The Forgotten Christmas
It was a bright and sunny December day in Station Square. The warm tropical heat making it feel less like the holidays than it should. Even with the Christmas lights and wreathes decorating the city's palm trees and buildings. The always tropical environment seemed to be the farthest thing from sleigh bells and snow. But anything even hinting at cold weather was completely alien to the United Federation's most famous resort city.
As usual for the first week of December, Twinkle Park was holding its annual Christmas Blast. As was usual with this custom, the entire park was saturated with the spirit of the holiday season. The park had opened its door to all the children of the Station Square region including the orphans and the poor. Both human and mobian children rode the carousel and the bumper cars as their parents and attendants looked on happily.
"Gee, mom. Can I go on the Ferris wheel?"
"Only after you've let your stomach settle from all that cotton candy, dear."
Mighty the Armadillo overheard these words as he walked through the park's midway. A warm smile spreading across his face. It made him so happy to see the children playing and having a good time especially those who could not normally afford to get into a place such as this.
"We really want to thank you for agreeing to help us out today, Mr. Mighty." The CEO of Twinkle Park's voice spoke breaking the armadillo out of his thoughts. "When the motorchain on the Ferris wheel broke down, we didn't think it would be operational for the Christmas Blast. But thanks to your help…"
"Think nothing of it, my good man." Mighty waved his hand dismissively. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for these bright and hopeful youths." He snapped his fingers towards the ride operator. "Good sir, are all the seats on the ride full?"
"Yes, Mr. Mighty." The operator replied. "Everyone's secured safely."
"Alright, then. Let's get this show on the road." Grabbing the pulley chain with his hands, Mighty began to turn the Ferris wheel at a rapid rate with his own muscle power. This was quite a shock to the nearby parents and guardians, but to Mighty it was no big deal.
The armadillo had been gauged to be the second strongest known mobian to have ever lived, being able to bench press up to two hundred thousand metric tons when angry. Pulling this Ferris wheel chain was no big deal for the Armadillo and he was more than happy to do it for all the happiness it brought. Slowing down the chain, Mighty finally brought the Ferris wheel to a stop as the ride ended.
"Wow, that was great. Thanks, Mr. Mighty."
"That was the coolest."
"You're more awesome than Sonic."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." The armadillo said, humbly.
"Hey Mighty, that was a really awesome ride." A twelve-year old golden squirrel declared gliding up beside the armadillo. "But not as cool as flying, of course."
"It's always hard to impress you, Ray." Mighty laughed as the other kids exited the ride. "You're one hard sidekick to please."
Mighty and Ray were the best of friends, a team who went everywhere together fighting the forces of evil. The two had first met several years ago when both had been captured by Doctor Robotnik and taken to his island fortress to be experimented on. Fortunately, a young Sonic the Hedgehog had been captured as well, and the trio had escaped. Wrecking the island and the laboratory as they fled. Sonic had gone off on his own after that, but Mighty and Ray had stuck together. It only made sense after all Mighty's dad, Blockhead Bill had gone missing years ago; while Ray's only family was an uncle he had been named for. The pair had been together ever since.
As the next load of kids was getting on board, Ray heard a terrible commotion going on in the line to the Ferris wheel.
"No, no, no. I wanna ride next. Why should these peasants go before me?"
"But Princess Undina, it's not your turn yet. Please what until we're at the front of the line."
"I don't wanna wait. I'm the princess and I should go first." Mighty walked over to see what the source of the commotion was. And he found a purple mobian angelfish of about fourteen years old beside a purple female dolphin wearing armor trying to hold her back.
"What seems to be the trouble here?" Mighty asked, walking up to the pair of mermobians. "Is there something wrong?"
"Oh… uh, of course not. No need to worry." The dolphin smiled, waving him off politely. "Nothing to see here. Please move along."
"There is a problem." Undina whined. "I wanna go on the Ferris wheel NOW!"
