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The holiday season had fallen upon Hometown. A flurry of snow dotted the skies, and a white glaze of snow covered the ground. Everyone was bundled up in whatever they had to keep themselves warm. Their lawns were a feast for the eyes, as lights and displays made each house more festive than the last. For all the residents, this season was a time to spend with their closest family and friends as they gave gifts, sang carols, drank hot cocoa, and made merriment in any way they saw fit. However, for a select few, this year was going to be the most bizarre and memorable holiday yet.
A loud ringing of the school’s bell usually told all the students it was time to go home, but this one today meant something even better. It was the bell that signaled that school had let out for the rest of the year, and the holiday break had begun. Three straight weeks of playing in the snow until you couldn’t feel your toes. A stampede of students rushed out the door following this bell, and amidst them were three teenagers who had become best friends. The group comprised of a plain kid with long brown hair and an equally plain wardrobe, a punkish bipedal lizard with purple skin, and a young deer with a plain schoolgirl uniform. Examining the group would reveal the fawn to be the most passionate in this current moment.
“Oh my gosh, you guys! School’s finally out! It’s Christmas time!” the deer shouted emphatically to her cohorts.
“Yeah, I know, Noelle,” the lizard replied, “you’ve been talking about it all day. I got the picture by now.”
“Aww, c’mon, Susie,” Noelle replied back, “you know how much I love this time of year! We started decorating six months in advance, I got everyone’s gifts already, and we’ve got enough ingredients to make enough cookies and hot chocolate for everyone in town three times over!”
Noelle finds herself starting to run out of air due to talking too quickly, which caused the plain kid to put their hand on her shoulder.
“*huff* *huff*. Thanks, Kris. Sorry, I got so excited I forgot to stop talking…” Noelle can’t help but blush while Kris gives her a stoic thumbs up.
“So, do you two have any plans made yet? Do you know what you’re gonna ask Santa for this year?”
“Uhh, well…” Susie grumbled out as a reply, “I think Kris and I were gonna… stand in the closet for a while. You know, the place where we, uh, do our crimes?”
Noelle gets momentarily stunned at Susie’s question. “Oh, right, the… crime closet? You guys seem to spend an awful lot of time in there. Is there that much stuff in there?”
“Oh yeah, there’s like, all the GOOD crimes in there. Like… theft. And jaywalking.”
“Oh… okay then…?”
“In fact…” Susie stated as she turned to Kris, “I was thinking about going there now. What do you think?”
Kris gave a solemn nod in response, and thus the duo entered back in school.
“Umm… okay! Have fun with your… crimes??” Noelle shouted at the two before walking back towards her home.
As Noelle wandered back home, she couldn’t help but think to herself. Are Kris and Susie really committing crimes in a closet? How are they doing that? What do they get up to? Why does it have to be in a closet? Why was she only asking herself these questions after they had spent months randomly going into the crime closet?
After travelling down the block, her curiosity got the best of her. She decided she couldn’t stand it anymore. She turned around on the spot and made her way back to the school to investigate.
Noelle made her way up to the front door of the school. The lights inside were out. The windows had frost built up on them from the low temperature outside. She crept up to the door and pulled it open just enough to peek inside. The hallways were dim and lifeless. The building had been abandoned since everyone had gone home for vacation. After seeing that the coast was clear, she closed the front door behind her.
She knew the closet was straight down the main hallway, so she snuck down until she reached it. In comparison to everything else, the door looked darker and slightly decrepit. No name or plate was on it to show what lay beyond it. Noelle suddenly felt her heartrate increasing. A cold chill overtook her. It felt like she had weights in her hands and feet. She tried reaching for the handle, but her hand shook and trembled. Opening the door felt like the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She had to force her hand forward as it slowly glided to the handles. Once her hand made contact, she had to keep an iron grip on the door to assure her hands wouldn’t slip off. With all her might, she threw her weight back and opened the door with all the force she had.
What lay beyond was both frightening and intriguing. It seemed that the inside was completely dark. No light from the outside seemed to affect it in any way. No visible forms or structure within. It was like peering into a black hole. While her whole body was paralyzed with fear, Noelle felt drawn to the inexplicable darkness. Upon taking a step inside, she found her hesitation warranted, as there was no ground inside the closet to stand on. She was thrown off balance and fell into the closet.
