He was about to do just that when Winifred grabbed his arm.

"Woman! What are you do-?" Oogie Boogie protested, but Winifred put a finger to her lips, causing him to fall silent. She motioned toward the sky. Sarah sat perched on her broom, high above the ground, and she suddenly began to sing.

"Come little children, I'll take thee away into a land of enchantment," Sarah's voice echoed hauntingly. "Come little children, the time's come to play here in my garden of shadows... Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way,
Through all the pain and the sorrows... Weep not poor children, for life is this way, murdering beauty and passions. Hush now dear children, it must be this way, too weary of life and deceptions... Rest now my children, for soon we'll away into the calm and the quiet. Come little children, I'll take thee away into a land of enchantment... Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of shadows..."

To Oogie Boogie's great surprise, every child in the area began following the sound of Sarah's voice, marching through town in unison, seemingly entranced.

"She's very impressive," Oogie Boogie said.

"In this one task, yes," Winifred admitted. "At least the halfwit is good for something."

The pair Oogie Boogie had set his eyes on had joined in on the mindless march toward their lair. He smiled, satisfied. "Oh yes," he said, "this is going to be fun!"

GEORGIE
Georgette Hollows had seen a lot of unusual things growing up in Halloweentown, but this was probably the most alarming. Dozens of children had begun following the witch in the sky as she sang. Being a powerful witch herself, Georgie knew a spell when she saw one.

Her boyfriend, Sparrow Vincent, had shielded them both with a protection ward as soon as he sensed what the song really was. That quick thinking had spared them from falling under the spell, but they'd telepathically agreed to pretend it had worked, figuring if they followed the others, they could save the other children and teenagers when the time came.

A plump witch smiled eagerly at them and locked them all in a big cell in a dungeon beneath their lair. Only when there was no sign of the strangers did Georgie dare to speak.

"We have to break the spell, Sparrow," she said.

"I know, Georgie," he replied, "and we will... I'm just not sure how to do it yet."

She looked around and took a mental inventory of who the witches had collected with their spell. Everyone was under eighteen. At just two days over seventeen, Sparrow was the oldest, with fifteen-year-old Georgie not far behind him. Some of the witches, werewolves, goblins, and others were as young as three or four years old.

It surprised Georgie when a pink troll came toward her and Sparrow. "What's going on?" Natalie, the beautiful troll, asked. "I had my ears plugged, but I followed everyone and played along."

"They're some kind of witches, but not from around here," Georgie replied. "We need to wake everyone up."

"Cassie's a witch and Ethan's a warlock," Sparrow said. "It may be best to start with them so they can help us."

"I trained with Cassie. Maybe I can break the spell on her," Georgie volunteered.

"I'll work on Ethan," Sparrow decided. "Natalie, get a quick head count for every species we have here."

"I already did," she replied. "There are nine witches, nine werecreatures, seven warlocks, six goblins, five nymphs, four trolls including me, three gremlins, and three ogres."

Georgie looked at who else was there. Most of the kids were under ten, but each group had at least one teenager. "Alright," she said. "Once we break the spell, Sparrow, Cassie, Ethan, and I can take care of the younger witches and warlocks. Natalie, you'll look after the trolls. Pete and Jessica can take care of the werecreatures. Bobby can handle the gremlins, and Chester can take the ogres. Luke will watch over the goblins, and finally, Nancy will look out for the nymphs."

"That'll work," Natalie agreed. "This way, the little kids have people like them to guide them through this."

"Exactly. So let's figure out how to wake everyone up!"

ALLISON
Something strange seemed to be hanging in the air as Allison settled into her new bedroom in the Piper house. She couldn't quite understand what she was sensing, but it made her both curious and uncomfortable.

She cautiously explored the items in her room. Most were what she'd expended to find. She had a comfortable bed, magenta sheets and pillows, and a desk with a chair. The closet was stocked with appropriate clothes in her size. She had toiletries and a hair brush, and pretty much everything she needed.

