It's me again, LeoLover95 I hope you liked the Prologue, here is the first chapter to The Protector of my Heart. Please read and review.

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch, Crunch

Rose Thorn's boots crunched on the fresh foliage that has fallen from the dark decaying trees that sprouted up in a disarray through the streets of Halloween Town. The bright orange pumpkin sun had all but disappeared from sight. The bright white moon had almost made its way high in the twilight sky.

Rose kept her chin up and shoulders back as she marched down the street. She had passed many of the citizens and regarded them with either a small smile or a simple nod of her head. The street was quite, except for the occasional squeaking of rats and the moaning and groaning of ghosts. The town was at peace and Rose could not be more content.

"Good evening, General Thorn." A familiar voice greeted.

"Good evening to you as well, Dr. Finkelstein." Rose Thorn greeted the mad scientist with a warm smile.

The wheelchair bound mad scientist returned the sentiment but with his large jaw and sharp teeth, the smile looked more malicious. Dr. Finkelstein opened his cranium cap and scratched the remaining half of his brain. A perplexed look crossed his features.

"General Thorn have you seen Jack?"

Rose Thorn's smile grew a fraction of an inch. She knew exactly where the beloved Pumpkin King was but that secret between the tall skeletal pumpkin king and the petite forest fairy. She was Jack Skellington's right hand woman after all.

"No Dr. Finkelstein, I haven't seen him all day."

Rose Thorn told Dr. Finkelstein hoping that he could not see the lie through her ruby red eyes.

"I see." Dr. Finkelstein said with a trace of skepticism in his voice. "Well have a good evening."

Rose Thorn slowly let out a sigh of relief when the mad scientist was out of hearing distance. She then continued to march on. There was someone waiting for her.

Jack sat in the chair with a tired expression on his face. He was exhausted. It was November first. He had spent the previous night making mere mortals quake in fear. He had pulled out all the stops trying to make last night the best Halloween that any mortal or immortal had ever seen. And it had been. Being the Pumpkin King was very tiring and stressful job that after two hundred years he still enjoyed it. He did have a phase when he loathed being the Pumpkin King and looked for something more. Which had resulted in him stealing Christmas from Santa Claws and almost having his undead life end at the hands of Oogie Boogie.

It was after that whole fiasco that Jack had tried a relationship with Sally, the beautiful red headed ragdoll. She was too gentle, too quiet, and too shy. Sally was not the kind of girl that Jack wanted to spend the rest of eternity with. It was not that she wasn't a beautiful soul, because Jack believe she had one of the most innocent and purest souls he had ever known. The answer was simple Sally was not his soulmate. Jack had been close to another rebellion. Then he had met Rose Thorn.

It was a cold and misty January evening. The streets of Halloween town were empty except for the occasional passerby. Jack had been busy all day with the mayor. The two-faced politician always worried about the Halloween preparations every hour of every day of every month. Jack admired the mayor's persistence and commitment but he was the pumpkin King, giving people a good scare and spreading halloween spirit was in his blood... if he had any blood.

The mayor had finally taken a break from Halloween planning for the evening. Jack was about to leave City Hall for the comfort of his castle when the mayor had another idea.

"Jack have you seen the new recruits for the pumpkin guard?" The mayor asked the moment Jack grabbed his coat from the coat rack by the door.

"No I have not." Jack stated a matter a factly with his coat halfway on his body. Showing the mayor that he wanted to leave.

"You must see them." The mayor's voice a mixture of awe and excitement. "They are simply extraordinary. "And I bet if they were to see who they are fighting to protect, they would be honored and humbled at the sight of you, Your Highness."

Jack stood there for a moment a deep frown crossed his features. He hated formality. He knew he was royalty, deemed almost untouchable and unapproachable by most of the Halloween Town citizens who simply did not know him, but Jack did not wish that life for himself. He hated being addressed as your grace or your highness, he was Jack Skellington, a very laid back and approachable skeleton.

"I don't know Mayor." Jack said his deep frown still etched into his features.

The Mayor's face had switched from the cheery peach colored happy face to the paper white sad face. "But Jack, why do we even have a Pumpkin Guard if you will not even look at a few men to aid in your protection."

Jack let out a long drawn out sigh. Jack thought he had been able to protect himself. He single-handedly defeated Oogie Bogie and had rescued Santa Claus and Sally. But the town had gone through an uproar they could not believe the evil that existed in their town they were good people who brought terror into hearts of millions but they were never mean about it.

The pumpkin guard had been created by the enlistment of a few volunteers and from those volunteers Jack had to pick a few who could be his bodyguards. The guard had been established years ago but Jack had still not picked a single soldier to stay by his side. He had tried once but the poor soldier did not understand the Jack wanted companionship out of fierce and overprotective warrior. The mayor had been very persistent that Jack find another replacement. Jack had vehemently refused.

The pumpkin King looked upon the very distraught face of his friend. His face softened and a very small smile grew across his features.

"Okay Mayor." The skeletal man said as he put his black pea coat all the way on and buttoned all the buttons. "I will go see the new recruits but I am not, I repeat, I am not looking for a possible bodyguard."

The Mayor's face changed and he was all smiles.

Then there he was, walking down the cobblestone streets of his beloved Halloween town. Past all the little houses and mom-and-pop shops. He had made it through the village Square with the mayor following close behind him. It was hard for the 6'9" skeleton with legs that never seem to end to keep up with the pudgy, short, two-faced politician. They had made it to the gates of the base camp. The gate was high with pointed spikes and in the center where the sides met was a large pumpkin. The two men at the post recognizes Jack's face the moment they looked through the gate. Without a single hesitation they opened the gate, then bowed to Jack before saying,

"Greetings your majesty."