The fall went on for ages. The darkness enveloped her. Her screams fell on deaf ears. Amidst the panic, unknowingly, her outfit changed from an unremarkable sweater and skirt into a glistening white dress. Noelle was unaware of this as she plummeted into the abyss.
After what felt like ages, she finally landed on solid ground. Amazingly, she was unharmed, despite landing face first. The ground felt like a strange mixture of stone and sand. As Noelle slowly stood up, she was greeted by large stone walls that were black as night. Her only option was the path forward. She started to make her way into this strange new world.
Moments prior, our other heroes, Kris and Susie, entered the closet and fell into this strange place. However, they did it in such a way that showed that they were deeply familiar with it, for they had entered it plenty of times before. As they fell, the feeling of encroaching darkness felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Their alternate outfits felt like slipping on a cozy pair of shoes. Kris’s hair and skin turned a cool shade of blue, and they donned a knight’s armor with a pink cape draped across one shoulder. Susie turned a bright pink, with an even more punk-ish outfit accompanying it, consisting of a black jacket, purple pants, and spiky armbands. As they reached the ground, they tucked and rolled in midair before stomping firmly on the ground. The familiar sights of the castle walls brought them at ease.
They were now in the Dark World’s Castle Town, their home away from home.
As they ventured inside, the town was bustling with the usual activity of its many inhabitants. A peppy tune blasted from the music shop, and various residents were going about their way through the many locations found in the town square. And standing in the center of the square was a young goat wearing a green cloak, who was expecting the two guests who just made their appearance.
“Kris! Susie! It’s so great to see you!” the young goat exclaimed.
“Ralsei!” Susie responded. Upon greeting each other, the two performed a potent high-five, while Kris gave a stoic thumbs-up.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been around. I was starting to miss you,” Ralsei admitted.
“Sorry, man,” said Susie, “we’ve been busy with finals. School takes it so seriously that it’s impossible to skip out on it. Plus, Noelle roped us into study sessions each day, so we couldn’t slip away and see ya.”
“Well, your schoolwork IS important,” Ralsei instructed. “If you showed up while missing something so important, I’d have had to sent you away.”
“Geez, you’re such a nerd. What’s important is that school’s out and we’re on break. And that means we can hang out here as much as we want for weeks!”
“That’s great! I’m sure we’ve got some catching up to do. We’ve got to stay alert for any more Dark Fountains opening up!”
“Aww man, can that wait? I just spent weeks pretending to study and take my finals. That takes a lot outta ya.”
Ralsei sighed. “Alright. We can just relax for now then. No point fighting if we’re tired.”
Just then, the trio was alerted to a familiar voice from the town’s entrance. It was a voice that put panic into their hearts, for they knew the voice was out of place.
“W-what in the world?! Where am I?”
“Huh? Wait, isn’t that-” Ralsei started before getting interrupted by Susie.
“Oh, crap! What’s Noelle doing here?!”
Noelle recognized her friends in the town’s center and ran over to see them.
“Wait, is that you, Kris? And… Susie??”
“Oh… uhhhhh…” Susie was stunned into a silence trying to think of a response.
“What’s with your guys’ outfits? And what happened to your skin?”
“Well… uhhh…”
“And just… where are we?! I was in the school, and then the closet…”
Noelle then had a realization. “Wait, the closet! You guys came in here so often! Is this where you’ve been all this time?!”
“L-listen!” Susie interjected, “This- um…”
“Do you, like…” she followed, “remember that time when you were dreaming at the library?”
“Huh?” Noelle responded, “Y-yeah I- wait a minute! Was that-”
“Yeah, it was, like, real. And, uh, THIS is real.” Susie answered.
“Oh, that… explains a lot, actually…”
“Well, I suppose I can give an introduction,” Ralsei added. “This is the Dark World. The place you’re in now is the Castle Town.”
“Castle Town… wait, wasn’t the place I was in a city? Where’s that?”
“Oh, that was a Dark World inside the library. The Dark World can exist in different places. It’s also existed in a nearby classroom, Kris’ house, and even a church.”