The one thing that caught her eye which seemed out of place was a transparent crystal on a chain. Instinctively, she reached toward it. As soon as it was within her grasp, Allison began to see another place instead of her room.

There were children and teenagers trapped in some sort of dungeon. Some looked human, but others were obviously something else. Three of them were trying to break some sort of spell that had been cast on the others.

"The Sanderson Sisters did this," Allison realized aloud.

The only boy who was awake stared at her. "Who are you?" He asked. "How are you seeing us?"

"I... I don't know," Allison admitted. "My name is Allison. Are you from Halloweentown?"

"Yes. I am Sparrow," he replied.

"Sparrow, I'll help you. I'll tell Marnie and Aggie about your situation, and we'll come save you."

"You know the Cromwells?" Sparrow asked. "Yes, please, tell them! Only they can help us now."

"Why can't your friends see me?" Allison asked curiously.

"I am an oracle, and this is a vision. I don't understand what triggered our connection, but I'm grateful. Find us, Allison. I will send you my memories of how we ended up here."

The flashes hit rapidly before the connection broke. Allison sat at the desk and sketched a crude map of what she'd seen, hoping Aggie or one of the others could make sense of it. She opened her door and raced back to the living room to show Aggie and Gwen the map. She had a feeling the children of Halloweentown didn't have the luxury of time.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  I am sorry it took a while to post this chapter. I was sick for an entire week and couldn't write.

I unexpectedly added a few more characters to the cast. Part of this is because the original movies were lacking in diversity and I really prefer to write diverse casts, so I created Georgie and Sparrow. I also decided that, even though this fic takes place shortly before the events of Halloweentown High, I wanted to include some of the characters from that film instead of using random nameless kids for the abduction. I really liked their characters and felt it was a good way to show the different types of creatures that live in Halloweentown. I also decided to include Luke, who appears in the first two Halloweentown films.

Chapter Text

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I sort of lost motivation for this story for a bit. I was hoping to finish it by Halloween, but that's unlikely to happen. Once November 1st hits, I will be working exclusively on another project until I finish it, but I promise I'll come back to this one afterward. It will have a conclusion! I just need some time to get there.

CHAPTER THREE

DYLAN
He might like to claim not to have magic, but Dylan had science and logic, and those contained a sort of magic all their own. Surprisingly, he wasn't alone in his aversion to magic. Max seemed to share his sentiments.

"Allison, I love you, but we're risking an awful lot on a dream," Max said cautiously as everyone was preparing to make the trip to Halloweentown.

"It wasn't a dream, Max," Allison protested. "It was a vision. I'm sure of it."

"I know you're really into this spooky stuff, but you've never claimed to be psychic before."

"Actually, I sense Allison has a natural affinity for magic," Aggie replied, causing Allison to smile in excitement. "I believe the crystal she found triggered a latent gift."

"Are you saying my girlfriend's a witch?" Max demanded.

"Of course not." Aggie paused before adding, "She hasn't had any training. However, I do believe she's some sort of Seer, and if her gifts were nurtured, she'd make a wonderful witch."

"But a good witch, like you guys," Dani said firmly.

"That's right," Aggie confirmed.

"I've got everything ready," Marnie said.

"Maybe Mom should stay here with Sophie and Dani," Dylan said as he glanced at Emily. "These witches target little kids."

"He's right," Max said. "This is too dangerous for-"

"I'm coming," Dani said stubbornly, cutting him off. "This is my fight, too."

"Dani-"

"Max!"

"Gwen, I really need your help with this," Aggie said, interrupting the siblings, "but if you'd prefer to stay behind to keep Sophie safe, I understand."

"No, Grandma," Sophie said. "I'm supposed to be there. It's important."

Gwen sighed. "She's never been wrong before," she admitted. "Sophie, you are to stay where we can see you the entire time, alright?"

"Okay," Sophie agreed.

Dani beamed in excitement, knowing Max wouldn't fight her coming along now.

"Just don't run off, okay?" Max asked Dani.

"Yay!" Dani cried happily.

"Alright, here goes," Marnie said. She and Aggie worked together to open a portal big enough to transport everyone.