Jack had a sour taste in his mouth of the word "majesty" it felt like a curse.

Jack entered through the gates and passed the many soldiers. He occasionally checked out a few of the soldiers but none of them seemed to have the appeal the mayor had seen. Jack had made it through most of the camp unimpressed and uninterested in any of the male soldiers when he stumbled across three female ones.

The three women were having a sparring match. Their rapiers' gripped firmly in their hands. Their movements were fluid like water. They were also calculated, precise and administered with great amounts of force, so great, that it had caused the girls to fly back from each other and run back to administer another forceful hit.

The three women were also strikingly beautiful. The one closest to Jack was a raven-human hybrid. Her skin was a dark blue. She had a pair of huge wings that sprouted from her back, the feathers were a shade of midnight black and looked as soft and as plush as a tiny kitten's fur. They seem to dwarf her body which was probably 5'7" tall. Her hair was long and was the same color as her wings. She had a rather curvy build and was very developed for a woman of whatever age she was.

The one to the Raven woman's left look to be mortal. She had olive colored skin. Her hair was very long reaching her waist. It was the brightest shade of white. Her build was very athletic yet she seemed to be well endowed for a woman of her stature. She was quite a bit shorter than the raven woman, maybe a 5 foot four or five foot three inches.

The last woman had really caught the gaze of Jack's eye sockets. She was simply a vision. Her skin was alabaster white. She had a pair of red dragonfly wing sprouting from her back, that she was using to hover above the ground. Her hair was not as long as her white-haired companion, only reaching her shoulder blades. It was a lovely shade of midnight blue. She had a lithe figure and was the smallest of the three women, not even five feet tall. The alabaster skin beauty looked away from her two companions and met Jack's gaze head on. Her face was beautiful. She had a heart-shaped face with big ruby red eyes, long thick eyelashes, high cheekbones, a cute little nose and a set of rose pink lips. The woman looked rather young but Jack could not pinpoint her exact age.

A huge grin slowly grew across the pumpkin King face. "I found them Mayor." Jack said his voice filled with amazement.

Jack smiled finally at the memory. He had enlisted the three women to be his guard immediately. When he learned that they had been at the lowly rank of corporal while other underqualified men had the rank of private, He had terminated the old general from his position and placed a lake monster by the name of Master Lock to the vacant position until three women had climbed the Pumpkin Guard hierarchy.

Jack had full confidence in the women, but he had been skeptical at first. He had specified to them in private that he did not need protecting and was more than capable of taking care of himself. He expected there to be trouble with his orders to them but the women understood. They never addressed Jack in a formal manner and when he wanted left alone, he was left alone. Jack had become close friends with the three women, Raven Nevermore, Rose Thorns, and Selene Moon.

Jack was snapped out of his reprieve when he heard a small wrap at his chamber door. A soothing soprano voice spoke from the other side of the door.

"Jack?" The voice asked.

Jack's smile widened. He knew the owner of the soothing soprano voice.

"Come in my dear." Jack gently commanded.

The door creaked open as a figure came through the doorway. It was Rose Thorn. Jack looked upon the alabaster skined beauty, she was still wearing her uniform. Most of her alabaster skin hidden from view. Burgundy was the color of her corset top with long billowy sleeves. The symbol for the Royal pumpkin guard was displayed proudly on her bosom. Her black leather gloves matched in color with her pants and her boots. Her cavalier hat had the same coloring as her gloves but there was a burgundy rose that decorated the left side brim.

Rose Thorns removed her hat, revealing to jack her intricate mask that covered a majority of her face. It was a burgundy rose that made her ruby red eyes stand out from the contrast of the two shades of red.

"My dear friend where on earth have you been all day?" Jack asked in exasperation.

Rose Thorn smirked as she crossed the room towards the impeccably dressed skeleton.

"You said you wanted to be alone." Rose Thorn stated as though it was completely obvious for her absence from the side of the pumpkin King.

"You know I always enjoy your company." The skeleton man said as he grabbed her gloved hand with his bony one.

Rose Thorn plopped herself down in an armchair adjacent to Jack, when he had let go of her hand. She began stripping herself of her mask, gloves, and raspier. With each article she removed Jack saw her transform from general Thorn the no-nonsense, forceful leader of the royal pumpkin guard, to Rose, Jack's most loyal and trusted friend, one whom he loved with all his being.

"How was your day, my dear friend?" Jack asked Rose Thorn as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his tall bony legs.

"I do not wish to talk about work, your Majesty." Rose Thorn teased the skeleton man as she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, a small smirk played upon her lips.

Jack looked upon the face of Rose Thorn. 'So that's how she wants to play.' He thought to himself.

"But you see General," Jack began his verbal assault on the suspecting ruby eyed beauty. "I am the Pumpkin King." Jack gestured to himself with his boney hands. "I rule over all and that includes you, therefor, if I want to know how your day was, then you will tell me!"

Jack waited for a reply. He had waited several moments for the petite woman to respond but no words passed her Rose pink lips. The Pumpkin King watched as Rose Thorn opened her eyes. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" Rose Thorn asked the skeletal man.

"Yes it is so." Jack replied as he stared down the alabaster beauty.

Rose Thorn returned his stare head on.