“Oh, okay,” Noelle acknowledged. “I think it’s starting to make sense. Gosh, I never would have believed a place like this existed, or that that dream I had was actually real. ALL of it…”
“Um, yeah…” Susie hesitated. “All of it…”
“So I assume this is where you’ll be spending your winter break?”
“Well, not ALL of it, but, yeah, we’d be coming here often.”
“Okay. Ooh, I almost forgot! Erm…” Noelle looks in Ralsei’s direction. “What was your name again?”
“It’s ‘Ralsei’. I’m the prince of this kingdom.”
“Oh, a prince! Amazing!” Noelle comments before getting back on track. “Do you have any plans for Christmas?”
“Huh…? ‘Kris-mas’? What’s that? I believe I’ve read about it, but I’m not too familiar with it…”
While Ralsei was lost in thought, Kris and Susie noticed a horrific look on Noelle’s face, like an ornament had been dropped and shattered right in front of her face.
“You… you… don’t know what Christmas is????”
“Uh oh,” Susie chimed in, “now you’ve done it.”
Instead of breaking down or crashing out, Noelle grabbed Ralsei by the shoulders and spoke directly to him.
“Christmas is just- oh it’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s my absolute favorite! A time where people get together and share joy and love and friendship and- ohhh and the weather! And the music! And the gifts! And the- OOOOOOH!”
Noelle looks like she’s about to explode. Kris and Susie grab their weapons and are ready to attack before Noelle practically deflates.
“Ohhh… I’m so sorry. I just… I love Christmas more than anything. And it’s currently the time of year when we celebrate it. I just can’t help contain my excitement!”
“I-it’s okay! Don’t worry,” Ralsei assured. “I love seeing people speak passionately about what they love. You know, if Krismas is as good as you say, maybe we could try celebrating it.”
Noelle’s face lights up. “R-really? You mean it?”
Ralsei nods. “Sure, if it means that much to you. I can go back to my books and research Krismas so we can do it right.”
Noelle shakes her head. “No need. I know EVERYTHING about Krismas. I can just explain it to you! Is there a quiet place around here?”
Susie chimes in. “Well, it’s not SUPER quiet, but there’s a café nearby. You can yap his ears off in there.”
“Perfect!” Noelle exclaims. “Let’s go right in!”
Our quartet had entered Castle Town’s café and were sitting around one of the tables over some coffee and pastries. Some soothing jazz flowed throughout the building, thanks to the group of Shadowguys playing the saxophone and piano onstage. Noelle was just finishing explaining every Christmas tradition she was familiar with.
“…and then everyone spends the rest of the day enjoying the gifts they had been given that morning!”
“Wow…” Ralsei remarked, “Krismas sounds wonderful. I think we should celebrate it! I’ve never done anything to unite the citizens of Castle Town, and as prince I feel obligated to do so.”
“Well, it’s a little early to celebrate Christmas proper,” Susie added, “so maybe we could do, like, a half Christmas? Some kinda Christmas party?”
“That could work. I certainly don’t want to take away from any of your families’ celebrations, so a party would be the perfect way to celebrate.”
“Awesome!” Noelle exclaimed. “Ooh, I have an idea! I’ll go run home and grab some supplies! That’ll help us get the party going!”
“You really think that’s a good idea?” Susie asked. “Don’t you need the decorations for your place?”
“Oh, don’t worry! We have TONS of extras. My mom won’t notice if some stuff goes missing for a while. Besides, we’ve already decorated.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot you were… like that.”
“I’ll go on ahead home. Be back in a flash!”
Noelle hops out of her chair and dashes out the door. She then comes back inside and awkwardly walks back toward the table they were sitting at.
“Um… it IS possible to leave, right?”
“Oh yeah, just… go back the way you came in. You get, like, warped out.”
“Okay, thanks!” Noelle then, once again, dashed back out of the café. The trio remained sitting at the table before Ralsei brought up a point of concern.
“Does Noelle… know about the whole ‘inanimate-objects-coming-to-life-in-the-Dark-World’ thing?”
“Uhh… no? We sure didn’t tell her. Did you?”
“No…”
A brief silence overtook the table as the group pondered the potential issues that could arise.