They stepped through one at a time, until everyone had made it. Dylan had a bad feeling as the portal closed. He automatically grabbed onto Sophie's hand. She squeezed it, clearly nervous but still braver than Dylan was feeling.

SPARROW
He watched everyone nervously. They were awake now, but no one had any idea how to escape from their captors. The older teenagers had all agreed to watch over the younger children, but they were no closer to escaping.

Sparrow sighed, praying Allison would keep her word and bring her friends to rescue them.

Georgie snuggled against Sparrow. "It'll be okay," she promised him. "We'll get out of this."

"Georgie... I have a terrible feeling something bad is going to happen," Sparrow replied softly so none of the younger kids could hear him. "There's something very wrong about this place."

Right on cue, one of their captors came into their cell. "Hello, Children!" She greeted them with forced cheerfulness. "I am Winifred Sanderson."

At first, no one reacted. Then, rather suddenly, Georgie did. "Let them go," she said softly.

Winifred laughed. "Why would I ever do such a thing?" She asked.

"Because I know who you are, and what you seek."

"Georgie, what are you talking about?" Sparrow asked.

"You want the power to restore yourselves to your former glory. I descend from the bloodline of Merlin. I have all the power you need," Georgie told them.

"How noble," Winifred replied dryly. "I shall accept thy power... And everyone else's!" Still, she watched Georgie with obvious interest for a moment. "What is thy name, Child?" Winifred demanded.

"Georgette Hollows," she replied.

"You claim to descend from the Merlin bloodline, yet I sense another line as well. Tell me, Georgette... How doth thou knoweth me?"

That was when Georgie said the last thing Sparrow expected. "My father descends from Merlin. My mother descends from another line from another land," she replied.

"Yes...?" Winifred coaxed her.

"She is the great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Sanderson."

Winifred hissed as she mumbled, "Elizabeth..." She shook her head and cursed beneath her breath. "That vile, weak, traitorous little shrew!"

"What's going on, Georgie?" Sparrow asked.

It was Winifred who replied. "Elizabeth was my youngest sister... The baby of the family." She choked a bit on the word baby. "She is long-dead, and good riddance!"

"You're related to our kidnappers?" Sparrow asked.

"One of my ancestors left Salem for Halloweentown long ago," Georgie replied. "She vowed never to allow our family heritage to harm our new home, but the history was passed down to each new generation, just in case trouble ever found us."

"Thou art a Sanderson... This doth change things," Winifred said.

"It does?" Georgie asked.

"Yes," Winifred replied. "Thou shalt die first!"

Georgie tried to fight as Winifred grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to her feet. Sparrow desperately tried to reach her, but Winifred cast a spell that flung him into a wall. The last thing he heard before everything went black was Georgie screaming his name.

SALLY
She knew their time was limited. They needed a plan to rescue the children. As everyone else argued over what to do, Sally spotted a familiar pair of red horns passing behind a gate.

Lock, she thought.

"Jack," she said softly. "Jack, look."

Jack was too caught up in the debate to pay attention until Sally finally said, "Everyone, listen to me!"

"What is it, Sally?" Gwen asked.

"I spotted Lock heading this way." She motioned for everyone to follow her, putting a finger over her lips to keep them silent. As they reached an alley, Sally saw Lock clearly, and Barrel was with him.

"We should follow them," Jack said.

"We can't all go. They'll notice us," Dylan argued practically.

"Jack, Sally, you two follow the kids," Marnie suggested. "Binx and I will go with you in case we run into the sisters, and once we find out where the lair is, I'll use this witch's glass to let everyone else know."

"That's a good idea, Marnie," Aggie agreed.

"Emily, stay with Dani and Sophie," Binx said. "You'll be safe here."

"I will, Thackery," Emily replied respectfully. She hugged him and added, "Be safe."

"Be careful, Marnie," Gwen said firmly.

"I will be, Mom," Marnie replied in an annoyed tone. "Come on, let's go."

