Sally was really worried. There was a look in Jack's eyes that she had never, in all the years she's known him, seen: Fear. Jack was scared. And when the king of Halloween gets scared, then something horrible is about to happen.

***********************************************

The royal couple and their faithful pet were walking quickly towards the outskirts of Halloweentown, looking for three individuals. Sally had to ask Jack several times to slow down, as her legs weren't as long as his, and he had a tendency of walking excruciatingly fast when he thought the occasion called for it.

They found the infamous trio busy at work, Shock still tearing down the pipes, Barrel digging a hole in the ground, and Lock moving pieces of scrap metal to the side. All three noticed the new arrivals, but only Lock and Barrel ceased their work. Shock continued as if she were never interrupted.

Jack walked towards Shock, but not before quickly whispering to Sally, "I told you they would be awake." Sally, in turn, stuck her tongue out and walked towards Barrel.

"I see you've been quite busy since I left."

Silence.

"Have you stopped once since then?"

Silence.

"Ok, then. On to what brings me here." Jack paused to notice that Shock's eyebrows were raised in interest. "I think I know who it is down there."

Shocked silence. Before he even knew what was going on, Jack found himself being pushed on the ground by Shock. Barking from the other side of the grounds attracted the attention of everyone. Shock let go of Jack, who stood up wiping the dirt from his back. Dimly, he noticed the sun was rising.

"What is it, Zero?"

The ghost dog led his master to where he was floating. Peering over the edge of the cliff, Jack noticed a commotion coming from the town. The Mayor and several other creatures were all gathering in front of Jack's house, looking worse for wear.

"Jack, you don't think they're starting to get the nightmares, too, do you?" Shock asked.

"Why not?" Lock chimed. "I did."

"Me too," said Barrel, still digging a hole in the ground. Jack turned to them, getting his first good look at the trio. Shock looked the same as she did the day before, but Barrel's face was slightly droopy and Lock looked like someone had punched him in the face.

Sally walked over and started looking over Lock's face.

"Lock, what happened?"

"Shock decided that my face and that damn sledgehammer would make a good couple, and thusly began proving that point."

Shock and Barrel started laughing, while Lock glared at them. Sally turned to Jack, who just shrugged and looked back at the town of distressed people. How was he going to deal with them? They obviously knew of his dreams, and now that they were having their own, they were going to become suspicious. As long as the Mayor doesn't tell every one of Shock's nightmare-related disappearances, then Jack could deal with the rest of the townsfolk.

A noise from underneath them brought everyone from their musings. Sally was the first one to the hole leading to Oogie Boogie's lair. Since the sun was slowly rising, she could barely make out something moving down there. Barrel stood up from his hole and peered down with her and Lock.

"Who the hell is that?" he asked. Shock pushed him out of the way.

"You can see him?!"

The only bit visible was the outline of a tall, thin figure. Once the figure noticed he was being watched, he quickly hid in the darkness.

"Damnit! That's it! I am going down there and dealing with this!" Jack exclaimed. His outburst flabbergasted those around him. The last time he was this angry was five years ago... something all of them wished to forget.

Jack rotated towards the pipes and paused.

"Shock, is there another way down to the lair?"

"Only if you want to make it to the front door, and completely destroy the element of surprise."

"Is there a back way in?"

"Through the forest."

"The forest?"

"Yes."

The forest. The last place he wanted to go. Going through the forest would mean having to walk to the cemetery. Walking to the cemetery would mean walking by the townsfolk. And if the way they were all congregating meant anything, walking by them would be a very bad idea. Not to mention the fact that every time Jack had a dream about the forest, Shock was there and something terrible always occurred.

It was too much for the Pumpkin King to handle. But as king, it was his duty to make sure that some weirdo who is in control of nightmares was not harassing the people of Halloween.

"Lead the way, then."

***********************************************

It had taken several hours of yelling and arguing before Jack finally allowed Lock and Barrel to join him, Shock, Zero, and Sally, who managed to take the lead away from the treehouse without running into anyone (she knew all the hidden cracks and passageways of the town from trying to get away from the doctor so often).