“Well, at least we’ll have more friends around here! Haha…”
After returning to the Light World, Noelle sped home like a comet to get the preparations underway. She ran all the way home, through the front gate and entered from the front door. She knew her mom was busy at City Hall preparing for the Christmas festivities and her dad was still recovering in the hospital, so she had the house to herself. She started by going to the basement. She grabbed a long spool of Christmas lights, a box of ornaments, and a bag of bows. She then grabbed a big cloth bag and filled it with rolls of wrapping paper and tape. Finally, she stopped by the kitchen to grab ingredients for cookies. She filled up a box with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and some frosting. With a box hugged under one arm, a bag slung over her shoulder, and an armful of decorating supplies, she headed back to the school.
Upon returning, she used her hoof to kick open the closet door. Knowing what awaited her, she confidently jumped in, letting the darkness envelop her. As she fell and her clothes changed once more, she also noticed the items she was holding turned into sparkles and sprinkled down past her. She was too shocked for words as she continued her plummet into the Dark World. When she landed, she ran back into the Town Square to tell the others what happened.
“Oh, hi Noelle!” Ralsei greeted. “Did you get everything you needed?”
“Um, I did, but…” Noelle started before Susie interrupted her.
“Lemme guess. They turned into sparkles and flew away?”
“Um… yes? How did you know-”
“Yeah, that’s a thing that happens here.”
“You see,” Ralsei explained, “I forgot to mention something important. Here in the Dark World, everyone you see around you aren’t… real people. Aside from Kris and Susie here, everyone who lives in this town is… some kind of object.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean just that. Everyone’s an inanimate object. Playing cards, electronic equipment, discarded toys and scraps. The only reason we can walk and talk is because of the Dark World’s power.”
“Oh… I see…” Noelle responded with a gloomy look on her face. “So then, what does that make y-”
“ATTEN-SHUN!!” a loud voice yelled behind the group. Everyone was shocked by how gruff and firm the voice was that they jumped a foot off the ground. They spun around to see who yelled at them just now. What they found was… amusing, to say the least.
It was a row of Christmas lights, except each light had grown to around knee-height. They also each had a set of eyes, most of which were wide and cartoony. That is, except for the one light standing at the head of the pack. Its eyes were thinner and bulkier and the rest, like it had a permanent scowl on its face. It also had a green soldier’s cap on it. All of the lights also had a small pair of combat boots as their feet. They were all marching in place in perfect rhythm.
“Oh, hello! Who are you exactly?” Ralsei asked the light brigade.
“WE ARE LIGHT CORPS DIVISION ALPHA, REPORTING FOR DUTY, SIR!” the light leader barked.
“Huh?? Wait, is that-” Noelle realized.
“Yeah, I believe this might be something you brought in, Noelle.”
“Ohhhhhhh,” she responded. “They’re… actually kinda cute!”
“NEGATIVE. WE ARE NOT CUTE! WE ARE A DEDICATED ARMY TO DECORATE ALL THINGS DARK!”
“SIR YES SIR!!” the other lights shouted in unison.
“Oh, well that makes things easy then! If you’re willing to help decorate,” Noelle discussed, “then Ralsei can show you a place to go.”
“Oh, alright then. Follow me. I’ll show you where I want you to go.”
“YES SIR!” the leader acknowledged. He then turned to the other lights. “ALRIGHT MEN, FOLLOW IN STEP!”
“SIR YES SIR!!”
“FORWAAARD… MARCH!” The light brigade started marching in line to follow Ralsei.
“Man, this is wild,” Susie commented.
“Okay then, follow me.” Ralsei said. He then started leading the lights to the front door of the castle. The row of lights followed suit. As they marched, they belted out a familiar cadence as they marched towards their destination.
Better watch out, you better not CRY!
Better not pout, I’m telling you WHY!
Santa Claus is coming to TOWN!
Santa Claus is coming to TOWN!
He sees you when you’re SLEEPING!
He knows when you are AWAKE!
He knows if you’ve been bad or GOOD!
So you better be good for goodness SAKE!
Once they approached the gates of the castle, the leader belted out another command.
