Christmas Special - 2. Christmas Miracle
Added 2022-12-27 06:12:03 +0000 UTCAUTHOR WARNING: There are some story spoilers for UE, ATM, and TO for those that are squeamish about that but it's a sweet and 'aww' chapter. =)
PoV:
1. Rachel Park (Our TO MC On Christmas Eve!)
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Unable to believe the claim, Rachel followed Mrs. Claus across the bridge, Anthony swapping his hand to her opposite hip to pull her in closer; Sora, Elinor, and their group were just as silent, yet, naturally, Selvaria was the exception, humming ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ with her dancing, air-bound seal.
The pessimism and mistrust in Rachel’s mind told her that she should question this—it went against everything she’d typically do to blindly trust someone—but her thumping heart’s wish wouldn’t be denied; this was all she asked for.
Snow lightening as colorful lights reflected against the flakes and dazzling rainbows of color lit up the white and rouge-themed castle, marked by battle scars and what appeared to be trophies from the frozen waste Santa had conquered—massive trolls, abominable snowmen, and a colossal, ribbon-bound nutcracker.
It appeared to have just recently gone through a major battle, and as they entered the main grounds, tiny elves could be seen with Christmas-themed construction equipment, moving ammunition, weapons, and repair supplies, using massive construction equipment that puffed out cotton candy as exhaust to be collected for reuse, being a renewable, sugar energy core it used.
“Quite the battle,” Elinor noted, eyeing key locations with a trained gleam; Edmon’s head moved before the three other women, so Rachel figured they had some method of communicating between them. “Not the vision of Santa I pictured. How is this supposed to work?”
Sora’s focus was drawn to Emilia, Wendy, and Jaenona, using her chakram as a scrying mirror as her weapon; they were talking to elves, trying out sweets, and marveling at the scale of the workshop underground.
“That’s a good question,” Rachel said, attempting to collect her scattered mind; Anthony’s supporting hand against her hip helped. “If you don’t have an explanation for the means, what’s the method our family will be transported here?”
Mrs. Claus giggled, taking them around the busy courtyard that was larger than a football stadium, yet their destination was another candy cane pole in the center, which teleported elves, giant equipment, and materials in flurries of magical snow, all without actually touching the device.
“You’ll understand when we get to the proper place; it should be about to begin. Ms. Moore, if you could be kind enough to transport your daughter, sister, and the eldritch child to us when the time arrives… everything will be made clear.”
“Excellent,” Elinor chimed. “I love surprises. You should have seen the Summer Solstice festival when we visited the Golariex Holy Empire; they wouldn’t stop bringing little treasures.”
Butter snickered, looking back fondly at the memory. “We did have the High Ruler of the Nalveans with us, after all. What a wonderful bag of mixed feelings that venture was—oh, the delicious surprises and customs—you wouldn’t have survived without me, Priss.”
Elinor’s smile fell. “Don’t remind me of that… experience. I’m glad you had fun. What an unusual species those tree people are, but the gains certainly were worth the trip… heh, old enemies and new, interesting ones to add to our endless list of haters.”
“So cool,” Selvaria whispered, ignoring the pair to scan the inner grounds. “It’s better than you said—and we’ll get to decorate all these trees and open presents?”
“Hmm-hmm.” The woman shook her head, waving at several smiling elves as they gestured to them. “I’m afraid not, Selvaria. We have been very busy making orders—hehe, I handle the logistics of the operation since Santa is typically busy doing… other tasks—this year needs to be special since it’s our first in operation.”
Rachel assumed the undead crew was putting on a lax facade, which was impressive since she wasn’t positive. Sora seemed to just roll with it, being accustomed to unexplained, random things, so far as she could tell.
It wasn’t as if Mythic was a stranger to the bizarre and unexplainable—her boyfriend was an eldritch creature now, which was not how she pictured her future—this was just too much to hope for; if this was a trick, she’d go ballistic.
“You okay, Rach?” Anthony asked, fingers squeezing her side.
“Huu-haaa. We’ll see…”
Mrs. Claus stopped them in front of the octagon-shaped transportation platform. “It functions off your desired destination, you only need to want to follow me, and we will proceed to the proper location in warehouse Z34BA-9… We have a lot of storage space,” she added at Sora’s questioning look. “All will be answered on the other side.”
Stepping inside, she vanished in a flurry of powder; Selvaria, Galatea, and Sora went first, chakram being swept away with her body. Elinor’s party went next; Edmon took the lead with a few lovingly biting remarks made between the twins about food and, for some reason, butterflies.
“Mom…” Rachel whispered, looking up at Anthony. “Thanks for being here with me.”
“Oh!” A thoughtful hum rumbled in the man’s throat. “Does that mean I get to request two spoons filled with sugar tomorrow?”
She gave him a dirty smirk. “You and cuddling recently. Haaa. I know I haven’t been in the mood the last few days… Sorry.”
“Hey, all I want for Christmas is for you to be happy. Your mom, plus a little cuddling in a dark room with a fire for ambiance—soft festive music in the background—maybe hiding under the covers?”
