Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Coraline stepped into the house, praying that it would be the last time she would ever lay eyes on it.

"Where are you going, Mistress?"

"Away from here. I can't bear to have you all around me all the time. I. Just. Can't. Stand. It."

She zipped up her suitcase, ready to leave the Pink Palace Apartments for good. She had spent a year here. An entire year. She hated this place, especially because of the traumatising experience she had there a year ago.

Getting kidnapped by an otherworldly being, almost becoming her next meal. She was lucky, possibly the luckiest of her victims, as she had escaped the clutches of the Other Mother. But how was an 11-year-old girl to cope with that?

But, of course, all magic comes with a price. Coraline had begun to develop some . . . gifts. She assumed it was from staying in the Other World for too long before returning to the real world. Her body had somehow absorbed some of the magic, leading to her being able to communicate with the spirits of those who had lived in the Pink Palace, the very victims of the Beldam herself. Not only could she hear them, but she could see them as well. This disturbed her very much. For there was not only the three children, but there was more. Way more, with various different deaths. Stories that would scare little kids out of their skin. That even scared Coraline herself out of her wits. Things were not made any better when she had to pretend that the ghosts weren't there, even as they clung to her almost every hour of every day.

They were freed from the Other World, so excited to be free, only to be trapped in yet another prison. The Pink Palace. The one in the real world. No spirit could leave, and, according to them, none from the outside could enter.

Some appeared to Coraline in the form of angels. As if they were her guardians.

Others appeared as demons, or devils.

Mostly they appeared as ghosts. Turquoise, translucent ghosts.

These gifts also allowed her to speak with Mr Bobinsky's mice from the jumping mouse circus, as well as the Cat, whom she could only talk to whilst she was in the Other World. This overwhelmed her, and it was no wonder that she could barely live with them around anymore. She had to leave. To somewhere quiet. Somewhere that wasn't the Pink Palace. Somewhere where she would be 'normal'.

She exchanged numbers with Wybie, although they still went to the same school together, as the duo had gotten close over the course of that one year. It hurt her heart that she would have to leave the "Stalker", her best and only friend.

She decided to take one last picture before she left for good. Her hand trembled slightly as she angled the camera to capture the entire house, struggling to hold her smile as the ghosts and spirits that haunted the house faded into view within the windows and on the porch. Snap.

She nodded her affirmation. She was finally ready to leave. The Beldam and her victims would haunt her no more. She grabbed her small suitcase and hopped into the car as they finally drove down the hill and off into the distance. Coraline waved at Wybie while she watched as the glowing spirits and the house shrunk and eventually faded away as the fog thickened.

At last. Coraline was free.

Chapter Text

Norman let out a breath as he slung his bag over his shoulder. New town, new me, he told himself, Don't make a fool of yourself, Norman.

He began walking down the street, acting as any other kid would. The ghosts here did not know him, so they ignored him, as did he.

A strange kid, born with the ability to see spirits and ghosts. Maybe this new town was a chance for him to make new, real friends. Not just ghosts back at Blithe Hollow, or the few he had made during his adventures. No, he wanted true friends.

He walked into the school, trying his best to act like any other kid. Like any other person. He cringed as he walked through the hallway, seeing ghosts everywhere. Eventually, he averted his eyes, staring at the floor like a 'loner'. Sometimes, he hated his ability.

As he walked, he attempted to veer past people in the hallways.

"Ouch!"

He had bumped into someone.

He finally looked up. His eyes met with brown ones. He took note of the girl he saw. Thin lips, brown eyes, and shoulder-length brown hair that was tinged with blue at its ends.

"U-uh, s-sorry . . . "

The girl shrugged, as she stood up, picking up her books and stationery, before offering him a hand. He looked quite uncomfortable, but he accepted it.

"What's your name?"

He avoided her gaze, and hurriedly merged back into the sea of people.

He carried on walking, avoiding eye contact with anyone. 

As he walked, he weaved past crowds of people. The gossips, the popular kids, the jocks . . .

The Classrooms! He looked up to check for his homeroom number. 101, 102, 103 . . . there it was! 110! He hurriedly stepped into the class, earning him many pairs of eyes just staring at him.

"Sorry, Miss . . . I'm late . . . "

"Mr Babcock, right?" He heard chuckles from all around him. What an embarrassing last name!

He gulped and nodded, sweating profusely, "Um, y-yes."

"I was just introducing three other new students to our class. Take a seat here."

Norman did so.

"Okay, so, as I was saying, this is Kubo, this is Eggs Trubshaw, with Winniefred Portley-Rind. Finally, our latecomer, Norman Babcock. They transferred here from all over the world," the Teacher announced, before she looked around the class. Then back at the newcomers. The class was still snickering.

"Miss," the girl raised her hand, "You may call me Winnie."

"Okay, so the class has been divided into groups for the project, so would you kids mind grouping up?"

Norman watched as the three other kids shook their heads, before he himself hesitantly shook his head. The teacher smiled, "Great! And because you guys are new you'll be grouped together with two other kids, a pair, if you will. Follow me, please."

As she guided them to the back of the class, Norman could hear the other kids snickering. He tried his best to avoid eye contact with them, and kept his gaze on the floor.

"So, children, this is the duo you would be working with. Coraline Jones and Wybourne Lovat."

"Wybie," the boy corrected the teacher.

"I trust that you'll work together with them, Miss Jones. Do not get into a fight again."

Coraline clicked her tongue, "No promises."

"What was that?"

"I meant to say, 'Fine.'."

"Good. Now, get to work."

They all stared at the work before them."

"Go on. I'm sure you four are a group."

Norman was the first to break the silence, "Uh, sorry . . . uhm . . . "

"It's Coraline. Coraline Jones."

"Okay, uhm, Caroline, we aren't sure what the project is. And aren't we all working together?"

The girl sighed, "First of all; my name is Cora-line, not Caro-line. Second, I'm sure I heard our Teacher say that I would only assist you, and third, you four people are a group."

The other boy, who seemed to just catch on, said, "Can you at least tell us what the project is?"

Coraline sighed, "Fine. You have to pick one type of mythological being, supernatural element, or strange creature to study. Go back home and do research. Make sure you include details, especially if what you're working on isn't exceptionally well-known."

Just then, their teacher walked up to their discussion, "I'm glad you're communicating well with them, Miss Jones." She handed them all sheets of paper.

"Miss! I was telling them what they were supposed to do."

Coraline and Wybie both looked at the consent forms in their hand, before she leaned over to tell the new kids what they were supposed to do.

"Wait. Miss, why am I in Group 8? Wybie and I were the pair. Group 2."

"You seem to be communicating well with the kids, so I took it upon myself to put you together."

"Shouldn't I, I mean, we, be informed first?"

"I'm informing you now. I trust that you'll work together and not cause any trouble."

Knowing that she couldn't argue, Coraline simply nodded and said, "I'll try my best."

The teacher nodded, as if that was good enough an answer.

"So, what creature do you wanna pick?" Norman asked, looking at their activity sheet. Coraline just clicked her tongue, "Wybie and I initially decided on a creature called the Beldam. We were almost done with the research, but now. Now I have to work with you guys."

"Chill. Caroline."

"CORaline."

"Right. Anyway, what is the Beldam? It sounds . . . interesting."

Coraline hid a barely visible shudder, lowering her voice to a volume that was barely above a whisper, "The Beldam, otherwise known as the Other Mother, resides in the empty apartment of the Pink Palace Apartments. She sets her sights on a child, and poses as his or her Mother, creating the perfect life with her otherworldly powers. The only difference is that she, and all her creations, has buttons for eyes. By the third night, she attempts to convince her target child to stay, and to sew buttons on their eyes. Should they refuse the offer, she begins to scare them into submission. She no longer talks in a soft, motherly voice, but instead, yells and screams. Other times, her voice is as low as a drawl. It is sometimes creepy. other times, scary. Even so, she still tells you that she loves you. Everything in her Other World has buttons for eyes. Ghosts even reside there. The children of whom she has successfully captured, trapped behind mirrors. She is able to see the real world by sending her target a doll that looks exactly like them, only with the button eyes. She takes the eyes of the kids she had eaten the lives of and stores them as some sort of energy source for the Other World. She may even resort to taking your parents, if only to convince you to return to the world that once pleasured you. After taking her victims or their real parents, she leaves behind a doll. A doll that looks exactly like them, but with buttons for their eyes."

"Riiiiight . . . "

"You did tons of research, huh?"

"Not really."

"She was one of the Beldam's victims," Wybie chirped, and Coraline elbowed him harshly. She glared at him and mouthed something, causing Wybie to chuckle awkwardly.

"Fine. After what I told you, what else do you want to do?"

Norman piped up, "I want to do something on ghosts."

"The Moon King. Or gods."

"The Boxtrolls."

She stood no chance, then.

She still had a choice.

"I think that we should choose . . . "

Chapter Text

Coraline sighed, "I'm sorry. But we've done so much on the Beldam that I'm unwilling to give it up. If you guys have objections, do the work yourself."

"But - "

Kubo cut in, "Just leave it. After all, it's already half-done. We'll just chip in with any information we can find."

The corners of Coraline's mouth tugged upward in a half-smirk, half-smile, I doubt there's anything about her you can find online.

But she gave them a nod, showing them the documents and slides she had created. It was incredibly detailed, but something was missing. There were no pictures. As if . . . this creature never existed. As if the girl thought her up.

"Coraline, right? Uh, so, are there no pictures of this . . . Beldam-thing?" Norman looked a tad worried.

"The Beldam lives in the Other World. Any pictures taken there would not appear in the real world. She also has no reflections."

Coraline shrugged, "Sometimes, her hair would be floating, and she has the ability to shapeshift. That's how she takes the form of the children's parents. But as her magic gets depleted, she returns to her usual form, though retaining several defining features of the parents, including their hair and voice."

"Are you sure you didn't do a lot of research?"

Coraline nodded, finally reading the consent form in her hands. The address stated on the front page looked familiar, and labelled at the side was The Frost & Link Museum.

The teacher stalked to the front of the class, ringing the bell on her desk to get the attention of the students. "So, I have given everyone a consent form. I need everyone to come on this field trip. It is compulsory. I know this seems boring, but the Frost & Link Museum is a special museum catered to mythological creatures. Every possible artifact and 'evidence' of these strange and wonderful beings that have been recorded in history."

"Well, at least we know that if we can't find any details on this 'Beldam' online, we can find out during this trip."