“COMPANY… HALT!” In an instant, the rhythmic footsteps of the lights stopped, and their drum-like beat was snuffed out immediately.
“Alright, so you see those trims at the top of the walls? Those should all be decorated.”
“UNDERSTOOD! YOU HEARD HIM, MEN! FALL IN LINE!” the leader shouted.
One by one, the lights ran over to one wall and made a makeshift staircase out of themselves. The other lights used the stairs to grab the top of the wall and make their way across. The lights kept going around the walls until they wrapped around the entire perimeter of the castle. Once the length was covered, they ensured that they were equally spaced with the cord connecting them hanging in a fashionable arc below.
“MISSION COMPLETE! AT EASE, MEN!” Upon saying that, all the lights stopped moving. In that instant, the exterior of the castle had now become decorated with a gorgeous set of lights.
“…okay.” Ralsei responded.
“*gasp* It’s beautiful!” Noelle recognized. “That’s the decorations down!”
“Oh, alright. So, what was next, again?”
“Huh? Oh, right. Umm… next we should get started on the cookies.”
“Okay then. In that case, let’s visit the bakery. There’s a chef there that can handle everything.”
Noelle and Ralsei made their way to the bakery. Upon stepping inside the threshold, their senses of smell were greeted by a sugar-filled fragrant bomb. The scent was heavenly. It was like combining every dessert in the world into one entity, and it somehow wasn’t completely awful. Instantly any stress and panic in their hearts was put at ease. Behind the counter was a tall triangle shaped being with a chef’s hat on and a small young boy who was round and had an ace symbol for a face and a… mustache.
“Mama miba!” the chef shouted, “a new face to my bakery!”
“Oh, hello!” Noelle greeted. “We were looking for some ingredients to make cookies. I think I… dropped them around here somewhere. Have you seen them?”
“Oh ho ho!” the small boy chucked. “Do you mean these ingredients?” He reached below the counter and held up the box Noelle got earlier.
“Yes! That’s them!”
“Oh, we were planning to use these to make some cookies. I suppose you can have them back.” The chef explained.
“Oh, no, actually, you can keep them! We wanted to make cookies for a Christmas party we’re gonna be throwing. If you wouldn’t mind making them, that would help a lot!”
“Ohhhhhhh, mama miba! A Krismas party! Happy days! I will get right on it!”
“Thanks!” Noelle delighted. “Though, make sure you save the milk to dip the cookies in afterward!”
“Understood, Robin Hood!” the boy said. Noelle waived goodbye as she exited the bakery.
“Seems like we’re making good progress! Next up is…?”
“Hmm, well we could be playing some Christmas music. That helps put me in the festive mood.”
“Hold it right there!” another voice called out. Three DJ characters with boom boxes for heads descended from a rocket-powered turntable.
“If it’s music you want, then we’ve got your backs!” the first one replied.
“Our music’s so bumpin’ it can bring the dead back to life just to dance!” the second one added.
“I want a Krismas cookie” the third one.
“Oh, okay then. Do you guys have Christmas music to play?”
“You KNOW it, baby! We’ve got enough holiday hits to jingle all the way!” the first one responded.
“We’ll be doin’ the Jingle Bell Rock round the Krismas tree in no time!” the second one added.
“I wanna be a cookie” the third one.
Then the three DJs flew off toward a store on the outskirts of the Square. Shortly afterwards, the amped music filling the air of the town changed to a significantly more festive one.
“Perfect! We’re getting so close!” Noelle squealed in delight.
“Damn, you guys.” Susie complimented. “You’re really getting this party started.”
“Thank Noelle,” Ralsei replied, “I haven’t been doing much.”
“Well, you’re the prince, aren’t you? I doubt I’d have been able to do anything if I wasn’t by your side.”
“Oh, please, you don’t need to give me any credit! You did all the hard work!”
“Oh, come ON!” Susie butted in. “You’re BOTH awesome. There! Does that settle this humble-off?!”
“Um, yes?” Ralsei admitted.
“She called me ‘awesome’…” Noelle swooned.
Suddenly, the world around them went dark, aside from a small circle around their feet. For they were in a spotlight. A strong prominent voice called out to them.
“Awww, just LOOK! What a touching moment between good friends we have here! Isn’t this what the holidays are all about folks?”