The six of them slowly made their way to the cemetery, past the Spiral Hill and towards the entrance of the forest.

"All the years this has been here, never once did I think I would have to enter it," said Jack. "Twice."

The motley crew walked into the Forest of Holidays. Taking them in momentarily, Jack smiled softly as the ornament doorknob sparkled in the sunlight. Then they continued forward. They made it to a place Jack had only seen in his dreams, and even then, he never really noticed it.

It was the cliff where he and Shock continuously ran into Oogie Boogie. Essentially, it was more luxurious to see it in person. It was an entire waterfall, littered with trees and rocks. It was truly one of the most magnificent things any of them had seen, including Jack, who had seen quite a lot in his time.

Without warning, Shock ran back away from the cliff, and proceeded to jump off it. Everyone ran to the edge to grab her, dread overcoming them. Looking closely, they noticed a net there, and Shock, hysterically laughing.

"You guys are so EASY!" she cackled. "The only way to the lair is to jump." She rolled away before Lock had the chance to jump on top of her, pinning her to the net. One by one, they all jumped and rolled into a cave.

Picking up a stick from ground, Shock pulled a match from her pocket and lit it. With some difficulty, Jack stood up and looked around, making sure nobody was following them. Barrel picked up a rock and was about to throw it into the water when out of nowhere, he was tackled by Shock.

"Don't touch ANYTHING! He'll attack you if you do!"

"Oh, and you and only you are allowed to touch things?" Barrel glowered. Shock scoffed at him.

"I put it there!"

"Oh..."

Shock glared at him fiercely. Out of the blue, Shock paused at the opening of cave. Movement from the other side made Jack walk forward, but Shock pulled his arm, making stay where he was. Zero went ahead, his pumpkin nose shining light into the dank and sinister-looking cave.

"There it is, Jack," Shock whispered. "What's left of Oogie Boogie's casino."

"And home of the new maker of nightmares," added Sally.

"Is there anybody there?"

Jack froze. He knew that voice. He HATED that voice.

A figure stepped into the light and looked at the beings. He (she?) had on an olive shirt with ruffles coming off the sleeves and the collar, wide bell-bottom pants and Spice Girl style boots. On top of his skeletal head, he wore a crown that was tilted towards the side.

"Jack! What a surprise! I thought you vowed to never see me as long as we both existed on this planet," said the figure.

By this point, Jack was fuming. His only restraint was Lock and Shock, who were each holding an arm and pulling.

"Just what do you think you're doing back in Halloween? Weren't you NEVER supposed to come back?"

"Yes, well, funny story, that," said the figure. "When you mercilessly destroyed the Oogie Boogie Man, there was a shortage of nightmares. Even worse, there was a shortage of people here qualified for the job. Enter, I, Jake to the rescue! And all of the nightmareless nights are gone!"

"'Nightmareless'? That's not even a word!" Jack yelled. "You need to go back to... wherever you left to..."

"St. Patrick's Land. Very interesting. Nothing like my home sweet home."

"JAKE! You need to leave, NOW!!"

Jake just laughed and walked near Jack. Upon closer inspection, it was visible that Jake was just as skeleton as Jack. Lock and Shock let go of Jack and made their way to the other side of the room and were momentarily joined by Barrel.

"Dear, sweet, misguided, poor old Jack. Years of bitterness still haven't left you, I see."

"I have nothing to be bitter about. If I remember correctly, which I do," he said looking Jake directly in the eyes, "it was YOU who was the bitter Skellington child."

"Of COURSE I was the bitter one! Everyone always loved Jack. Jack is the perfect big brother, and he will make the perfect king one day! And where does that leave me? 'Why can't you be more like Jack? Why don't you behave like Jack? Why can't you speak like Jack?! WHY AREN'T YOU JACK?!" At this moment, Jake was practically yelling in Jack's face. "Well, I HAVE HAD IT! NOW IT'S MY TURN, JACKY-WACKY!! And you're not going to enjoy what I have in store," he whispered venomously. He then pulled Jack down to the ground, where he started attacking him with all his might.