“Don’t get carried away… By the way, I haven’t rewarded you yet for resisting all Wu’s exhaustive advances.”
“Haha. She was harmless… I think.”
“Mmh-hmm. Maybe I’ll let you tease my tail if you’re good,” she smiled, rising up on her toes to kiss his lips. “Ready?”
“For teasing you? Always! Hehe. I’m good with whatever, with you by my side.”
“Aww. Second kiss. Mmm. Okay… Whatever comes.”
Stepping through, her mouth drew in when the veil of snow lifted, and they stood in an empty warehouse except for a single object in front of them; she knew how this miracle was going to be handled now, and why Mrs. Claus had stayed silent.
Elinor and Butter shot her grins, their tone somewhat lilting.
“You can’t seem to escape these things,” the blonde noted.
Elinor shrugged. “We don’t get many at the edge of the Maelstrom, but you have plenty of competition on our planet. Thoughts, Rachel? The information you gave us regarding them didn’t mention this type.”
Emilia, Wendy, and Jaenona jumped through Sora’s portal. “What is that, Mom, a big Christmas crystal for us to shape into something cool—arts and crafts with Wendy?”
“Not arts and crafts,” Rachel hissed, ears going forward as Selvaria whistled, examining the 6-meter-tall, night-black, in-motion great icosahedron-shaped Crystal; this was magnitudes stronger than even Dagon’s Crystal—if greatly smaller, so fewer creatures could exit—but the size alone made it clear whatever it released was beyond comprehension. “Something extremely dangerous is going to come from that.”
“My dad,” Sora chimed, making her daughter and sister do a double-take.
“Wait, what was that, Mom? Grandpa’s coming?!”
Mofupsi’s pipe was back in hand, blowing sapphire smoke. “It would appear so, Mistress.”
Jaenona hugged the stunned teenager. “Congratulations, Emi! I’m happy for you.”
“Ugh. Uh… uh… I’m not ready!” she cried, fussing with her hair. “It’s not just Grandpa, is it, Mom? Is it Grandma—Great-Grandma?! Oh. My. Gosh! Are Great-Auntie Nari and Bobo coming, too?! Oh, no… I haven’t gotten them any gifts! Mom! What do we do?!” she cried, folding down her ears. “We need stuff… I can make something—clothes… clothes are good, right?!”
“Calm down, My Little Sugar Plum,” Sora laughed, bending down to replace Jaenona in comforting the hyperventilating girl. “It’s something related to the Eldritch—I can feel it—but this one doesn’t feel bad, so… who knows. Let’s just take this one step at a time.”
“Oh. Oh! Yeah, it could be a trap; I won’t be fooled again, like Loral did!”
Butter looked over at the nervous witch and death knight. “I don’t think this is a trick, little vulpes. A wish-granting gateway to bridge the gap between the bonds we share… I can’t wait to learn more about our parents, Priss. Ah, and we’ll be sure to tell you everything, Tiff, Eddy.”
The witch giggled. “Tiffany in a tiff,” she replied, likely recounting an inside joke. “I look forward to hearing about it… I will find a way to bring them back for you, Empress.”
“All good things in their time and place,” Elinor nodded. “It seems we’re starting…”
“Mom! Mom, I… I… Do I look okay?”
“Hehe. You look super cute in the Christmas outfit you made.”
“Yes!”
Anthony squeezed Rachel’s hand—she didn’t have much to say—all of this was overwhelming her; ever since her own curiosity and inability to not push things had caused her mother to disappear forever, guilt had festered deep within her core.
The fractured glass expanded out as usual, yet, unlike every other she’d seen, it inverted, shattering into a warp gate of colors Rachel had never seen before, and, ears folding back, her mother’s smiling, radiant face exited first.
“Rachel… What miracle is this; a rare inverted gateway—my, how you’ve grown in… how long has it been?”
A choked laugh bubbled up Rachel’s chest as she left Anthony’s side to hold her goddess of a mother, warmed by the kitchen-like hearth heat in her brown eyes. “Mom!” Entering her arms, she didn’t want to ever let go. “Mom! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry… I know you were protecting us, b-but I’m sorry!”
Laughter and happy tears came from her right as Sora rushed to embrace a big Irish, ginger-haired man, followed by a huge gathering of glorious vulpes, overwhelming her, Emilia, Wendy, and Mofupsi.
On the other hand, Mrs. Claus directed Tiffany and Edmon to pass through the gateway. “So far as Santa and I have been able to tell, all those trapped and most sought after will be drawn to and from this crystal… Also, Rachel…”
Watery eyes getting bigger, a stunned and bawling vampire girl came stumbling out to tackle them both. “Mom! Mom! Is it really you?!”
“My dear, innocent Scarlet,” Molly whispered. “Hehe. Somehow… I’ve been given this small break with you. I’m so proud of you all… Nia?”