The lights came back on for the group to see who had delivered this speech. Someone with a long red coat and a box TV for a head was standing nearby.
“Oh… who’s this?” Noelle asked.
“Oh, that’s Mr. Tenna. He does this all the time. Life’s a show to him.”
Upon hearing Noelle, Mr. Tenna had a shocked look on his face. He looked down at Noelle while feeling smitten.
“Oh my goodness, folks! A SPECIAL GUEST has arrived on stage! Put your hands together for… the reigning champion of Santa’s nice list… NOELLE HOLIDAY!”
A mysterious applause came from nowhere as red and green confetti rained from above.
“Huh? How do you know my name??”
“Oh yeah… remember that whole ‘inanimate-objects-coming-to-life-in-the-Dark-World’ thing?” Susie brought up. “Well, this is Kris’s old TV.”
“Their TV…? Ohhhhhhhh, so this is where you brought that old TV.”
“My dear sweet Noelle, how long it’s been! It seems that only yesterday both the Holidays and the Dreemurs were cuddled up on the couch watching their favorite holiday specials. ‘How the Grunch Stole Krismas’, ‘Home To Go’, ‘No Time to Die’, all the classics!”
“Uh, that last one’s not-” Susie interjected.
“Oh, and those sweet Krismas mornings when all the kids opened up their gifts! Magic was made in that special moment! And the reactions caught on film! They say a picture’s worth a thousand words, so a home video must be a novel! And the times you’d rewatched those beloved memories on the big screen! It brings the emotions right back…”
“Um… thanks? Is… that all?” Noelle asked.
“Oh, good GRAVY! How could I forget? The whole reason I put on this spectacle! I overheard you mentioning a Krismas party! If it’s a party you want, then there’s no better host than your verry own Mr. Tenna!”
“Oh, okay! If you know what’s best, that works for me!” Noelle agreed.
“YES! That’s what I love to hear! MIKE! The lights! The sights! The holiday cheer! Turn it all on! And don’t forget the hot chocolate!”
In a flash, tons more decorations popped up around the town square. The whole town was covered in ribbons, tinsel, bows, and then some. A slight snowfall had graced the town, giving the square a slightly powdered look. And to top it all off, a big red and green banner hung at the entrance to the castle that read “Merry Krismas”
“There you are! A super special Krismas party, courtesy of me!”
“Wow! This is amazing! I think that’s everything we need!” Noelle exclaimed.
“Alright then,” Ralsei declared, “let’s get this party started!”
“Hell yeah!” Susie shouted, “Time to rock and roll!”
Kris gave an ecstatic thumbs up.
All of Castle Town’s citizens gathered for a time of merriment and joy. Everyone grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and a handful of cookies and proceeded to mingle. They all discussed how the season made them feel, what they wanted for Krismas, and their plans for the remainder of the holiday season. The particularly passionate among the group sang along to the songs being blasted throughout the square. A snowball fight broke out at one point, with Susie kicking ass and taking names. One man’s shouting came out clear amidst the carnage:
“No! I shalth not concede! I wisheth to become the Kinge of Gladitoriale combate!”
A small fire in a stone ring had started, with Mr. Tenna sitting down next to it playing a marathon of beloved holiday films to an eager audience. Ralsei and Noelle even worked together to build a snowperson nearby. They had a brief talk during the construction.
“Noelle, I wanted to thank you for bringing Krismas to the Dark World. I love being able to spend time with everyone here. It makes me feel like… I matter a whole bunch.”
“Ralsei… I may not know you very well, but… you seem to mean a lot to Kris and Susie. And I know them well enough to know that you’re something special. Everyone has their place. Even if you don’t know what it is now, just go with the flow and you’ll find the place where you belong.”
“Noelle…” Ralsei paused for a moment. He then responded “thanks.”
“No problem! I just like to spread Christmas cheer whenever possible. Speaking of which…” she turned to the larger group who had gathered in the center square, “I think it’s time for the most important part of the night: gift giving!”
Everyone ran over to the table that had been set up for all the presents. They each grabbed the gift they wrapped and found the person who it was set to be given to.