Coraline shrugged. "We'll see . . . "

Chapter Text

The day of the field trip came. Saying that she was nervous was an understatement for Coraline. She had a bad feeling about the place they were going to go, and was quiet on the entire bus ride to the location.

Kubo, for some reason, sat beside her after begging Wybie, and told the girl stories. Stories that were out of this world. Stories that made her think that he may have experienced them himself.

Still, she barely uttered a word, occasionally jotting notes in her notepad. The museum couldn't be that bad, Coraline tried to convince herself. Gods, her nerves were all over the place. She couldn't sit still, her mind was racing.

She stared out the window, like she first did when they moved. It was raining, and they were going uphill.

This place looks familiar . . .

Coraline couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Kubo's stories calmed her down a tad.

She could barely make out what was before them, the mist and fog, as well as the rain muffling out any light that was coming from the rising sun.

"Hey, Jonesy! That's my house!" Wybie leaned over to say to Coraline. She smiled at him uneasily.

The last time she'd been this close to his house was . . . 

No. Maybe it was only nearby.

The bus pulled to a stop. A large pink house.

It couldn't be.

It was.

Coraline looked back, where a pink signpost stood. The fading words had been written over with what seemed like a marker, but she could still make out what those were. Pink Palace Apartments.

Her gut was right.

At the corner of her eye, she saw a turquoise figure. Huck-Finn Junior.

Perhaps they'd forgotten about her. Maybe they wouldn't recognise her anymore since her hair was no longer blue. Hopefully.

As they alighted, her teacher guided them to the main door. Every other child was marveling, and looked appalled at the house at the same time.

Coraline stared at the house. Nothing had changed. The only thing different was a sign above the door. Frost&Link Museum.

"H-hey, Jonesy? You alright?"

"Y-yeah." She looked at him, before leaning in for a whisper, "You know I left for a reason, right?"

Wybie nodded. "Well, we're here now."

"Just like the first time I met you. Stalker."

"I-I told you many times; I wasn't stalking you!"

She giggled. "Miss Jones, Mister Lovat? I'd appreciate if you'd listen to the owners of the Museum. Sir Lionel Frost, Mr Susan Link?"

Heaving a sigh, she gave a reluctant nod.

"Who knows what this house is best known for?"

No one raised their hands.

"Coraline, Wybie. Since you two were talking so much, why don't one of you answer?"

Everyone's attention turned to the two. Coraline rolled her eyes. "This house is known for the disappearance of children every few years. In fact, the previous owner's twin sister had also suffered the same fate. It was only recently vacated."

Sir Lionel Frost stared at her. "Th-that's right. How'd you know?"

"I used to live here."

Coraline stepped into the house, a familiar, musty scent filling her nostrils. She never liked this place. It's just one day, Coraline told herself, Just one school field trip.

As her group moved to the main area of the house, the large room with a painting of a boy in blue who had dropped his ice cream, Coraline recognised it, her mind instantly recounting her experience here.

"One boring blue boy in a painfully boring painting," Coraline said, jotting it down in her notepad. "Four incredibly boring windows, and no . . . more . . . doors."

She reached out to grab the doll, but it never came into contact with her hand. "Alright, little me. Where're you hiding?"

She looked around, and eventually found the doll dressed in her yellow raincoat lying by a box. She arched her head and walked over.

Moving the box aside, Coraline saw the blue door that piqued her interest. "Hey, Mom. Where does this door go?"

"I'm really, really busy!"

She stroked the keyhole, "I think it's locked!" When there was no response, the girl pleaded, "Pleeeaase!"

As her Mother walked over, she frowned. "Will you stop pestering me if I do this for you?"

She made a sound that sounded like whimpering. Her mother raised her hands. "Fine!"

She walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a strange key - one with a button at its top. Then, she cut through the wallpaper and inserted the key.

The 11-year-old watched with interest.

As her Mother pulled the door back, she saw . . . bricks?

"Bricks?" Coraline asked, disappointed and clearly unaware of the horrors that were about to be unleashed by this door. "I don't get it."

"They must have closed this off when they divided up the house."

"You're kidding." Her Mother got up to leave. "And why is the door so small?"

"We made a deal! Zip it!"

"You didn't lock it!" she called after her Mother, who groaned.

For the next while, the girl sat there, before she got bored and closed the door.

"Coraline!"

"Are you alright?"

Noticing that she was now staring at the drawing room with the little door, she shook her head and looked at her friends, "Y-yeah. What happened?"

Kubo looked at her, "You spaced out. Do you feel unwell? Do you need me to tell the teacher?"

"There's no need to. I'm perfectly fine."

"Alright, if you insist."

The boy, with an eyepatch covering an eye, smiled at Coraline, offering her his hand. As she took it, Kubo hoisted her to her feet. "So, Coraline. Tell us where the information on the Beldam is."

"I . . . don't know if anyone else has heard about her."

They walked over to a corner in the room, peering into boxes and looking at displays. The sight of two pairs of half-melted buttons and burnt fabric on the mantelpiece caused Coraline's stomach to lurch, and she moved over to Wybie, subtly pointing in its direction. "It still scares me. She still scares me."

Wybie seemed to notice that his friend's eyes were filled with fright, and tears began causing her vision to blur. He gave her a firm pat on her shoulder, and Coraline stood upright, using her sleeves to wipe them away.

They were scars that would never leave her.

But why in the world did they have the doll that was made by the Beldam when she captured the girl's parents? More importantly, how did they get it? She was sure a year of living there had caused the doll to be completely burnt.

Even her Mother's favourite snow globe stood there, broken as ever.

They had thrown it away after her parents had accused her of breaking it. But how did they get it?

How did they get any of this stuff?

She felt relief when she looked around and saw that none of the shattered pieces of the eyes were anywhere. At least she hoped.

She had thrown them down the well.

"Wait, where's Norman?" she suddenly remembered her groupmates.

Coraline looked about the house, barely anything that had changed. She prayed none of the ghosts spied her.

"Is that Miss Coraline?" she heard.

"You know her?" Norman's voice came next.

She heard the echo of the voice of the Pioneer girl, "Yes, she used to live here. She saved us all from the Beldam."

"Can't you ever leave? Have none of you fufilled your purpose here on Earth?"

"None of us are able to leave the walls of the Pink Palace. The garden, maybe, if we have the strength to manage that. But no, we are doomed to live here for all eternity, never progressing to the afterlife."

Coraline ignored them, pretending she couldn't hear them. Or see them. After all, no one else could.

"Hey, Norman. The group's heading out back. You comin'?"

He looked back at the ghosts, who Coraline had to use so much self-restraint to keep from looking at, before he looked confused. "Yeah, coming."

"By the way, Norman, who were you talking to just now?" She knew that she had to keep up the charade.

"O-oh, no one," Norman replied, utterly confused by what the ghosts told him about Coraline. She could see them, too. But why didn't she acknowledge their presence? Perhaps not to attract attention, he'd done it loads of times.

"H-hey, Coraline," Norman found himself speaking. As Coraline turned to face him, Norman asked, "C-can you see ghosts?"

"Can you?"

"Heh, nope . . . "

When they walked out to the garden, Coraline was pleasantly surprised that the tulips she had planted all that time ago was still growing. The neighbours were still around, occasionally mending the flowers like they did now.

"Hello, dearies."

"Hi, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible . . . "

"Hey, Caroline!"

"Hi, Mr B.," Coraline sighed.

She heard a strange chanting. Turning her head, she saw Norman Babcock standing, staring blankly at what seemed to be the Beldam. Wait. The Beldam?

Her ghost was here too!

And what Norman was chanting, locked in a trance, was what sounded like the Other Mother trying to revive herself? And using Norman's life force . . .

"NORMAN!"

Chapter Text

He heard a scream.

He heard his name.

"NORMAN!"

That voice . . . it sounded familiar. But - he'd never heard it before.

He jolted, and found himself staring into the eyes - no, buttons - of a woman. Her features were barely distinguishable, but she had a malevolent glint in those button eyes of hers.

"Go on, continue reading it . . . "

"Wha - "

A girl shook him. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah . . . who are you? Where am I?"

The girl's eyes changed from worry to confusion. "You don't remember me?"

Norman shook his head, "I'm sorry, but . . . no."

She turned to look at the ghost. "What have you done, you witch?"

Coraline was horrified. What had the Beldam done to Norman? The ghost of the Beldam, no less?

"You can see ghosts, too?"

She shushed Norman, nodding. "Well, if it isn't my daughter. The one who ran from me . . . "

Coraline glared at the Beldam. "Your 'friend', the Vermin isn't here anymore . . . Why don't you come home to your Mother, Coraline?"

The Cat . . . gone?

"Like I've told you many times before. You. Aren't. My. Mother." Coraline smirked at the button-eyed menace before her, "And you're dead."

"Not anymore, I'm not. Although your friend here never finished the spell, he recited just enough."

"Just enough for what?"

"Just enough for me to suck the energy out of him, and make him my son. The energy has revived me."

No. She had just bound Norman's life energy to hers, and that, in turn, caused him to forget. Everything since he moved here - gone. That witch.

"Take me instead."

The Beldam whipped her head around. "What was that, dear?"

"I said, 'Take me instead.'. Leave Norman and the others alone."

"Jealous, Coraline?"

"No. I just don't want anyone else involved in this mess. We'll handle this. You and me. You can have my life. Just . . . leave them alone."

"Come find me, daughter, then we'll discuss this."

I am Coraline Jones, and I will be brave.

Coraline stared down the well. The key had to be down there. She threw it down.

"Hey, little girl?"

Coraline turned. "It's Coraline. Coraline Jones. And you are Mr Frost."

"Call me Lionel."

Coraline just nodded.

"What are you looking for?"

"A key. With a button at the top."

"So that belongs to you!"

"Actually, it doesn't, but I need it right now."

Lionel looked confused. Coraline frowned. "Let's just say it belonged to my . . . Mother."

He seemed to understand, fishing it out of his pocket and handing it to her. Coraline gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr Frost."

She brushed past many shoulders in the already-crowded house. She wasn't looking forward to this.

Luckily, the large room where the small door was located was completely empty. Slightly baffled, she pushed the small coffee table that was blocking the entrance away. Nothing had changed. The door still had the rips around it from when her Mother cut through the wallpaper. She wasn't looking forward to this.

She stuck the key into the keyhole, turned it and . . .

Bricks.

Just like all those years ago.

There had to be another way in.

She walked back out, where she saw Kubo, Eggs and the other members in her group, trying to help Norman. None of them were involving the authorities. Good.