The living denier—complete with bunny pajamas—arrived with the Bun Gang by her side, bouncing up and down. “M-Mom? Rach… What’s happening—am I dreaming?”
Rachel couldn’t breathe as her dad tentatively came through, looking around in confusion before settling on his wife, face softening. Bottom lip beginning to tremble, she saw her dad cry for the first time as he rushed to embrace the love of his life, and she could practically feel the relief and guilt he must be experiencing.
“Chan-hee!”
“Gwon…” she whispered back, using their Korean names. “I’m sorry for what I did, Gwon…”
“It’s okay… We’re here—we’re all here…”
Alexa and Nam came next, her sister-in-law comforting her husband as he broke into tears with the rest of them upon recalling his forgotten mother.
Emotions hot, all they could do was cry—she had no idea what happened to the other—but, when she closed her puffy eyes and reopened them, the entire room was swept into sparkling lights as a great hall of Christmas spirit swept the entire area.
“Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas,” said a massive, muscular man, hosting new battle scars on his neck and a few light cuts on his uneven white beard. “The biggest gifts for those who had the best deeds… saving everything that is.”
“What did I do?” Sora asked, giggling as what seemed to be her mother smothered her in hugs, wrapping her flaming tails around her daughter.
The blindingly beautiful vulpes, surrounded by her weeping daughters, answered, sitting on a large sofa that accommodated their many dozens of tails; the woman’s features were in constant flux, as if she were liquid beauty personified, molding to every desire.
“What an absolutely stunning family I have been blessed with… Sora, between Aiden and your actions, you have put Gloria in a position where she can no longer be as neutral as she once was, and she provided something essential to Kari because of it… causality that drew the Reverse-Existence and Gloria to speak. Quite the feat, my granddaughter… Hmm-hmm. You do not know the effects Kari and you have made on this Maelstrom and its balance.”
“None of that matters right now, Mother,” a white-furred vulpes mumbled, shaking arms looping around the ever-changing woman. “I am trying… so hard to free you… I’m sorry I haven’t lived up to the potential I know I can reach… for not saving you sooner, and keeping our family safe…”
A small blonde fox groaned, floating to pull the sniffling goddess away. “Inee… Ugh—oldest syndrome, I swear… Quit being a downer! That’s Bobo’s job.”
“Rude, Nari,” the five-tailed black-furred vulpes grunted. “Have I not shed that title yet; did we not have a wonderful bonding time going through all of Sora’s past?”
“Hehe. I mean, I’m the chaotic one,” Nari explained with a giggle, “you’re the grumpy sister, Inee’s the golden child—always beating herself up—and Mia’s our little fiery angel!”
The flaming fox snickered, wrapping her husband, daughters, and granddaughter in a tight bundle with her tails. “I always had a temper… Oh, this is the best vacation!”
Rachel breathed, ears twitching as her steaming mind tried to process everything—well, her issue was more of the heart than the mind—and her mother was once again the nucleus of their family, calming people down while guiding them to their own section to catch up.
Selvaria had moved to a Christmas tree with delight, decorating it with her seal. “We gotta get everything perfect for when Mom wakes up, Galatea; Dad should be able to join us, too! Butter told me she can bring him back for good if we go to his grave in the morning so he’ll be with us again! I already have everyone’s presents wrapped. This is the best Christmas ever… I will get my dad back, too.”
The seal did a flip in the air, dancing to soft jingles playing. Selvaria fell asleep curled up by the tree with Galatea snuggled in her arms with multiple blankets wrapped around her. “Dad, I miss you,” she mumbled in her sleep.
Once seated, Rachel saw a far smaller and calmer group take one of the distant corners, away from all the noise and crying; Butter and Elinor speaking to Tiffany and Edmon, who had a very different cadence, acting more like parents that had just discovered a bitter-sweet truth.
Lost in the whirlwind, Rachel couldn’t care less about any presents, music, or objects in the universe; she’d give up all her abilities to have her mother back—it only took a battle with an eldritch god to make it happen.
Burning heart calmed by her mother’s laughing, emotional voice, Rachel contented herself with holding one of her mom’s hands as everyone crowded her, Nia on her left, their father on her right, and Scarlet claiming her free hand as Nam hugged her from behind—they smothered their mother for twenty minutes before giving her some breathing room.
This was all she wanted for Christmas, and she’d gotten it; warm fires, a feast provided by Mrs. Claus, and telling her mother about everything they’d gone through over the past year. Rachel had the most joy she’d felt in her entire life.
She truly never knew what she’d lost until her mother vanished, yet this helped that hole in her chest—at least one night, she had her family back, and that feeling would persist, giving her strength to carry one.
Kissing her mom’s ear, she whispered, “Merry Christmas, Mom.”
“Hmm-hmm. Merry Christmas… I will hold this moment dear to my heart forever… You’ve made my wish come true… This is enough… To hold you all is more than you can know… All a mother wants for Christmas… is her little ones and rock cuddled up next to her,” she whispered, leaning over to kiss Sam. “Merry Christmas.”