"What's all this noise?" Ray asked, running up to face Undina and smiling. "Oh say, you're pretty."
"Yeah, and you're poor." She rebuked, crossing her arms. Mighty scowled at the little brat's words before looking back at the dolphin.
"I'm sorry, royalty or not, she's going to have to leave." Mighty told the woman. "She's over thirteen and therefore doesn't qualify for the Christmas Blast rides."
"You can't stop me from going on the rides, you overgrown anteater." The bratty princess began to flail as the dolphin held her back. "Lt. Echo, I command you to arrest this surface dweller for insulting my royal person."
"Now now, calm down, princess." Echo answered. "There is no need to make a scene."
"I'll make as big a scene as I want to." Undina cried, kicking Echo in the leg causing the royal guard to drop the princess. "Just wait until I tell mommy and daddy how you treated me." Undina, then, jumped on Echo's tail and began stomping on her tail fins.
"OWW!" The dolphin wailed, tears welling up in her eyes. Mighty moved to stop the brat but Echo raised her hands in protest. "Please. Ow. Don't. Ow. There's no. Ow. Need. Ow. To stop here. OUCH!" After one final blow, the princess stuck out her tongue and ran off into the crowd.
"Oh no, Princess come back." Echo pleaded, one of her arms outstretched. "Oh dear, it'll be my head if she gets lost or hurt."
"Don't worry about it, miss. We'll get her back for you." Mighty motioned to his partner. "Ray, go catch up with the princess and make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble."
"Will do." Ray replied, saluting before flying off. Mighty turned back to the royal guard.
"I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Miss… Echo, was it?"
"Yes, Echo the Dolphin. Only female member of the Meropis Royal Guard. Or I was until word of this gets out." She sighed as Mighty bandaged her tail up. "I was tasked with bringing the princess here for the Christmas Blast but as you can see things… got a little out of fin."
"Well, it looks like the Ferris wheel rides are done for the day." Mighty noted, seeing the line break up since he wasn't operating the wheel anymore. "Would you like some help taking care of that um… interesting child?"
"Oh, no no. Don't trouble yourself, Mister?" She said.
"Mighty. Mighty the Armadillo." He replied, proudly. "Strongest of the Armadillo clan of Sourmercia."
"An armadillo? You must be really strong, then." The dolphin replied thoughtfully. "Maybe you could help… No no, this is my responsibility I can't ask you for any—" BOOM!
A sound like a pearl of thunder roared across the midway. All of Twinkle Park fell silent for a few minutes before hundreds of screaming children and their parents went running terrified towards the entrance. Both Mighty and Echo looked around in confusion until they saw the Ferris wheel behind them torn out of the ground and held in the air.
"AH YEAH! THIS IS IT, YOU BLOOMIN' LITTLE TYKES!" an angry voice howled. "I'LL TEACH YA TO FEEL FEAR ON CHRISTMAS INSTEAD OF JOY! A-HAHAHAHA!" A large figure hurled the Ferris wheel straight in their direction. Mighty tackled Echo to the ground covering her as the large ride crashed down on this body.
"Oh my word," Echo cried. "Mighty, are you alright?"
"Just a scratch." Mighty replied, picking up the ferris wheel with one free hand and tossing it clean over the park into the ocean. "Whoever threw that is going to be eating a knuckle sandwich curtesy of Chef Mighty."
The armadillo turned to face his attacker and found a towering purple Tasmanian Devil standing behind him, cracking his fist.
"Well, now you must be the little blighter who is trying to stop me fun." The purple monster growled. "Well, I can't let you be bloody messing things up now can I."
"How dare you threaten these children, you devil." Mighty growled shaking a fist at the newcomer. "Especially on this wonderful holiday."