 She ran over, informing them that she would try to do something about him, but she'd have to leave for a while.

"I-I'll come with you, Jonesy."

"No. Stay here, Wybie."

"But-"

"Stay. Here. Why-Were-You-Born."

Hearing her call him that, Wybie shrunk back. Coraline knew what she had said, but she didn't regret a moment. Instead, she gestured to the group. "Help them. Not me."

Lost in thought, Coraline walked and walked and walked . . . then there was air.

She fell, plummeting down the well.

She braced herself for the impact . . . but none came.

Well, she felt 'water' brush her skin, but she could still breathe. She was still falling.

And falling.

And falling . . .

Chapter Text

She landed on the floor, a white space. Emptiness all around her.

Except for the house.

The Pink Palace.

She was in the Other World, all right.

Time to face my fears.

She could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest. Feel her hands become clammy. Her heart racing.

Memories of that year rushed back to her.

Coraline took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She walked to the Pink Palace door and pushed it open.

It was just as she remembered.

The vibrancy of the colours, the layout of the house.

Exactly the same.

She shoved her hands into her pockets, clenching her fists.

Time to see her.

Coraline walked up to the kitchen door, where she smelt them. The foods the Other Mother would prepare for her when she would visit.

She passed by a mirror, and a flash of blue caught her attention.

Turning, Coraline realised that she had the blue hair, the clothes that the Other Mother had bought for her years ago. Her face looked . . . younger. As if someone had turned back the hands of time.

She was not going to have to go through this again.

She slowly pushed the door open, the aroma of freshly-baked pastries wafted into her nose. She stared at the woman by the counter. "Hello, 'Mother'."

"Welcome back, darling."

Chapter Text

The Other Mother smiled at Coraline, her button eyes gleaming under the lights.

Coraline's breathing quickened, and she looked at her 'Mother'.

"Welcome back, darling. We've missed you."

As if on cue, her Other Father, created from a pumpkin, and looking like nothing changed, walked out and slid his hand around his 'wife's' waist. "Hey, kiddo. Hasn't been the same without you around here."

Coraline looked at the Beldam, who bore the all-too-familiar look of her Mother, with the exception of the buttons in place of where real eyes should be.

"We have something to discuss, don't we?"

"I suppose we do," the Beldam gestured for the Other Father to leave the room, before she set down a plate of food before the girl.

"Have a bite, dear."

"Let Norman free. Take me instead."

"Jealous, Coraline? Or are you trying to save your friend's life? Or is he even a friend to you?"

"He isn't; I just don't want anyone else to get dragged into my, our, mess. I was your unfinished business, wasn't I? That's why you lingered. You could move on and leave peacefully, but you chose to get hung up on a victim you were unable to catch. The other victims, they can't move on. The past 'Beldams', they moved on. But you . . . "

"Shut up."

Coraline stopped. The Beldam had yelled at her, coaxed her, but never had she used such a tone, such words, to speak to her 'daughter'.

"Speaking to me in that manner would not convince me to stay, you know. Much less sew buttons in my eyes."

Coraline felt her chest tighten and she grabbed the glass of water, which she hoped wasn't drugged, and gulped it down. She relaxed slightly.

The past was harder to face than she'd initially thought.

"Aren't you scared that I will leave?"

"Why would I be? After all, you fell down the well, which, thanks to you, now I know leads to the real world. My broken hand also came down, crushed by a rock and wrapped with your towel."

Coraline simply nodded. The key didn't come down with it?

She could feel the cool metal-and-plastic key hung around her neck, glad that it was under her shirt.

She knew that the Beldam would eventually bring up the key, so Coraline decided to distract the Other Mother.

"You can't trick me anymore, the ghost eyes are smashed - their souls freed."

"Ah, but is yours?"

The Beldam was good. She knew how to play this game. But her strategies were similar and predictable.

"Who knows? I may have a way to escape your grasp once more."

The Beldam scanned her. At least, that's what Coraline assumed. "The key is with you, isn't it, daughter?"

Coraline knew her heart sped up. Breathing came quick and short. "N-no."

"You forget, I know exactly when you are lying. You also forget that I know that you are scared. Of me. Of this place. Past fears arising again, eh?"

She had to distract the Beldam. Maybe she would play another game.

The Beldam's attention shifted as she 'sniffed' the air. Her mouth curled into a loving yet creepy smile.

"Vermin . . . "

Chapter Text

The Cat was back.

And somewhere within the house.

Her abilities were far more superior than she'd thought, if Coraline could feel the magic of the Other World, like a partially slumbering beast. She could feel any presence of life, real or fabricated, that was in the world with her.

"You didn't hurt him, did you?"

"Of course not, darling. I was a ghost for the past year."

Coraline just nodded. "I know. I never acknowledged you because I was traumatised by what you had done to me. I could still understand the Cat."

"I wouldn't dream of hurting your friend . . . "

"But there was no issue with kidnapping my parents." The Beldam grinned evilly.

Coraline began feeling a little dizzy. Had the Beldam drugged her?

"You want to take his place? Go ahead."

Coraline stumbled up the stairs, rushing into the bedroom. There, she collapsed onto the bed. Her head pounded, as Coraline struggled to focus. Her vision swam as she blinked furiously. She was sick to her stomach as she leaned over the side of the bed and vomited.

"I'm going to rest!" Coraline called down to her 'Mother'.

Then, Coraline fell asleep.

Coraline sneezed as she awoke. She hoped it was all a dream.

No way would she have returned to the Other World.

But the room around her was pink, and not the wallpaper of her room back home. "Ugh, I hate pink."

The only message it conveyed was that she was still in the Other World.

She heard a soft meow.

"Cat! You're here!" Coraline whisper-exclaimed. The Beldam probably thought she was still sleeping. The Cat nodded.

"You can talk, you know."

The Cat gestured to the open window, and the tree trunk that bent in such an awkward manner.

Coraline picked him up, "Great thinking!"

With that, the girl climbed up the ledge and out the window.

Her boots thudded as she hit the floor.

She had to find a way to leave the Other World. But how?

She could feel several presences, apart from her, the Cat, the Beldam, and her artificial creations. No, this energy, these essences - they felt real.

She walked away from the house.

"Jonesy?"

"Wybie?"

"Wybie?"

She pried his hands away from his face, as the Wybie who couldn't speak shielded his face. She gasped. His face was sewn to give him a permanent, forced smile. She wondered how much it hurt.

"Did she do this to you?"

He didn't respond to the question. Tugging on the seams, she pulled the thread out. Other Wybie relaxed his face.

"I hope that feels be-"

He shushed her, putting a finger to his lips before dragging her by her wrist. Together, they made their way into the room with the little door, pushing the beetle-closet out of the way. It landed with a loud thud.

"Coraline? Is that you?" She heard the Other Mother's voice emanating throughout the house. She looked worriedly at Wybie, "Let's go!"

She prodded Wybie. "Come on! She'll hurt you again."

"Coraline?"  She withheld a shudder. That voice that sounded just like her Mother's but yet it wasn't. 

Other Wybie shook his head, removing his glove and blowing his hand. It turned to sawdust. That was when she realised - he couldn't survive in the real world. He was only a creation of the Beldam. One made to trick her. One that deviated from her command, just like the Other Father.

The Other Father was gone. She saw his death with her own eyes. She knew the same fate would eventually befall her mute friend.

She just hoped it wasn't too soon.

"Coraline? How dare you disobey your Mother!"

Wybie pushed her into the now-creepy tunnel, closing the door behind her. Little did she know, that was the last time she'd see her friend.

"Coraline?" She heard.

"Coraline!"

"Coraline Jones!" She awoke on the muddy ground, surrounded by . . . Wybie, Norman, Kubo, Winnie, Eggs and even Sir Lionel Frost.

What were they doing here?

"Wha-what . . . happened?"

"You passed out in front of me. The Black Cat was there. I had to carry you all the way back here," Wybie explained, as Coraline realised that he was just . . . staring at her.

"Uhm . . . Wybie?"

"You . . . you look . . . "

"I know. She probably did this to me."

Wybie just nodded, hoisting the blue-haired girl to her feet. She still felt weak. Either her PTSD was getting worse, or her life was being drained. As the rest of the group gathered, Coraline looked over at Norman, "Hey, Norman. You recall anything yet?"

He looked dazed, and, upon hearing his name, Norman's head snapped up. "No . . . who are you again?"

The Beldam still hadn't held up her end of the bargain. "My name's Coraline. I wa - I am your friend. We all are."

"His friend you may be, but what kind of a friend are you to have just put everyone here in danger?" A familiar African-American male voice rang beside her.

"Cat!"

"The Cat talks?" Wybie leapt to his feet, backing a few steps.

"To . . . me he does. And here, in the Other World."

"What has the Beldam got up her sleeves this time?"

"You know she hates you. After all, you got away from her. Since your 'friend' there revived her, she has been doing her activities secretively. But I suspect she still wants to eat your soul."

"So . . . that Beldam you spoke of in class, she's real?" Kubo jumped in, readying his instrument as is he were going to perform.

"Yes . . . and what will you do with that?"

He played a few notes. Certain papers flew out of his bag and folded themselves into different shapes. Like an invisible hand doing Origami.

Coraline used her hand to stop his. "She'll hear, then she'll come after us all."

Sir Lionel Frost, or Lionel, he'd ask her to call him, tapped the girl's shoulder, "Excuse me, but where is this place? And how in the world do we leave?"

"Well, you know the little door you blocked with your table?"

"Yeah?"

"For children who lived in the Pink Palace, whenever their parents weren't home, they could enter this world. A world filled with magic. Love. Wonder. A place where all their dreams come true," Coraline steadied her breathing, "But there's one thing; the only inhabitant of this world is an evil creature that is known as the Beldam, but children call her their Other Mother. She lures them in to this world by making it similar to their usual world, but everything's better. She is usually a woman with buttons for eyes, but her ability is shapeshifting. The button eyes are just a trick. She doesn't actually need them to see. But when she asks children to stay and sew buttons into their eyes and they agree, she finally eats up their soul. That's why many children whose family have lived in the Pink Palace Apartments have 'mysteriously disappeared'. They are dead. I am the only survivor. I can see their ghosts as they linger within the apartment. I can talk to the creatures that are directly or indirectly linked to the Other World."

"And . . . how do you get in?"

"With this," Coraline looked over her shoulder, before pulling out the small black key from under her shirt.

"And what of the other inhabitants?"

