Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone had an amazing year, because I most certainly did! I will be uploading the next chapter of Dark Warriors either before New Year's, or a little after. Anyway, I hope you all have an amazing rest of the holiday, and can't wait to see what will happen in 2016! There can be two songs to listen to at the end of this story: Joy to the World, which is obvious, or This is My Wish by Kevin Ross. Once again, Merry Christmas, and God bless us, everyone!

The Night Before Christmas: A Skylanders Tale

Once upon a time, in Skylands, the Skylanders were in a hurry to get the Christmas presents ready for the citizens of one of the poorer Mabu villages, a little farther away from where Shattered Island lay. The Ruins were bustling with activity, and there wasn't a single Skylander that wasn't working. But if one of them was working the hardest of them all to help the poor Mabu population out, then it was a young Purple Dragon. He was in the workshop one night, helping to make a toy train, reading another list written by one of the children, preparing to make more presents, when he hard the door behind him open, and the bell that had been placed at the top of the door, situated so it would ring when the door hit it, did as it was supposed to.

Spyro yawned, and wiped his face with his right paw. He felt another paw on his shoulder, and he smiled. He turned around to see a beautiful Black Dragoness with stunning sapphire blue eyes. Her scales were a dark black, but were lit up with a violet hue. She wore four metal bracers around her ankles, as well as a choker around her neck, and one on her tail. Markings were present around her eyes, on her forehead, back, tail, and right shoulder. It was Cynder, his mate.

They had been mates for only three months, and that time had been some of the best of their lives. It still was. It was still hard to believe it had been only three months they had experienced their lifemate ceremony, where they'd been wed by Master Eon in full view of their friends. Now they were together forever, as they hoped. Not only did they hope it, but they felt as if they knew it.

"How are you?" Cynder asked, the smile upon her face being something Spyro cherished very much.

Before their lifemate ceremony, they had been forced through many ups and downs, as a result of her arrival there at the Ruins, where he'd brought her so she could become a Skylander alongside him. At that time, neither of them had fully accepted their love for one another, and Cynder's attitude towards Spyro and the cheeriness he'd brought with him gave off the fact she had mixed emotions about him, which Spyro had understood. He had been the one to save her from Malefor's clutches and free her from the Dark Master's corruption. That was something that would be hard for anyone to think about for a while.

Her first experiences while staying at the Ruins had been quite mixed, as well. On her second day, she'd been forced to go down into the Underworld to investigate illegal activity down there. During that, another recruit hoping to become a Skylander, Whirlwind, was injured. She blamed Cynder for it, which affected Cynder greatly, and one of the other Skylanders, Slam Bam, had done the same. She'd gotten past that with his help, however, only for them to be forced to save another population of the Mabu in the Mistlands. The mission was a success, though it hadn't been without its ups and downs.

But Spyro stopped himself before he could think of any of the problems they'd faced during that time. All he wanted to do at the moment was enjoy the holidays with his mate, and wait to see what the future would hold for them.

"I'm doing fine," Spyro answered. "Just building one of the toys for the children. It's hard work, you know? I've been having to go through a lot of hours, even though I know I should be spending a lot more time with you." He sighed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "If you want to take a break, Sonic Boom and Sunburn would like to hang with us. How does that sound?" She nuzzled him lovingly, and he rubbed her neck.

"Maybe," Spyro said. "But I'm not sure. I really just want to finish all of this. We're a little short, mostly because Slam Bam decided to quit on us and a few others fell asleep, but otherwise, I think we're going to be okay. How's everything going in your area?" He saw the dark circles under her eyes. "You look like you could use a break, actually."

"Well," Cynder said, "I'm not going to take one, and you understand why, I'm sure. I don't want those Mabu children to have nothing on Christmas. I want them to feel as if we haven't forgotten about them. I hope you understand what I'm talking about, Spyro. I mean, you should."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying," Spyro admitted. "But at least take a small break inbetween, okay? I don't want you to collapse from exhaustion." He smiled at her.

She laughed. "Don't worry, that won't be happening anytime soon. All that I know is the fact those children are going to feel amazing for Christmas. Oh, I just can't wait to see them all smile!"