Sally, Jack, Binx, and Marnie hurried after Lock and Barrel. It didn't take long for them to disappear into what looked like an abandoned building.

"Grandma, do you read me?" Marnie asked.

"I'm here, Marnie," Aggie replied.

"We've got them. They're at an abandoned building three blocks from the movie theater."

"We'll be right there. Don't go inside until we join you. Keep yourselves hidden."

"But we could go in and rescue the kids-"

"Binx, darling?" Her grandmother interrupted her.

"Yes, Miss Aggie?" Binx replied.

"Make sure my darling granddaughter does as she's told for once," she said with a laugh.

"You have my word," he promised.

Marnie sighed in frustration, but she didn't try to run off on her own.

"Don't worry, Marnie," Jack said pleasantly. "It shouldn't take the others long to get here."

"Jack's right," Sally added. "We'll be stronger together anyway."

"I know," Marnie replied. "I just hate waiting when I know those kids need us."

"If they were ready to cast their spell, we'd hear them," Binx said. "The children are safe for the moment."

"Oogie's not one for spell casting," Jack said. "However, if he was harming them, we'd hear the screams."

Marnie's eyes widened in horror. "Jack... That's not helping," Sally said gently.

"Right... Sorry. They'll be fine, Marnie!" Jack reassured her.

Marnie faked a smile to appease him, but Sally could still sense her anxiety. "Of course they will," Marnie said. Sally knew she wasn't so sure.

SHOCK
As Lock and Barrel returned, Oogie Boogie looked at them and snapped, "Go be useful! Lock, Shock, Barrel, check on the captives! If anyone steps out of line, beat them with a stick!"

"Yay!" Barrel cheered.

"I have a really pointy one," Lock added.

"We'll keep them in line," Shock promised. "Come on, idiots!" She led the way to the dungeon.

It came as a surprise when Lock and Barrel were immediately attacked by a spell cast by a very determined witch and warlock.

"Get the girl, too!" The pink troll shouted. She was tending to an unconscious teenager.

Before the witch could attack, Shock knocked her out with a spell. The warlock hesitated as he cried, "Cassie!"

"Ethan, hurry!" The troll insisted.

"Her magic isn't like ours, Natalie," Ethan replied. "I don't know if I can knock her out."

"Allow me," a voice said from behind her. Shock spun around to see a little girl who punched her in the face.

"Dani, be careful!" A boy who was most likely the Max Winifred had told her about shouted as a girl Shock assumed was Allison pulled Dani away from her.

"Oh look," Shock said dryly. "More children for the Sanderson Sisters to eat."

"Not all of us are children, dear," an older witch said.

"Aggie Cromwell! We're saved!" Natalie cried in relief.

"Not yet you're not," Shock said firmly. She kicked Lock and Barrel. "Get up!"

Oogie Boogie came into the room with the Sandersons. "Winnie, look! It's them!" Mary cried, pointing at Max, Dani, and Allison.

"Get them!" Winifred shouted in response.

Mary and Sarah immediately began chasing Max, Dani, and Allison.

The unconscious boy was stirring now. "Where's Georgie?" He demanded. "What did you do to her?"

"Don't worry," Oogie Boogie said. "We're taking excellent care of her!"

Aggie, a woman who was probably her daughter, and three of the children joined hands and began humming. The power radiating from them was impressive. The abducted children were wrapped in some sort of protective shield.

"Gwen, help me get the children out of here," Aggie said. They focused on that task. The two female Cromwell children kept the shield going as the boy noticed Cassie was unconscious and ran to help her. He helped one of the boys pick her up and carry her to safety.

Jack stepped forward. "Hello, Oogie," he said sharply.

Oogie Boogie's eyes widened slightly. "Jack!" He said in surprise.

"This ends now!" Jack declared.

Shock cast a quick spell as no one paid her any mind. It opened a hole beneath Jack's feet, and he began to fall.

"Jack!" Sally shouted as Zero barked frantically.

Max and Allison reached into the hole and grabbed his arms. They began to pull him up.

Winifred grabbed onto Dani. "Max!" Dani shrieked. "Binx!"