Sally had wandered, unnoticed by all, to the entrance of the cave, looking for something to help Jack with. Unfortunately, Jake DID notice, and somersaulted towards her, and threw his arms around her, preventing her from moving. Jack, who received several blows to the chest and head with his brother's Spice Girl boots, lay there trying to put everything that had just happened into perspective.

"Now, now, Sally," he said, pulling her along as he walked to a corner, "it does not do well for first impressions to try and attack your brother-in- law. Do you know what the best part of being able to control peoples' dreams is, Sally, dear?"

Frozen, Sally could only shake her head. That caused Jake to laugh, which frightened her more. Not even Jack's maniacal laugh scared her.

"Well, I'll tell you. It's getting to know what their deepest secrets, and their darkest fears. Oh, big brother," he turned around and stole a look at Jack, who was semiconscious, "would you like to know the two things that frighten your oh-so lovely wife to death?"

Sally began to panic as Jake tied her to a pole. He obviously knew what he was doing, as she couldn't reach either of her wrists. Now she couldn't pull her hands apart from her body and try to save herself. He then proceeded to tie her legs to the pole as well. If Jack were conscious, he would help put of this. And what of Lock, Shock and Barrel? Where did they go to?

"Sally is afraid of being confined with no way to get herself out. But that's not her greatest fear. Oh, no it's not!"

Jake left Sally tied to the pole. He looked around on a desk, which was cluttered with papers and other miscellaneous paraphernalia. Finding what he was looking for, he turned back to Sally with a triumphant "Ah-ha!" In his left hand, he held a matchbook. In his right, a little can of oil.

Tormented by what the brother of her husband was planning on doing, Sally tried with all her might to move her hands so she could get free. Jack was slowly regaining consciousness, but the evil glint in Jake's eyeless sockets as he poured the oil in a circle around Sally and stopping directly by her feet was terrifying. Right now she wished she was anywhere, even with the doctor when he was angry at her.

"Sally's GREATEST fear, what with her being made of cloth and dried leaves" Jake said, put his arm around Sally and admiring his handiwork with a demented smile on his face, "is fire." He gave Sally a quick kiss on the cheek, then took a match and lit it, then threw it on the oil.

"JACK!!" Sally screamed. Why wasn't he up yet? Tears were beginning to pour down the ragdoll's face as the flames grew higher. The smoke was choking her and burning her eyes. And as much as she squirmed, she couldn't break free from her imprisonment.

"JACK! PLEASE! Get UP!!"

"Yes, please, Jacky," Jake taunted. "Help your poor wife. You don't want to be the reason Halloween Town doesn't have it's queen any longer."

Without warning, something had attached itself to Jake's leg. He yelped in revulsion and Lock and Barrel each tackled a leg. Right behind them, Shock came in, supporting the arm of one of the one-arm bandit machines that were left in ruins from years ago. She then started to assault Jake with it, first hitting him in the legs and slowly working her way up.

"Who do you think you are, giving me nightmares, making me go through all that CRAP, AND THEN ATTACKING JACK AND SALLY WHO WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO TOOK CARE OF ME WHEN I WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF YOU?!?!"

By then, Zero had managed to rouse Jack. He was out trying to get some water to douse the fire, which held Sally prisoner. He found the head of the one-arm bandits and proceeded to run to the entrance of the cave, where he filled it with water from the waterfall. He ran back in as fast as his legs could carry him (which was fast), and started putting out the fire. Once the flames were gone, Jack untied Sally, who was hysterically crying and staring into space.

Lock, Shock and Barrel pulled the unconscious Jake towards the entrance of the cave. Jack stood there, holding Sally and comforting her as she had done so many times for him. He realized that she wasn't going to be able to walk back, so he picked her up in his arms and followed the Trick-or- Treating Trio out of the cave, Zero tagging along next to his master.