"They aren't real. They are just fabricated by the Beldam herself," Coraline answered as she stuffed the key back under her shirt.

Coraline looked pointedly at them. "You guys stay out of sight. I'll solve the issue."

"No, Jonesy. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

"No. Stay hidden. Stay. Out. Of. Sight."

But he was pointing.

Coraline turned. What she saw sent chills down her spine.

Her friend.

She waved.

Other Wybie ran across the space, his face as bright and cheery as she'd remembered.

Chapter Text

This was impossible.

Other Wybie had died.

Coraline broke into tears as she looked back.

But her friends were gone.

"Hey, Jonesy," her best pal chirruped.

"Y-you can talk now?"

"Yep. Mother said you'd like me being able to talk now."

"I'm so sorry that she killed you."

"Killed . . . me? She saved me. Gave me life. My hero."

No. No. This isn't Other Wybie. At least, not her Other Wybie. He would never say that about the Beldam. That was why she took his voice, Coraline realised, so he couldn't tell me about her plans. She likely promised to return his voice if he obeyed her. This Other Wybie was her puppet, one that is simply unable to deviate from her orders.

She knew. She knew so well. Knew that Other Wybie hated the Beldam.

"So, what do you want to do now, Jonesy?"

Coraline kept the smile on her face. Schooled her features into neutrality.

"I was thinking . . . maybe we should go talk to 'Mother'? I'd quite like to see her now," Coraline gave him a faked smile, her stomach doing turns now, making her quite dizzy.

"Of course! We'll go now."

She was uneasy about this, though she kept it quiet.

Her eyes shone with tears, and her nose ran slightly. Using the sleeve of her already-dirty blue shirt, she wiped off any trace of that.

She could not let the Beldam know that there were more people down here. This Other Wybie hadn't seen them, and she planned to keep it that way.

Be strong, Coraline.

"Mother. Coraline is here."

"Ah! My daughter. How'd you like some food?"

"What have you done to me?"

The Beldam shrugged, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Tricks. She's used them all before, and she'd use them again.

"The vomiting? The headaches? The feeling of constant exhaustion and weakness? What is your game this time?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

That was when Coraline realised, to her surprise, that the Beldam really had no clue. It was written on her face, and it was shown in her body language.

"You . . . really don - Argh!" Coraline collapsed onto the floor, her vision swimming and her head spinning.

"Coraline. Coraline?" The Beldam sounded . . . concerned. Was this all part of another sick game she's playing?

No. If it were a game, the Beldam would've told her.

Maybe . . .

Coraline wasn't able to finish the thought when a wave of black swept her away into oblivion.

She awoke in her bed, the room no longer pink, but several shades of blue. She was sure that she was still in the Other World.

She pulled open her door, and saw the Beldam standing there, readying her hand to knock.

"Were you actually about to knock the door?"

"I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Coraline just stood there. She remained silent.

"I really do love you, Coraline."

"Love me? You locked me behind a mirror, kidnapped my parents, and even tried to eat my friend's soul! What kind of a 'Mother' does that? Just to sew buttons into my eyes?"

"I just wanted you to stay here so I could love you."

"What about putting me in danger? Scaring the living daylights out of me?"

"It was just a game, dear." The Beldam, still in the form of Mel Jones, approached her, arms outstretched.

"Could I at least have my 12-year-old look back?"

"That . . . I have no control over."

Coraline stared at the Beldam. "Tell me; are the ghost kids still here? Are their eyes still here?"

"You freed them, and killed me. Your friend only revived me, the dead ghost children are forever haunting the real Pink Palace."

"Why don't you come downstairs? I swear I'll make you good food. Food that doesn't contain poison. Food that will only make you feel full and make your stomach hurt less."

Coraline didn't want to accept this offer, but her belly said otherwise. "Fine."

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you something; your friend is here."

No. Wybie and the others escaped. She couldn't have gotten to them.

"Is it . . . Wybie?"

"Of course, who else?" The Beldam snapped, reminding Coraline of her real Mother.

~Flashback~

Coraline clambered for the little door, her body aching, from the Beldam's 'web'. 

"You dare disobey your MOTHER?" The Beldam snarled, climbing upwards at twice her speed. Coraline kicked her. Hard.

But the Beldam held on. She hissed, a malevolent smile on her face, obvious even without her button eyes. The ghost kids' hands appeared, as the girl begged, "Please shut it!"

They tugged on the door with her, the Beldam reaching her needle-hand for Coraline. As they finally shut the door, her hand, from her wrist, popped off.

Coraline locked the door.

A huge bang sounded on the door. The tunnel shrank behind her as Coraline ran for her life. The Beldam's voice echoed throughout the tunnel. Words Coraline would never forget, "Don't leave me, don't leave me! I'll die without you!"

She locked the door behind her. Suddenly, a crash so loud and hard sounded that the key flew out of the keyhole.

Just then, she heard the lock click. "Coraline! We're home!"

"Mom! Dad! I missed you so much!" The girl ran and embraced her parents.

"Missed us?"  Mel looked on the mantelpiece. "Oh no, you broke my favourite snow globe." 

Coraline smiled at her Mother, "I didn't break it; It must've broke when you escaped."

Charlie and Mel ignored her. "And cut your knee."

Charlie stooped to Coraline's height, "Coraline, I told you to count all the windows, not put your knee through them."

Mel just gave a triumphant smirk, "Well, get yourself cleaned up. We're going out tonight." She playfully punched her husband's shoulder. Charlie responded, "We've got a lot to celebrate."

Coraline looked disappointed, "You're talking about . . . your garden catalogue?"

"Of course, what else?"

"But look at the snow on your clothes . . . " Coraline began, but trailed off as the snow rapidly melted, as if it didn't want to be seem by her parents.

"What's gotten into you, Coraline?"

She knew that she had to do something.

But she was was scared. Frozen and scared.

Chapter Text

Coraline stood there, frozen.

What had she done to them?

She sat at the table, one hand rubbing the knee that she had cut a year ago. Not wanting to seem scared, she turned to the Beldam, "So, can you turn me back to my real look now . . . ?"

"I would . . . but I much prefer the daughter who loved me so dearly."

"I only loved the life you had given me. I had something to compare it to. Someone to compare you to, 'Mother'," Coraline snapped. "But afterwards, you began to scare me. I hated you, and everything else in the Other World."

~Flashback~

Coraline walked into the Pink Palace, her Other Mother's hand on her back. She loved this place, she wanted to stay here, with the best parents, the best life she could ask for.

"You do like it here, don't you, Coraline?"

"Uh-huh!" Coraline nodded eagerly.

As her Other Father led her in, she had no clue about what was about to unfold for her voiceless friend.

Her Other Mother joined them, a hand on Coraline's shoulder, "You know; you could stay here forever, if you want to."

The thought of that put a smile on the young girl's face. "Really?"

"Sure, we'll sing, and play games, and Mother will cook your favourite meals." Her Other Father said, just as excited as she was. The Other Mother chipped in, "There's one tiny little thing we need to do."

That sparked Coraline's interest, "What's that?"

As her Other Father pushed in the chair, he said, in a singsong voice, "Well, it's a surprise!"

The Other Mother slid her a box, "For you; our little doll."

She opened it excitedly, a pair of buttons - and a spool of thread.

"Black is traditional," she heard. "But if you prefer pink," her eyes flashed the colour as she spoke, "Or vermilion," the Other Father's eyes flashed orange, "Or . . . chartreuse . . . "

She tapped her own button eyes, "Though you might make me jealous."

Coraline realised what they wanted her to do.

"No way!" Coraline pushed the box, it slid across the table, the Other Mother stretching her hand to stop it. She covered her eyes. "You're not sewing buttons in my eyes!"

"Oh, but we need a 'Yes', if you wanna stay here . . . "

"So sharp you won't feel a  thi - OW!" He dropped the needle as the Other Mother kneed the table.

"There, now . . . it's your decision, darling." She lowered the box for Coraline to see. "We only want what's best for you."

"I-I'm going to bed!" Coraline stood up abruptly. "R-right now!"

"Bed?"

"Before dinner?"

"Yeah, I'm really, really tired, yeah," Coraline feigned a yawn. "I just need to . . . sleep on things."

"Well, of course you do. I'd be happy to tuck you in . . . "

"Oh, no thanks . . . you've done so much already," Coraline backed away from her captor.

"You're welcome," The Other Mother appeared in front of her, causing Coraline to exclaim in shock. "And I, we, are't worried at all, darling . . . Soon you'll see things . . . our way . . . "

They moved to let Coraline pass. She gave them a smile, awkwardly looking over her shoulder and the ledge as she ascended the steps. When she was certain that she was out of their range of sight, she raced up, locking herself in the room.

"What's wrong, Coraline? Don't you wanna play?"

"Yeah! I wanna hug 'yer face!"

She heard her friends' voices - the picture - speak to her, "Hey, where're your buttons, Loper?"

"You wanna stay, don't ya?"

Coraline frowned, "Going home, tonight, robots. And I won't. Be. Back."

She used the boxes and shelves in the room to border up the door. Then she removed her shoes and hopped into the bed.

'Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep . . . '

Coraline gasped as she snapped back to the present. "Where's . . . Wybie? Why'd you make him talk?"

"He missed his voice, and I thought that since you get along well with 'normal' Wybie, now, that you'd like that . . . "

"I miss the old Other Wybie. He made me feel safe."

"The one who betrayed me?"

"Hey, Jonesy."

Coraline jumped at the sound of a third voice. She turned. Other Wybie stood there, standing tall and straight, different from her usual Wybie.

The Beldam gave her a smile. This was so much like the life she'd always wanted, yet it wasn't.

The magic of the Other World still intrigued her to this day, but she kept her cool. Everything here is a trap. Everything here is evil.

"I want to go home now. Let me leave."

"But, Coraline, did you think I wouldn't have noticed you and your friends' presences?"

Chapter Text

"My . . . friends? W-what do you mean?" Coraline said, trying to hide her fear.

"The kids who you were with, darling."

Wybie. Norman. Kubo. Eggs. Winnie. Even Lionel.

She knew they were here. Trapped here, just as she was.

"We were just group-mates, we're not friends. Don't you dare involve anyone else, 'Mother'."

The Beldam gave her signature grin, "Oh, but they've been invited here tonight."

"What about Wybie?"

"He'll stay here tonight."

Kubo sat beside his new friend and smiled. Norman smiled back.

"You . . . mentioned earlier that you can see ghosts?"

Norman let out a breathy laugh. "Y-yeah. And you are . . . ?"