"Dani!" Both boys shouted at once.

"We must retreat!" Winifred said. "Mary, Sarah, join me!"

Oogie ran into the portal Winifred opened. He didn't even stop to see if Lock, Shock, and Barrel were safe.

"Sarah!" Winifred snapped as her sister flirted with Ethan.

"Bye, Boy," Sarah said with a flirtatious giggle. "We'll play later."

Ethan paled slightly. "Let's go, Ethan!" Natalie said, dragging him from the dungeon.

Mary grabbed the youngest Cromwell, ripping her away from her sister. She ran to Winifred's side. The Sanderson Sisters escaped into the portal.

"Lock, Barrel, come on!" Shock shouted. She pushed the boys to safety before joining them in the portal just as it closed.

When they made it to their secondary lair, Shock looked at Oogie Boogie. "You made it," he said.

"No thanks to you," Shock replied. "You left us!"

"I knew you'd manage to get out of there. You're survivors," he said.

She didn't reply because she refused to let him see how upset she was. They were loyal, and he'd left them to fend for themselves. She was starting to realize that he didn't care about them at all.

MARNIE
She couldn't stop feeling guilty. "I was holding her hand," she said for the hundredth time.

"Marnie, it's not your fault," Allison said gently.

"But I was holding her hand! And they tore her away from me!" Marnie protested.

"At least you were holding her hand," Max said. "I left Dani alone so I could help Jack. What was I thinking?"

"We'll get them back," Aggie said firmly. "We need to calm ourselves."

"Sophie and Dani are missing, Mother," Gwen said. "Excuse me if I can't be calm about two nine year olds being in the hands of those monsters!"

"Georgie's missing, too," Sparrow said softly.

"Sparrow, we sent everyone to a safe property where their enchantments can't reach you," Aggie said in surprise. "What are you doing back here?"

"I want to help," he replied. "I need to. Georgie's my girlfriend, and she apparently descends from the Sanderson family. She's in terrible danger. Besides, they took two little girls. I'm not going to sit back and let them hurt those kids."

"Let him stay," Allison said. "The two of us connected to each other in my dream. There has to be a reason for that."

"She's right," Sally said. "Sparrow belongs here."

"I can't believe this is happening again," Max said with a sigh.

"You outsmarted them the last time, right?" Dylan asked. "We can do that, too."

"We'll work together until we figure out how to trick them and get the kids back," Jack agreed. Zero barked enthusiastically.

Emily hesitated. "I can find them and watch over them until you rescue them," she said nervously.

"Emily, no! It's too dangerous!" Binx replied.

"They are my friends, Thackery. I must help them. 'Tis the right thing to do."

"Take this, Emily," Aggie said, presenting her with a talisman.

Emily took it in her hands. "What is its purpose?" She asked.

"It will keep you invisible, so the Sandersons and their allies can't see you. As a ghost, you can't die, but I think we'll all feel better if you're protected anyway."

"Thank you, Miss Aggie."

"Emily, be very careful," Binx said. "Do everything in your power to protect Dani and Sophie, but keep yourself safe."

"I promise thee, Thackery Binx," Emily replied solemnly.

"Are we sure she'll be safe?" Marnie asked. She couldn't stand the thought of another little girl getting kidnapped.

"I'll send Zero to keep an eye on her," Jack offered. "If she runs into any trouble, he can come back and alert us."

"I'll make him a talisman, too," Aggie said. "A strong one, since his glowing nose is harder to hide. Marnie, dear, come help me."

Marnie reluctantly followed her grandmother. When they were alone, she said, "This is all my fault!"

"No, Marnie," Aggie replied firmly. "You did nothing wrong. You focused on keeping the protective shield around the children. They took advantage of the fact that you couldn't afford to stop that spell. Try not to panic, dear. Your little sister is very strong and clever, and Dani seems to be just as feisty as Sophie is. I'm sure they'll keep each other safe."

Marnie hoped her grandmother was right, but she couldn't get rid of the anxiety that was threatening to consume her.