"That's the point, you arrogant armadillo." The Tasmanian devil snorted. "Names Thrash and I'm here to prove that Christmas is nothing more than a load of bullocks." He took a fighting stance. "And since you're lookin' to oppose me. I guess I'm goin' to have to give you an ear full." The devil let out a sonic howl that torn trees from the ground and shattered windows. Echo fell to the ground in pain as Mighty was disoriented by the unearthly howl.
"Bit of a head ache isn't it." Thrash bellowed. "It sure packs a wallop."
"Well, so does this." Mighty answered, jumping forward and smashing his fist into the devil's face. Thrash was sent flying back into the roller coaster slamming into its side and knocking down one of the pillars.
"Echo, are you alright?" Mighty asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be fine. I just need to go and find the kids." She reached on her back, pulling out a short rod that extended into a pole. Then, split open into a three-pronged trident blade. "You go teach that devil a lesson." Mighty nodded and leapt from the midway up onto the smaller hill of the roller coaster. Looking around for his opponent, the armadillo barely heard a coaster train come barreling towards him.
"WHOO WHOO!" Thrash screamed, sitting in the front car. "Look out you slow point, here comes the five fifteen."
Seeing the car coming towards him, Mighty punched the front of train smashing it to pieces as Thrash jumped skyward. The devil spun rapidly as he came down drilling into the armadillo's head with a screwdriver kick. "Bet that hurt, you overgrown pill bug." The devil laughed. "I'm gonna rip you limb from limb."
Pulling himself back up on the tracks, Mighty curled up and began to roll down the coaster like a marble on a track.
"Oh, trying to get away are ya?" Thrash growled, jumping with each foot on one of the rails. He skied down towards the fleeing armadillo, picking him up like a basketball and throwing him towards the sky swings. "Looks like I still have that throwing arm from college." He leapt off the coaster track and swung across the power lines towards the swings. "Good old Tasmania you, Class of '33."
"You know, if you fought as well as you ran your mouth." Mighty replied. "This fight would be over by now." The armadillo spindashed straight into the devil's gut, smashing him through the till-a-whirl, clean through the rocket ship, and into the back of the funhouse. The devil leapt to his feet and looked around finding only mirrors and no trace of Mighty.
"Where are you, you little twerp?" Thrash growled, walking around through the funhouse mirrors. "You're not going to stop me from ruining the holiday. I'll mess Christmas up for everyone."
"Not if I mess you up first." Mighty appeared in all of the mirrors, causing Thrash to smash them one by one. His fists getting bloodier as he went. When only one Mighty was left, the armadillo tackled Thrash out of the building causing him to land on his back.
"Now, are you going to stay down and let me turn you over to Officer Sam Speed and his Speed Team?" Mighty asked. "Or do I have to knock you all the way up to Space Colony Arc?"
"Okay, I give up. I surrender." Thrash replied, digging his hand down into the dirt. "NOT!" Chucking the dirt up into the surprised mobian's eyes, Thrash howled at Mighty sending him flying back into the ring toss game where all the milk bottle came crashing down on his head. Stomping over to where the dazed armadillo lay, Thrash picked him up by the throat and held him in the air "Hmm, I wonder how tightly I have to squeeze before your spine and windpipe pop?" He licked the blood of his hand. "Or maybe I could squeeze until your eyeballs pop out. There are so many wonderful ways to kill…"
"YAAAA!" The devil howled in pain as an electric shock went through his body. Thrash collapsed in pain as an angry dolphin stood behind him.
"So, you think it's funny to frighten children?" She glared at him angrily, spinning her electric trident. "Well, allow me to light up this holiday season for ya." She lunged forward jabbing the trident into his shoulder, his kneecap, and then his midsection.
"BLOODY HELL!" Thrash collapsed to the ground, holding his smoking chest with his right hand.
"Mighty, are you alright?" Echo asked, running up to the armadillo. "That was incredibly brave of you, facing that monster like that."
"Well, I don't think it was so brave." Undina grumbled as Ray flew her up and sat her on the ground next to Echo. "You ruined this whole park with your stupid fighting. You ruined my Christmas Blast."