He'd forgotten Norman lost his memories. "My name is Kubo. I'm a demigod . . . in a way."

"That's so cool!" Norman looked at the stringed instrument slung on his shoulder. "That's a nice guitar you have."

Kubo chuckled, tugging the strap ever so slightly, "It's not a guitar. People in my hometown call it a shamisen, samisen, or a sangen. It's a Japanese instrument. Well, it originated in China, but we use it in Japan as well."

"Why did you bring it here, to America?"

"Let's just say . . . it belonged to my Mother."

Norman looked at the Japanese boy. "Is she-"

"Yes."

He let out a small gasp, "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how that must feel."

"Don't be. You had no idea."

Kubo ran his fingers over the instrument, "The strings broke. Twice. I mended it myself."

As they stared into the night sky, Kubo gave a smile. "I hope Coraline solves the problem."

Moments later, they fell asleep.

When he awoke, Kubo realised that they were in the house Coraline had warned them not to enter, and that everyone else was still unconscious.

"Eggs! Norman! Wake up! We have to leave."

"Oh, I'm afraid they won't be waking anytime soon." He heard a voice from behind him. "And you won't be leaving. Not yet. Coraline is waiting for you."

He didn't turn. Hadn't felt this fear since . . . years ago. When he faced the Moon King. When he'd lost his Mother.

"Who are you?"

"Why, I'm Coraline's Mother, of course. And you are Kubo."

His heart pounded in his chest. Blood rushed to his brain. If only he had the armour.

"Let her go. Let us all go."

"Now why would I do that? Why would I when all of you would be great additions to my world?" The voice continued.

"Nothing you could say would sway me to your side."

"Nothing? What about your parents? Your kind, loving family?"

Kubo still refused to look at the magical being, even if the magical blood in his own veins beckoned for him to. "They're gone."

"But I can bring them to you. In here, anything is possible."

Kubo pondered her words. He'd give anything to have the family he'd always dream of having, or so he thought.

The voice seemed to change, morphing into a familiar, feminine voice. "Kubo, why leave when you can stay here, with me? With us?"

He knew that voice, spinning around. "Mother?"

For his Mother indeed stood there. With one difference.

There were buttons where her eyes should be.

Kubo came to a sudden realisation.

The Other Mother was real. The Beldam was real.

"Leave them alone! I never said you could touch them!" Kubo heard. Coraline.

The girl stepped out from behind the wall, looking like her body had regressed a year. Her hair was no longer brown, but a blue that Kubo could only assume was dyed.

"This is between you and me, Mother. Leave others out of this."

She saw her own Mother's face staring back at her.

"Eavesdropping and interrupting is very rude, Coraline." The Beldam looked at the girl. "And is that any way to talk to your Mother?"

"As I've mentioned many times, 'You aren't my Mother!'" she snapped. "I'm only continuing with this ridiculous charade because you said you will free them."

"Let's just put it this way; I changed my mind."

Coraline stared at the Beldam. Well, more of glared.

Then, she lunged.

Lunged straight for the Beldam.

Chapter Text

Coraline had no clue what she was trying to do.

Perhaps she was trying to buy her friends time to escape.

Perhaps she was trying to face her fears.

Perhaps she was trying to kill the Beldam.

No words could describe her feelings in that moment. She was scared, angry, sad . . . yet she felt free, excited and, undeniably, a little thrilled.

The Beldam did not expect that. With Coraline hiding in her room and practising her control over the newfound magic in her blood, she managed to find a way to shield her friends from the witch. To cloak her own abilities.

Yet she found them anyway.

Coraline lashed out, pushing the Beldam to the ground. "Run!" She yelled at the kids who had just awakened. Leave the house!"

"Jonesy!" Wybie made to grab her, but Kubo held him back, a shake of his head telling him otherwise.

She gave them a stern nod, leaping away from the Other Mother. "Go! Now!"

Trailing behind them, Coraline bolted the door.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Everyone alright?"

They all gave satisfied nods, as Coraline found a place to hide. Using her magic, she created a small area that would hopefully remain undetected by the Beldam as long as she had control.

"You . . . did you just-"

Coraline smiled. "I . . . I guess I do need to explain myself, don't I?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Wybie had no idea what he had just witnessed his friend do.

She had . . . magic?

"How long have you been hiding this, Jonesy?"

Coraline sighed. "I began having these abilities after I had left the Beldam's world, and after defeating her. For the first time, that is."

"And you didn't think to tell me?"

"You didn't believe me the first time. Plus, you would think I was crazy, you may have told Mom, and they would have sent me to a therapist or something. Would think I was having some mental health problem . . . hallucinating something they couldn't see."

She fidgeted, gently yanking the gloves off of her palms. "I-It scared me, at first. I couldn't perform daily tasks without seeing the ghosts. Unable to sleep due to their whispering . . . until I couldn't take it anymore. I told my Mother that something here made me uncomfortable - and we moved away. Abilities like having visions or dreams of the Other World, seeing the ghosts of the past victims, and even several other Beldams . . . and now, I'm able to manipulate this place. I-I'm scared that I will become like the Beldam."

"Jonesy, your worry tells us that you won't. But, wouldn't the Beldam feel your magic?"

"I am able to cloak it, but it stifles my own ability as well."

She smiled. Something in that grin warmed Wybie's heart. "But . . . aren't you going to make yourself . . . you again?"

"I find that it's easier to fool her this way. Plus, I should be able to undo whatever she's done to me after this is all over, right?"

"Hopefully."

As the friends sat there, chatting, Wybie was surprised to learn many things about their new friends. Kubo was a demigod, Norman could see ghosts, Eggs lived with Boxtrolls, whatever those were, and Sir Lionel's partner, Mr. Link, was a 'Bigfoot'.

Magical entities did exist, apparently.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Guys, I'd better head back to the Pink Palace. 'Mother' will be expecting me. But don't worry, you will be hidden." Coraline winked as she skipped back to the apartment. Wybie felt left out.

"I saw her take the form of my Mother earlier."

"So did I."

"And . . . I saw my Mother." Coraline had finished. "I guess the Other World is different in everyone's eyes . . . "

She shook her head. Something she had to clarify with the Beldam herself.

The door opened seconds before she approached. A figure stood there.

"Wybie."

Chapter Text

Wybie.

Not the new, made-up Wybie the Beldam had conjured.

This was the Other Wybie.

Her Other Wybie.

She flung her arms around his neck. "H-how are you here?"

He still couldn't speak, but Coraline knew - she had unknowingly 'summoned' him with her magic.

She couldn't control the sob that rose from her throat, and smiled at the boy.

"Maybe you should go . . . hide somewhere." Coraline took his hand. "I don't want you to get hurt. Not again."

Other Wybie nodded, bounding off in another direction.

As she walked into the house, Coraline focused on using her magic, though she could barely feel it while cloaking her abilities, to make the Other Mother forget. She pushed open the front door, and the Beldam approached her.

"Coraline, darling . . . welcome home! Do you want some food?"

Though the girl was inclined to object, her stomach growled, and the Beldam ushered her to a chair. Minutes later, a plate of food was set out before her.

"Why do you want me so badly?"

"Because, darling, you are my unfinished business."

"How so?"

"Did I not tell you that I'll die without you?"

Horror flashed in the blue-haired girl's eyes as she recalled that traumatising day.

She finally crawled through the door. After closing it, she secured it through the lock. Then, a loud banging sounded.

"Don't leave me . . . Don't leave me! I'll die without you!"

She had only narrowly escaped from the grasp of this witch, and hopefully would do so again.

There were no words to describe what Eggs was feeling.

His heart thudded so loudly that it sounded in his ears. He smiled as Winnie took his hand in hers, offering him a comforting smile.

A long pause, then Wybie broke the silence. "Okay . . . does anyone have any idea how to leave this place?"

They all shook their heads.

Another pause.

Kubo seemed to feel bored, so he grabbed his instrument and began strumming.

Kubo felt strange.

Whenever he played his shamisen, the papers that were in his bag would fold themselves into origami and act the way he intended for them to.

But none moved.

His stomach churned . . . as if the magic in the Other World was interfering with his own magic. Reacting with his magic. Pushing the thought away, Kubo strummed and plucked at the strings, playing a calming song.

Eggs relaxed as he listened to the song that Kubo played on his instrument.

He was feeling bored, so he reached into his bag and pulled out several broken metal tools and began tinkering with them.

He knew the others were watching, so he might as well impress them . . .

"You kids sure are talented." Lionel praised. "I wish I could do that."

"But . . . aren't you like, famous or something?" The girl, Winnie, asked.

"Yeah . . . but the people where I come from don't believe in what I do. So I moved to Oregon, and I purchased the main apartment of the Pink Palace from Ms Lovat . . . who told me many supernatural things happened here." He grinned again, this time a little uneasy. "Turns out I was right."

So many mythological and magical things exist - and all this time he'd thought he'd just been chasing a fantasy.

The magic in his veins told him something was wrong.

The instrument in his hands caused the papers to create figures he had never even seen in his nightmares.

Kubo was certain something was wrong.

And it was all Coraline's fault.

Chapter Text

He couldn't ignore the pulsating feeling in his blood.

The way his bones groaned, the way his heart skipped a beat.

Coraline had caused this. If she hadn't led them here-

"Kubo, what's going on?" Norman asked, a small boy curled up in the corner.

Kubo frowned, "Coraline caused all of this."

Although Norman had no clue of what was truly going on, he trusted his companions.

He trusted the girl named Coraline.

From the brief moments that Norman had interacted with Kubo, he'd known the boy was a good kid. He wouldn't blame someone else for something magical happening.

The change was so sudden . . . it was unnatural.

He just had a feeling that it would happen to those with magic in their veins soon . . .

And that included him.

Eggs had seen the sudden swing of Kubo's emotions.

Was he sick?

Coraline had told them that she would try to protect them. Save them from this dimension.

His thoughts were interrupted by a low man's voice. "Ahem."

As if on cue, everyone looked to the right. A small, frail black cat stood there.

"Hey, it's the Cat." Wybie bent down to pat the Cat.

"Hello, Wybourne."

Wybie jumped back in fear. "It talks!"

"Yes, I can. Now, why are you all here?"

Kubo stared out into the open, still unwilling to speak. Norman piped up, "We . . . kinda followed Coraline . . . in here . . . "

"And why did you do that?"

"I'm not sure."

The Cat looked at him. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's been rambling . . . he says it's Coraline's fault that we're down here."

A soft purr, "Does he have magic?"