“Hey, girldad!” the small round boy from the bakery, who now lacked a mustache so we do not truly know if they are the same person, shouted to a tall woman with a large head and a screen for eyes.
“Oh Hello Peachboy Do You Have A Gift For Me?”
The round boy nodded like an excited dog.
“Oh That’s Great Because I Also Have A Gift For You! How Wonderful That Works Out! Here” she then gave the boy a small present with the tag “To: Peachboy (That Means Lancer)” written on it.
The boy apparently named Lancer ripped open the box to find a smart tablet inside.
“It’s A Tablet Isn’t That So Thoughtful Of Me? That’s What Kids Are Into These Days. You Can Watch Mind-Numbing Internet Videos And Play All The Funny Sounds You Want!”
Lancer got a big smile on his face. “Yipee! Just what I always wanted! My old player can only store one sound on it. But with this, I can store one sound by choice! Oh thank you so much!”
“All In A Days Work Child Now Give Me My Gift”
Lancer held up a large cylindrical present that had been shoddily wrapped. From what could be seen it looked like a jar with a green liquid in it. It too had a tag, but this one said “To Queen”
“Oh Me Oh My I Wonder What’s Inside” Queen pondered before throwing the gift on the ground. The wrapping paper exploded to reveal the elusive jar contained within.
“It’s some extra special Battery Acid,” Lancer remarked, “imported from another country, straight off the factory line!”
“Wow How Thoughtful This Is Incredible! I Have Always Wanted To Try Foreign Acid.”
The two shared a good laugh at the gifts they had been given. Meanwhile, Susie awkwardly shuffled up to Ralsei, hiding something behind her back.
“Umm… Ralsei, I…” Susie mumbled, “Ugh, look, just take it!” Susie shoved a present into Ralsei’s hands.
“Susie… you got me a gift?”
“Yeah, of course, now hurry up and open it.”
Ralsei unwrapped the gift to find an untaped box inside. He opened it to find a shriveled up purple scarf, with fringed bits of yarn and a couple gaps in it.
“Oh… it’s…”
“Look, I don’t normally crochet so this is the best you’re getting! Take it or leave it.”
“Wait… Susie… you made this?” Ralsei looked at Susie with tears welling up in his eyes.
“Yeah, but it sucks ass. I tried my best and I figured I should give SOMETHING, cuz you’re one of my best friends or whatever…”
“Susie! It’s wonderful! I love it!”
Susie looked puzzled. “You do? It’s utter shit.”
“But YOU made it, Susie. You cared enough to make me something for Krismas and…” Ralsei’s eyes started bawling out of control.
“Geez dude, it’s just a bad scarf. I guess you can keep it if you like it that much.”
Ralsei wiped his eyes with his pink scarf before taking it off and putting it in his pocket. He then put Susie’s scarf on in a heartbeat.
“…I guess it kinda looks good on you.”
“It’s perfect. Oh, and here’s your gift.” Ralsei pulled out a similarly shaped present and gave it to Susie. She unwrapped the present and opened the box to find a pair of purple arm scrunchies.
“Oh, these are…”
“I… made these for you, Susie. I wanted to give them to you sometime as thanks for being a friend and now seemed like the perfect time.”
Susie chuckled to herself before removing the set of spiky armbands from her forearms and putting them in her pocket. She then slipped on the scrunchies.
“Heh. They look kinda dumb. I like it.”
“Merry Krismas, Susie!”
“Merry Christmas, dumbass.”
The two embraced in a deeply platonic hug. It seemed like everything was going okay.
“OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
Everyone turned to find that Noelle had a horrified look on her face.
“Noelle?! What’s wrong?”
She ran up to Susie and started choking her.
“THE TREE!!! WE FORGOT THE TREE!!! THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!!!”
Most were confused, since they didn’t entirely know what she was talking about, but her friends knew perfectly what was wrong.
“Oh damn… we kinda don’t have a tree…” Susie agreed.
“Well, I’m sure we could-” Ralsei started, before he stopped dead in his tracks.
Even though there was snow on the ground, the air seemed to get colder. Everyone was shocked to their core. Frozen from top to bottom. All eyes were on one person who had infiltrated the party. Their timing could not have been worse. A figure, cloaked in darkness, hovering above the ground, was approaching the square from the entrance.