"Listen kid. I…" Mighty gasped, too weak to talk. Just then, Echo turned to the princess raised the back of her hand and gave a sharp loud slap across the back of the royal brat's face.
"Now, you listen here young lady." Echo snapped angrily. "This brave young man and his friend risked their lives to save yours. And that's far more than you've ever done in your whole bratty life."
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" Undina wailed, jumping up and down. "I'LL TELL MOMMY AND DADDY!"
"You do that and then I'll tell them how you acted like a spoiled little brat and pushed your way past poor children and orphan who get less to eat in a month than you get in a single day." Echo got right up in her face. "You're a princess. ACT LIKE ONE!" The little girl stared at her for a moment before she began to run away balling.
Thrash immediately pulled himself up, grabbing the girl as she ran by.
"So, the princess of Meropis, huh?" The devil smiled, blood oozing from his mouth. "Well, she'll make a fine ransom, now won't she?" He looked at the frightened teenager licking his lips. "Or a fine meal."
"LET HER GO!" Echo screamed, charging him with the trident. Thrash swatted her away, then picked up her trident and held it to the child's throat. "Now you two, are going to back off and let us walk out of here or I…"
"Let her go, you big meany." Ray screamed, dropping right on Thrash's head and beating his temples like a bongo drum.
"YOU LITTLE…" Thrash let go of the princess to grab the flying squirrel and throw him over into the penny arcade. "STAY OUT OF MY FACE, YOU BLOODY RODENT!"
"DON'T. YOU. HURT. RAY!" Mighty screamed, rushing forward. He delivered a thunderous uppercut that sent Thrash flying clear out of Twinkle Park and hurling into the ocean with a loud splash. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, holding his wounded arm.
"Yes, we'll be okay." Echo replied, going over to help the shaken princess.
"Ray, where are you?" Mighty called out, running over to the arcade. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, Mighty. There you are." The flying squirrel replied in a dizzy voice, laying on top of a cracked Super Marxio Brothers arcade machine. "Take a look. I really smashed the competition."
It was one week later and the park was restored. The mayor of Station Square had decreed that the Christmas Blast would be rescheduled due to the emergency and every child was celebrating with an eager heart. As a young human and a koala were about to get into a bumper car, Princess Undina jumped into the seat first and swung the wheel around.
"Uh, this one won't turn right." She said with a smile, jumping out and going over to the car beside it. She opened the door for the other two kids. "Here ride in this one instead."
"Gee, you're really nice." The koala boy replied.
"Eh, I try." Undina replied, crossing her fingers behind her back.
Outside of the bumper cars, Mighty watched the kids play as Echo came up beside him.
"You know, you made a lot of children happy today, even the princess." The guard smiled at him. "Undina has actually started acting nice at home. She's been so polite that her nanny thinks she's been replaced by an imposter."
"Well, at least, something good came out of this." Mighty sighed. "I just want everyone to have a Merry Christmas since I never got to enjoy one myself."
"Say Mighty?" Echo asked, tapping her index fingers together as she looked at the ground. "There's a nice cabin on the Emerald Coast that no one's living in now. The king and queen have given you a nice reward for saving the princess. Enough money to nicely furnish the cabin." She moved her guard helmet down to cover her face. "If you were to move in there, I could… visit… on my days off. Maybe?"
"Gee, that would be nice." Mighty laughed, scratching the back of his head. "It would be nice to have someone around with Ray and I for Christmas.
At that moment, the two mobians noticed a little green and red plant hovering over their head being carried by a laughing flying squirrel.
"I got the mistletoe in place." Ray yelled. "Get 'em Undina."
"Sure thing." Undina said, grabbing Echo's trident. The princess shoved it into the royal guard's behind causing her to jump forward and press her lips up against the surprised armadillo.
"Yay!" Ray said. "MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!"