"I think so . . . "

"Did he use any?"

Eggs thought about it, "He did play his instrument . . . and some paper began flying out of his bag and folded themselves into . . . that!"

The Cat arched his head. "That would explain his behaviour."

They looked frightened, "What?"

"Any magic-user can and will be corrupted. That's how the Beldam was formed. Or a human can absorb magic from this place and get corrupted as well . . . and it could also be another possibility of how the Beldam was created."

"The more you use your magic, the faster it will be tainted."

"Correct."

Kubo was under the influence of the otherworldly magic. Even Eggs could feel something bubbling in his body . . .

"What about you, Cat?"

"Hmm?" The Cat inclined his head to stare at the boy who had asked the question.

"Won't you be corrupted?"

The Cat shook his head. "Let's just say . . . animals gain other forms of magic. Usually they will ally themselves with the witch. But I was somehow . . . different. My ability is to talk. To think like a human."

He rubbed himself against Wybie's legs, laying down to rest. It wasn't for a few moments when he got up. "Where are you going, kid?"

Kubo looked at him. "Going to stop Coraline. I assume you are her friend?"

"Old pals."

"Then I won't tell you anything else. Don't try to stop me."

Magic was so easily tainted, and Eggs began fearing for his friends . . .

To say Winnie was scared was an understatement.

She was absolutely terrified.

There had to be a way to delay the magical effects. It wouldn't take long before someone else in the group turns.

Kubo had changed from a kind boy to someone filled with hatred.

She looked at the Cat. "Is there anything we can do?"

The Cat shook his head. "No. Not that I know of."

She just held her boyfriend's gaze, her eyes looking downcast.

Coraline looked up at the Other Mother.

A malicious grin spread across her face. She was definitely up to something.

"So, 'Mother', do you have something to tell me?"

Chapter Text

The Beldam just grinned. A sick, twisted thing.

Coraline suddenly felt sick to her stomach. The magic roiled violently.

It was doing something. Her stomach hurt. Her muscles ached. Her blood boiled. She groaned in pain, even the Beldam had to rush to her side.

"Maybe you should rest, daughter."

She knew something was wrong.

The Other Mother had something up her sleeves . . . but what?

And why was the magic so strange?

She heard a soft purr, and looked out the window. The Cat was there. "Hi. What's going on?"

"Your friend has turned. He's been caught."

"Which one?"

"The boy with the eyepatch."

Kubo.

"What happened?"

"His magic's been tainted. The witch has captured him. I'm betting that she would do the same to the rest of your friends."

Norman had no doubt about it. He was next.

His hands shook as he thought of the possibility of him harming his newfound friends.

He simply lay down, willing himself to sleep.

Something felt wrong. Eggs knew that.

As if he could feel the magic . . .

But he didn't have magic, did he?

His head was pounding so hard that there were black spots in his vision. His hearing muffled.

The next to turn had to be one of them.

Eggs sat down next to Winnie, who offered him a comforting smile. They had both been sent here to study . . . none of them expected this mess.

Norman moved slightly in his slumber before he jolted up, eyes opened and bloodshot red.

"I think I know who's next."

He wandered back to the Pink Palace after persuading his friends, only allowing the talking black cat to accompany him.

"What are you doing, boy?"

"I have to confirm my suspicions. The magic here is evil - I can feel that as well."

He climbed up the branch through the window - where he saw the blue-haired female fast asleep. He had to protect Coraline.

He moved slowly, whipping around as he heard a sound.

The door opened. Light spilled into the room.

"Who are you?" Norman dared ask the shadowed figure.

The humanoid creature just prowled next to him. "Norman, you don't know me?"

He recognised that voice. As the light spilled upon the woman's face, Norman's eyes morphed into one of pure horror.

It was his Mother.

With buttons for eyes.

"Your friend is asleep, so why don't you go downstairs?"

Norman shook his head. "I have to help her," he muttered.

The button-eyed imposter just angled her head. "Go downstairs now."

Norman refused to move.

The woman made her move. She grabbed his nose and hauled him down the hallway. "Let me go!"

She yanked him before her as she forced him to step into . . . a mirror?

Norman had no time to protest as she faded out of view.

He sat there for a while. Then, some lights caught his attention.

"H-hello?"

A turquoise spirit floated out of nowhere. She had long, flowing hair and was wearing a nightgown. The other was a male. Slightly older than he, but had cropped hair and wearing some overalls.

Norman gasped, "Wha - who are you?"

"We cannot recall, young sir. But I know that a girl saved us all."

"Then why are you here again?"

The two ghosts looked at each other. "I'm afraid we don't know, young sir . . . but it may have something to do with the Beldam's return."

The Beldam.

It rang a bell . . .

That was the last thing he thought before his mind began to be filled with malice.

Chapter Text

Someone else has turned.

Coraline knew because she could feel it. Magic that was polluted. Corrupted. Tainted.

She prayed that there were some who wouldn't turn in the end.

She knew she had to face her. The very witch who had trapped her here a year ago.

Her heart stopped.

The Beldam was responsible for all the damage that she had done to Coraline's life.

First it was her family . . . and now it was her friends?

The Beldam loved to mess with her.

She could only hope no one else would turn.

She gathered her courage, and walked out.

What she saw scared the life out of her.

Chapter Text

The boy raised by boxtrolls knew that the creatures were magical, of sorts, but he was human.

Eggs was certain that he was, at least.

He glanced left and right, trying his best to calm himself down.

Norman had been missing for a while, and Kubo had turned. What was going to happen next?

Looking in his bag, Eggs pulled out a box. Slightly dented and flattened, but he hugged it. It was his source of comfort.

Winnie was asleep, and he smiled at the girl's face. She was there for him when no one else was. Faced many horrors with him, and they would go through this together, too.

Finally deciding to rest, he lay beside Winnie, nodding at Lionel. He insisted on staying up, and Wybie was also fast asleep at this point.

Then, he closed his eyes and let his mind drift . . .

Lionel was bored.

The children were great fun, but this was a dangerous world. And he didn't have any of the gear to capture any of it.

As if on cue, he heard a thud nearby. Deciding to investigate, Lionel dashed in the direction of the sound.

A man-like figure hulked over him, and he knew exactly who it was.

Mr. Link.

He looked at the bigfoot and waved him over, the stomping of his feet loud enough to attract attention.

He led his friend back to their secret camp, and they sat there, chatting for a bit.

"How did you get down here, buddy?"

"I fell down a hole."

Lionel grinned. Finally, someone who spoke his language.

"This is a dangerous place. Be careful."

The children awakened to the towering man.

Lionel just smiled. "Kids, allow me to introduce Mr. Link, my partner in crime."

The three just waved awkwardly and sat down.

"We need to come up with a plan to help them!"

The man took up a spot next to the boy named Wybourne, and Mr. Link sat next to him. "Indeed we do."

They sat there, unsure of what to do. Then, Wybourne said, "We need to go in and confront her."

"Coraline said to stay-"

"Well, she's not here, is she? Besides, we don't have much of a choice right now."

Winnie and Eggs sighed, knowing that he was right.

Lionel looked up. "We still need a plan of action."

"Right."

No one was there.

At least, that's what Kubo was seeing.

Total darkness.

He blinked his eyes several times. What was this horrible nightmare?

He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything.

He hoped someone would come and save him.

Norman had no clue where he was.

His eyes were open, yet he saw nothing - not even himself.

There were no sounds, just complete silence.

"Hello?" He tried, and realised that he couldn't speak.

There had to be someone that could help him . . . anyone . . .

He closed his eyes and muttered a silent prayer to himself . . .

"So, one of us will distract her, while the others find Norman, Kubo and Coraline?" Wybie asked.

"Ye-"

"She would know."

They jumped, turning to face the black cat that stood by them now. "Only one person had fooled her before, but I'm not so sure she'd fall for it again."

"Coraline," Wybie murmured under his breath. "What did she do?"

The Cat gave a very un-cat-like grin. "She played a game . . . and played it just as the Beldam would. Only, she played it in her favour."

"And how did she do it?"

And so the Cat told them.

Chapter Text

She had to help them, but the Beldam had many puppets helping her now.

She knew that escaping from the house was near impossible, especially with the new Other Bobinsky, Spink and Forcible.

They would convince her to visit their houses, and watch their shows, even if the blue-haired girl didn't want to.

Plus, with the mice and rats all over, it was a miracle that they hadn't found her friends yet, even if they would sound an alarm when she tried to leave.

She didn't want to risk using her magic, as she didn't want to be caught, or turning evil.

In her room, she just sat by the windowsill and stared into the eternally dark sky.

She hoped her friends were alright, and hoped that she could do something to save Kubo from that witch's clutch.

They had a plan.

One of them would distract the Beldam as the rest split up.

They had the game in mind.

Even Lionel and Mr. Link would join.

They just hoped they weren't too late.

"Everyone ready?"

They all nodded, even if it was obvious that they didn't want to do this.

Then, they walked towards the house.

This was about as exciting that his life was going to get.

Lionel walked ahead of the children, taking a deep breath.

They approached the door to the Pink Palace.

With a deep breath, he knocked. One rap. Two. Three.

Lionel moved behind the children with his friend as the door creaked open. "Hello children!"

"H-hi, Mrs Jones . . . we're here to see Coraline!" Wybourne gave as convincing a smile as he could muster.

"Oh, of course! Come on in!"

Lionel beheld the lady. He saw an old woman . . . one that looked like his Mother.

He was sure that was what they saw, too. But the Beldam bought the act.

Wybie made to dash up the stairs, but the Beldam forced them all to take a seat at the dining table. "I'll get her, dear."

Then, she disappeared as she stalked up the steps, her heels clicking as she moved.

"Remember the plan," Winnie mouthed, and they all dropped their chins in subtle nods.

Coraline gasped as she saw her friends approaching the front door.

Then, her view was blocked.

One soft knock on her door. "Coraline, dear . . . your friends are here to see you!"

Coraline willed her face not to contort into one of horror. Were they out of their minds? Did they want to die?

"I-I'll be down in a moment, 'Mother'."

She had to go down now. There was no going back. "Maybe they have some sort of plan . . . "

Kubo tried to move, tried to grab his shamisen, but his fingers refused to work.

He wished that he could see his Mother at that instant. Even his now-loving grandfather.

Eggs felt terrified as the creature who took the form of a woman he never knew, but assumed would have been his mother, made a meal for all of them.

They had to keep up the act, so he put on a smile and joined in the 'conversation', trying pretending to be talking about something.