“The Knight…” Ralsei choked out.
“No…! Not now! Not here!”
The Knight menacingly hovered towards them. Kris, Susie, and Ralsei entered battle stances, prepared to fight the Knight once more. However, upon the Knight coming close enough, they noticed they were carrying…
“A tree?” Susie noticed, “why the hell does the Knight have a pine tree…?”
While the three heroes remained puzzled, Noelle’s face told a different story. A stream of tears was flowing from her face. All she could muster out was…
“…Dess?”
Upon hearing that name, the Knight stopped in their tracks. They slowly dropped down and put the tree by their side. They then started to remove their helmet…
“Woah, Noelle? I can’t believe it! It’s you!”
Noelle ran over to the newly unmasked figure, waterworks on full blast.
“DESS! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! IT’S YOU! YOU’RE… HERE!”
The three heroes stood by with their jaws on the floor.
“WAIT… SHE’S THE KNIGHT???” Susie yelled out.
“Yep, sure am!” Dess responded. “Oh, uh, sorry for kicking your asses earlier.”
“??????????????”
“Dess… what are you doing here? Why haven’t you come home?”
“Why…? Well to be honest, I’ve been travelling around the Dark World so much I’ve forgotten. My bad!” she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.
“You don’t know??” Susie angrily threw at Dess. “You’ve been making Dark Fountains and junk and your explanation is ‘I don’t know’???”
“Geez, sorry, Susie. Sometimes I just kinda… get lost in my own head.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter! We’re all here again!” Noelle cried out in joy.
“Yeah. And look!” Dess quickly shook off the knight armor to reveal an ugly sweater and jeans before motioning behind her. “I brought a tree!”
“Oh my gosh! It’s the tree we needed.”
“Yeah, I noticed a lack of trees here. Suz, help me set it up.”
Dess and Susie hauled the tree to the center of the square and slammed it into the ground.
“Great!” Noelle clapped her hands together. “Now we need to decorate it. Where are the-”
“ATTEN-SHUN! FALL IN, MEN!” another string of army lights stormed onto the scene. “THIS TREE NEEDS DECORATING, PRONTO!”
“SIR YES SIR!!” the lights cried out. They quickly corkscrewed up the tree and lit it up from top to bottom.
“Great! Now we need some ornaments…”
“You rang…?” a depressed, melancholy voice called out behind Noelle. She spun around to find a group of ornaments, now as tall as the army lights, behind her. They had little slippers on and had eyes like half-moons.
“Um, yes? Just space yourselves out on the tree.” The ornaments strolled up to the tree and hopped on various branches. Now the tree was positively festooned with glamorous decorations.
“Now all we need is the star on top, and this will all be complete!”
“I got this!” Lancer shouted. “I was saving this star-shaped cookie for later, and I think now’s a good time to put it to use! Girldad! Throw me!”
“Okay Kid Don’t Wind Up Regretting This!” Queen grabbed Lancer by the scruff and threw him up towards the top of the tree. He slowly flew up towards the top of the monstrous tree, and with perfect timing, he slapped the star-shaped cookie on the topmost branch. Upon doing this, he then sailed off into an alley and splat on impact.
Noelle got teary-eyed again, though this time to a much lesser degree. “It’s… perfect. It’s a Christmas miracle.”
“You said it, sis. It’s a real beauty.”
“Truly a perfect ending to this picturesque Krismas Special!” Mr. Tenna butted in.
“Yeah… I truly could not have asked for a better first Krismas.” Ralsei agreed.
“Well, hey, man, it’s a tradition. This’ll happen every year from now on.” Susie commented, patting Ralsei on the back.
Everyone looked upon the tree and admired its radiance. Truly, the perfect representation of everyone’s Krismas spirit. An unlikely group coming together to discover a magical holiday and share the joy and merriment among all. The snow flew down and coated the scene in a chilly bliss, but the warmth of the cocoa had made them immune to nature’s hardships. The spirit of Krismas was now within them all, and they had made memories that would last a lifetime.
This, is the story of the first Krismas. Merry Krismas to all, and to all, a Dark Knight.