Then, they saw her.

The blue-haired girl walked down the steps and waved at them, face in a smile.

Eggs couldn't tell if it was forced or genuine.

She took the empty seat between Winnie and Lionel and joined in their mock conversation, as if she had known about the plan.

"Hey, Jonesy, wanna play a game?"

Wybie winked at the girl, who chuckled, "What sort of game?"

"How about . . . 'Hide-and-Seek Tag'?"

Hide-and-seek tag?

That was very similar to the game that she first suggested when she came here. When she'd initially thought that this would be her new home.

She looked at the cake set before her.

'Welcome home!' was written on it, and she felt a tingle of confusion. "Home?"

The Other Mother took her Other Father's hand. "We've been waiting for you, Coraline."

"For me?"

The Other Father smiled, "Yep. Wasn't the same without you, kiddo."

She stared at the couple. "I didn't know I had another Mother."

"Of course you do!" The Other Mother chirruped. "Everyone does." The Other Father nodded his agreement.

"Really?"

"Uh huh!" The Other Mother gave her a loving smile. "And soon as you're through eating I thought we'd play a game." 

Her fingers began tapping on the table.  Coraline kept her arms folded. "You mean like . . . hide-and-seek?"

"Perfect. Hide-and-seek, in the rain."

"What rain?" Thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Shocked, Coraline just said one word. "Huh."

The girl dropped her spoon.

"Coraline? You okay?"

"Yeah. Blanked out for a moment." Coraline picked her spoon up. "You were saying?"

"I was saying, your 'Mother' can join us, too. Lionel is joining."

Coraline glanced at her Other Mother. Then at her friends.

A silent agreement passed between them.

She nodded. "Sure."

Chapter Text

Coraline knew that they were getting themselves into hot water.

Either they win and the Beldam still keeps them here, or they lose and the Beldam keeps them here.

It was a lose-lose situation.

She knew that witch all too well.

They had appointed the Beldam as the seeker, and told her that since her world was so small, she should give them a hundred seconds to count.

The plan was to find the two missing boys and leave. She did have the key, after all.

Coraline wandered the house, while concentrating on her magic in letting them remain undetected.

But somehow, she couldn't feel Norman or Kubo.

She knew finding them would be difficult, just as she had found her parents.

She kept her fingers crossed as she looked through the many rooms in the house.

Norman was hoping someone could find him.

He knew that he was still trapped behind the mirror that the Beldam, as the children called her, had placed him in.

The only issue was that possibly no one could hear him.

They would have realised that he had gone missing by now, and would be looking for him.

At least he hoped.

As Lionel walked with Mr. Link, he couldn't help but feel chills go down his spine.

This place was wondrous, yet frightening.

But they had to find the boys.

As they walked out the door, Lionel suggested going downstairs.

Loud barking greeted them as they walked into the apartment. Just like Spink and Forcible, Lionel thought.

Out before them was a stage, with two figures above it.

Spink and Forcible. Both with buttoned eyes.

They swallowed, and proceeded to find the missing children.

Wybie and the Cat had gone upstairs.

The brown-haired boy knew very well who lived up there.

The crazy ol' man Bobinsky.

Luckily he wasn't here. The lights from within the apartment was obvious.

He looked at the Cat. "You don't think . . . ?"

He knocked, and the door spun him and the Cat into the room. The lights were vibrant and warm, the circus before them playing music.

Then, Wybie felt something grab his wrist. He wrested away, but was pulled to the corner of the room.

"Hey . . . "

"Shh!"

He looked up. It was him, at least, it was Other him. He opened his mouth to scream, but the Other Wybie, he felt strange calling him that, used his gloved hand to cover his mouth. He pointed, and Wybie followed the direction he was pointing.

Blue-skinned, button-eyed Bobinsky walked by, humming a tune.

This Other him had just saved Wybie's skin.

The Cat nodded at Wybie, signalling that this puppet was on their side.

Other Wybie shook his head, as if warning them against entering.

Winnie and Eggs walked outside the house.

From the perimeter to the fields to the gardens.

Winnie had never felt so scared in her life. The time when Snatcher almost took over, almost killed Eggs, it didn't compare to this!

As they walked about, Winnie tripped. "You okay?"

She took Eggs's hand. "Yeah."

As she got up, she realised that her boyfriend's grip on her tightened.

"Got you . . . !"

Chapter Text

"Got you . . . !"

The grins on their faces scared them.

One by one, the children were hauled back by their partners.

Coraline, at the top of the stairs, watched, horrified, as the Beldam caught her friends.

They stood no chance, now.

She looked down, willing her power not to be sensed by the witch.

"Well, you are just sneaky, aren't you? Your tactics are sly, but I won't fall for that again. You children are all cheaters."

The Beldam kept silent, the malicious grin back.

She knew that she had to play the Beldam's game to her advantage . . . but how?

Coraline watched as the Beldam morphed her form. It was the form between the loving mother and the creepy witch.

She stared at them.

"Oh, Coraline!" Her 'Mother' sang in a singsong voice. "Your friends are here!"

She saw Wybie wrest free from . . . Other Wybie? He then looked to the Beldam and snapped. "She probably left already. Or she's found a way around you!"

"Oh, I don't think Coraline would leave without her precious friends, especially Wybie!" The Beldam reached her long fingers for the boy, grabbing his ear.

Coraline began to race down the steps. She pulled Wybie down the dark corridor and toward the mirror that she was trapped in.

"Let him go!"

The Beldam smiled. "Gladly." Then, she released him, causing the boy to fall into the mirror.

"Wybie!"

She hopped over the railing of the staircase, ignoring the pain that shot through her leg.

"Let him out!"

The Beldam just smirked. "I think he'd quite like his new friend. Or rather, your reformed friend."

Coraline felt her heart drop. Kubo or Norman was in there.

With a shock, she realised something else.

Most of her other friends had also turned.

"What do I have to do for you to let my friends go?"

"Stay here, darling." The Beldam advanced on her. "And be my daughter."

Coraline gulped audibly, "And I need to sew the buttons? Will I become one of your victims?"

The Beldam kept her mouth shut, grinning, "Hmm."

"Are you going to answer me?"

The witch just stalked back to the room where the rest of the children were held. She waved a hand before Eggs Trubshaw, who had his partner restrained. His eyes were glossy, as if he couldn't really see what was before him.

"Looks like your time is up, daughter."

Coraline made to run, but the Beldam tripped her. "Ah, ah, ah . . . Don't play dirty, sweetie."

"What have you done to Eggs, you witch?" Coraline turned her head to Winnie.

"I haven't done anything . . . he just decided to help me."

Coraline had to get somewhere safe. She had to save Wybie and whoever else was in there with him.

Deciding to test her theory, Coraline reached into the mirror. Her hands wrapped around something, no, someone. Deciding not to go too far in, she pulled.

Wybie.

"Th-thanks, Jonesy . . . " He stuttered, obviously scarred.

"What happened to you?" Coraline observed the scratch that had formed on Wybie's cheek.

Her friend shrugged, "Norman's in there."

"Then we've got to help him!"

She lunged, but Wybie held her back. "He's wild. Not sure what's happened."

"I'll get him out first. Then we'll figure out something."

Coraline took a deep breath and stepped into the mirror. It was as dark as she'd remembered. There was a human figure hunched in the 'room', and by the looks of the red hoodie, she knew it was Norman.

She approached slowly. Tapping his shoulder, Coraline whispered, "Norman. Please."

He turned around, and Coraline backed away. His arms were flung out. "This is all your fault!"

"Norman! Calm down! Get ahold of yourself!"

He stumbled backwards. "L-leave! Th-the evil! He'll h-hur-"

He leapt for Coraline.  She dodged.

She turned. "I'll be back, okay?"

"Coraline."

"Yes?"

"I . . . I remember everything.

Chapter Text

Coraline had no choice but to leave Norman within the mirror.

Grabbing Wybie, she dashed downstairs to face the witch.

"You like games?" she said, "Then let's play . . . "

Kubo didn't know what was happening, but he did know one thing.

It was cold. It was freezing cold.

He wished that he could help his friends.

Wished that he could use his magic.

But there was dark magic messing with his mind.

Coraline yelled at the Beldam.

Wybie had no clue what the girl was doing as he watched from a distance.

"Coraline, dear, what's gotten into you?"

"I want to see what you can do." Coraline morphed herself into her 'normal' self, "So let's play."

She jumped away, dodging as the Beldam jumped towards her, hand out. "Come here, darling!"

She moved with agility, flipping and moving with ease.

The Beldam growled, strange to see when it was a monstrous version of his grandmother.

"When . . . when could you do that?"

"Since I escaped the first time."

"Come back here, you coward girl!"

Coraline wasn't just scared.

She was frightened. Terrified, even.

She hoped Wybie was safe.

She dared a look, and felt a whack to her face. She flew, and hoped Wybie was keeping quiet.

She looked over to her other friends. Other Wybie had vanished and the Cat was within the free arm of Mr. Link, as Wybie had told her.

"With your magic, Coraline," the Beldam stared at her, baiting her further, "you're gonna have to take my place. You are like me, daughter."

She glanced at her captor. "No, I'm not!"

"Just face it. After all, you've got no choice."

She looked over at her friends.

Somehow Eggs, under her control of some sort, walked forward, his girlfriend in his grasp. He pushed her onto the ground and held her down with his foot and took a box from the Beldam.

"What . . . what are you doing?"

The witch looked at her. "You've got two choices, Coraline. You'll stay here, become my daughter and I'll let your friends go, or one of your friends stay in your place."

Coraline had to play this smart. The Beldam had the upper hand. She was winning this battle, but she had to keep up the charade. She knew that the lady would not free any of them, whether or not she agreed.

"I want to create a counter-offer."

"Bad choice, Coraline."

She nodded at Eggs. He pulled out some things - a thread and a needle. Then, two buttons appeared in his hands.

She wouldn't dare.

With Winnie whimpering and begging her boyfriend to stop, Coraline felt her heart crack.

She couldn't let someone lose their loved one.

The threaded needle and button neared the girl's face, and Coraline's heart pounded in her chest.

"Take me! Free them, but take me!"

"Good choice."

Chapter Text

"Take me! I'll do it!"

"Good choice."

"Just . . . let them go. Let them all go. Now."

Wybie couldn't believe his ears.

His best friend, sacrificing herself for everyone else in this world.

Kubo could see.

He could hear.

He just couldn't move.

He knew that he was in a place with . . . snow?

And that Coraline had just given up her life.

"That girl gets what she deserves." Kubo heard himself whisper.

Maybe she did.

What was he thinking? He couldn't think like that . . .

But it was her fault.

Something was polluting his thoughts. Infiltrating his brain. Messing with him.

But it wouldn't get him. Not as long as he had hope.

He just hoped Coraline had a plan in mind.

Coraline had no plan.

In fact, she was not even sure what she was doing.

Her body was paralysed.

She tried to use her magic, but she couldn't reach it.

As the Beldam placed the button on her eye, she could feel her consciousness, her sanity and even her life slipping away.

There was no way.

The Beldam pulled him out of that hellhole.

Norman could see. Could move.

But the demon was still there.

Kubo was finally warm.

But he hoped that Coraline had a plan.

Coraline knew that she had no more control.

She was definitely the next Beldam.

Just like her captor.

Chapter Text

There was no way that her friends were getting out.

Luckily, she no longer had the key.

"Turn back to the form you had when you first came here."

She did.

Wybie reached his hand into his pocket.

And felt the key.

Maybe they had a chance of escaping.

But were they able to get their friend?

The answer was likely 'no'.

The girl had given herself out for them.

Now it was their turn.

He knew that his other friends were still affected by the magic.

Then, he heard, "Now, daughter . . . what do you want to do with your old friends?"

He turned, and the girl, blood still flowing down her skin, buttons pressed against her face.

He knew that she couldn't see him. Knew that she was no longer the Coraline that he knew. She would kill him without a second thought.

"My name is Coraline Jones, and I think that we should keep them here." Wybie heard. "I think we should take that boy first."

Wybie jumped.

Coraline was pointing towards him.

Her face. Her voice.

So emotionless.

"I'll have to take your eyes first."

Kubo heard that.

He had seen Coraline choose Wybie.

He was moving, but yet he wasn't.

The strange magic was controlling his body, and Kubo fought for control.

"Mother, take him."

Wybie made to run, but the Beldam got there first.

"J-Jonesy! It's me! It's Wybie!"

"I know. Join me. Let's stay friends."

The magic that he knew his friend had would cause her to go further into the darkness.

He felt two hands made of pins grab him.

"Coraline, please!"

The Beldam groaned.

Magic got them all into this. Maybe magic could get them out of it.

He fought.

Control was so difficult.

"Coraline!"

Kubo yelled, hand coming down on the strings.

The magic blew them both ways.

He had broken out of the spell. Feeling the pure, clean magic pass through his body gave him a sense of relief and happiness.

He looked over at Norman.

He nodded at him.

Now they had to help Coraline.

Magic was neither good nor bad, yet it was both at the same time. It only depended on the influence the user had on the source.

He knew that it would be tough to break the blue-haired girl out of the Beldam's control, but he had to try.

He looked over to Eggs, then to Norman and even glanced at Mr Link.

They all had magic in their veins. That was why they had all turned.

When Coraline looked over at him, he pulled his hand into the air and strummed again, with more force than the previous strum.

"Coraline." A gentle strum.

"Coraline." Another. "We are your friends. You gave up your life for us."

Coraline let out a feral shriek, lunging for them.

He blew her back with another stroke of his hand, beginning to advance. "Come back to us, Coraline."

A low laugh as she got to her feet. "It's too late. Your precious Coraline had already given in to the darkness."

"Please . . . "

Another dark chuckle. "Don't you get it, Kubo? She's gone."

That couldn't be true.

Coraline was still there. He believed it.

No, he knew it.

It was Wybie's turn to stand as he looked at his longest friend. "Please, Jonesy. You're the reason none of us died. Come back. We need you."

"G-guys?"

Coraline saw through her eyes. Or what used to be her eyes.

She was surprised how the buttons actually worked.

"G-guys?"

You surrendered. You obey me.

She knew that she couldn't just succumb.

If she was going down, she was going down with a fight.

And she was taking the Beldam with her.

You are nothing. Now, you are mine.

Was she?

You belong to me.

No.

She knew that she had to overcome this.

My name is Coraline Jones. I escaped from the Beldam once before, and I can do it again.

It was an effort to regain control.

Her magic thrashed and roiled, but Coraline willed it to obey.

She looked over at her friend.

There was still something wrong.

She knew that very well.

The girl stood as still as a statue, leaving the Beldam unprotected.

Kubo didn't know what to do.

Coraline's fingers twitched, barely a noticeable movement.

The Beldam grinned. Made no move even as Kubo advanced on her.

He strummed a final time, before he joined hands with everyone else in the room.

"Magic doesn't determine you. You determine the magic."

Their hands glowed, the warmth from the magic put a smile on his face.

"You may look like all our Mothers, but you will never be them."

Then, they aimed at the Beldam.

"Stop!"

Coraline.

Chapter Text

Coraline knew better than to kill the Beldam.

She could . . . feel the Beldam. Feel the magic. Feel her every movement.

Sometimes even hear her thoughts.

Kubo froze.

Magic still dancing at their fingertips, everyone turned to the girl who spoke.

Coraline.

Her hands began moving, clawing at the buttons.

One of them fell out, clattering to the ground.

They gasped.

There was nothing underneath.

Just . . . skin.

As if the buttons did become her new pair of eyes.

"My eye! Where is it?" She screamed.

"I took it, dear."

"That's why my life is tethered to yours now, right?"

Kubo was surprised at how calm the girl was about this situation. He hadn't known Coraline very long, but even when she tried to hide it, he just knew that she was suffering from PTSD after the first time she had survived the Other Mother.

The blood that flowed halfway down her face had already dried.

The Beldam was evil.

Coraline didn't seem surprised at the claim that she had taken her eye.

She'd known.

The Beldam was surprised, as much as she was trying to mask it.

Of course she had stolen her eye - just as she had taken the eyes of the three ghost children.

She supposed, it was a trophy for finally capturing Coraline.

"Tell me, where is it?"

"Somewhere around here."

This was no game. This was her reality.

"Return it to me."

She heard a purr, and turned.

The Cat rolled the eye to her. Somehow he'd left without anyone knowing and grabbed the eye.

She moved, but the Beldam got there first.

"If you can take this from me, you're free to go."

Coraline knew the magic present wouldn't allow her to levitate the eye down.

She had to get it somehow.

Bingo.

She nodded at her friends, despite their worried expressions.

They unleashed the magic on the Beldam.

The Beldam screamed in pain, and Coraline felt the burning sensation all over as well, but she tried her best to ignore it, diving and grabbing the eye that fell from the witch's hand.

The burning ceased.

She knew that her true soul was trapped within that one object.

She had to decide what to do with it.

Keep it, and untether her soul from the Beldam? 

Or smash it, and regain her freedom, but at a cost?

Attempting to muster the magic within her, Coraline held the eye out, concentrating her blast into that tiny object.

It cracked. Just a little.

Without thinking, Coraline lobbed the little ball of light toward the fire.

The rules never said anything about melting it.

As she watched the eye burst into flames and melt away, she turned to her friends.

"You can do with her whatever you wish."

She turned towards the fire, trying to ignore the screams of the Beldam. "No! Daughter! You can't leave me like this!"

I already have.

A loud, bloodcurling shriek sounded as the girl sank to her knees.

"Pity. I would've wanted to live here, if not for you wanting to eat up my life."

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She recognised that touch. Wybie.

She ran up and threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

Then she released him. If it weren't for her button eyes, she would have wiped away the tears that would have formed in her eyes. "Thank you all for saving me."

"You saved us first."

Coraline knew that she might never leave the Other World. For whatever reason, she could feel her soul bound here forever.

Taking a step back, she heard a voice in her head.

You have done well, young Coraline. Thank you for releasing me from the witch that lived here. She came here, and her vicious and malicious thought polluted the magic that ran here.

She polluted the minds of children like you, her will dominating them, spirit and body, along with my magic. You were the only one who had resisted successfully and survived. Twice, for that matter.

You and your friends finally vanquished her, and now my magic is free once more. I shall grant you what you seek - to become normal.

But you must return to the Pink Palace every so often, as you are my nefw host.

Now, be free.

Coraline couldn't explain what she felt, but when she next opened her eyes, yes, opened her eyes, she couldn't bear it, and broke into tears.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Then, she looked to Wybie, then to his pocket, where she knew the key still lay. "Shall we?"

Coraline's look was still her 11-year-old self, but she didn't care. She didn't look that much different after a year, save for her blue hair.

"Let's go."

She slipped her hand into her friend's pocket and pulled out the key, inserting it into the keyhole.

"Goodbye forever, 'Mother'." Coraline whispered under her breath.

Then they crawled back through the little door.

Chapter Text

She hadn't had an adventure like that since a year ago.

Coraline walked outside with her friends and found the class waiting outside.

She turned to the group. "Let's meet up here every week. I'd like to know you all better,"

Even Kubo and Norman understood. His magic was not entirely linked to the Other World, but she knew they would be here.

"Alright then, Coraline Jones. See you on Saturday."

"See you guys soon!"

The Beldam wasn't going to be resurrected any time soon. No one would fall victim to be its next Beldam anytime soon, either. She would make sure of that.

Coraline smiled to herself.

The magic would somehow keep her youthful, she knew. How else was the Beldam able to stay alive for hundreds of years?

As the kids walked out, they saw the teacher.

"You kids have been missing for five hours, where have you been?"

"We were exploring the area, Teacher. We're very sorry."

"You'd better be. Police had to get involved." The teacher pointed to where a group of officers stood. "You'd better tell them what you just told me."

As they turned, they heard the teacher's voice trail after them. "Nice hair, Miss Jones. You're lucky the school allows some form of hair dye."

She signalled over to the two adults who had followed them to the Other World and explained to the cops why they were missing for so long, excluding the part about the Other World, of course.

She knew that their escape this time was lucky - way too lucky.

And she'd be lucky if no other adventure came up for her in a while.

That was nearly impossible for an explorer as adventurous as Coraline.

Chapter Text

As the group gathered that Saturday, Coraline introduced every ghost to them.

Some had remembered their names, others didn't.

Coraline had no clue if they could leave the Pink Palace, or if they could go on to the Other World.

She grinned as she showed off her new skills, practising, especially since it was weaker here in the real world.

This magic was not evil, but it wasn't good either.

It was a husk, somewhere in between, depending on what the user wanted to use it for.

She knew that, she had to keep the magic in her - to prevent the possibility of any future Beldam's creation, or the previous Beldam being resurrected.

Maybe she could use it to help others, too.