Spyro remembered there had been a time when she didn't smile much at all, and he was happy those times were far behind them. He loved her with all his heart, and he couldn't wait for the day when they would open each others' gifts. He had the perfect gift for her, and he couldn't wait for her to unwrap it.

There was another knock on the door, and Sonic Boom and Sunburn entered. Sonic Boom was a Griffiness with onyx feathers and emerald eyes. She had been there for Cynder at a time when Cynder had felt down, and though Spyro had helped her best, Sonic Boom came in second for all she'd done. For that, she was Cynder's greatest friend. Sunburn, meanwhile, was a Phoenix-Dragon Hybrid with red-yellow-orange feathers, with some blue around his yellow-and-red eyes. He was Spyro's best friend. They were both in a relationship with one another, and they had recently told Spyro and Cynder they were planning to have their lifemate ceremony quite soon, with Spyro as Sunburn's best man and Cynder as Sonic Boom's maid of honor, titles they'd already used during Spyro and Cynder's lifemate ceremony.

"How are you guys doing?" Sunburn asked.

"Good," Cynder replied. "Just trying to take a break, you know? How are you both? Any trouble?"

"No, not since Slam Bam quit," Sonic Boom said. "To be honest, I was a little happy when he did quit, because he was starting to get on my nerves. He was talking about you again, even though there were those of us who told him to be quiet, or we would punish him. He was most scared, I think, when Trigger Happy threatened to shoot him again. In the you-know-where."

Cynder laughed and nodded. After their successful rescue of the Mistlands Mabu population, Spyro and Cynder reunited after being separated during the last part of the mission and shared their first kiss. During this, Slam Bam had made a comment, or so she'd been told, and Trigger Happy had shot one of his golden guns' ammo (gold coins) into his behind, leaving Slam Bam a little scared of Trigger Happy as a result.

"Hey, do you want someone else to take over for you, Spyro?" Sunburn asked him. "I would happily go and see if there's someone who can do it for you, if you wouldn't mind."

"No, Sunburn, I've got to finish this last one," Spyro said, beginning his work on another toy train. "Then I'll take a break. Trust me, I'm fine. I know, I do need to take a little break, but I don't want the Mabu children to think we've forgotten them at all. We have to make every single one of them as happy as we possibly can, do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, but you're working harder than you should," Sonic Boom told him. "We just wanted to hang with you guys, if you didn't mind."

Spyro sighed, turned around, and said, "I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I feel we have to make everyone's Christmas good, if you know what I mean. I don't want to let anyone down. If I do that, then I don't know what I'd do. I would probably feel as if I failed them, and I'm not much a fan of feeling as if I've failed, as you three already know."

"We know, Spyro," Cynder said. "Well, when you finish that train, come outside and join us. We just want to talk with you. You know, it's Christmas, when everyone hangs together and we give out gifts. I mean, that's not the true meaning of Christmas, but it's a part of it now, whether some like it or not." She sighed, and then turned. "Well, anyway, see you soon, Spyro." She walked out of the workshop, and Spyro sighed in relief.

He'd wanted her to leave, only because he still had to complete making his gift for her. He wanted to make sure it was complete before the next time he left this workshop. He had found a beautiful sapphire while searching through an abandoned mine for one of the Mabu a little while back, and as it had been around Thanksgiving, in his mind, he thought it could be a good gift for Cynder for Christmas. He planned to give it to her as a necklace, one that she could forever cherish, one that would remind her of him when he was gone. While he hated leaving her, he knew there would be times when they would be separated, as a result of missions that were only a natural part of being a Skylander. Not only that, but he and Cynder were the leaders of the Skylanders. He was the true leader, while she was his second-in-command. If he was gone, then she became leader, and if Sunburn was there, he'd become her second-in-command, but if he was gone with Spyro, then Sonic Boom would become her second-in-command. The same went for Spyro if Cynder was gone, as was Sonic Boom. That was how it had been decided a few months before.

Meanwhile, outside, Cynder, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom waited for him to finish. The air around them was cold, and Cynder shivered. She couldn't deal with cooler temperatures, as she had no body heat left in her as a result of the corruption placed upon her by Malefor. She hadn't told Sunburn or Sonic Boom that, and she didn't plan to for a while, but she had told them that she wasn't adapted to the cold, which, in her opinion, was the best way to put it so that they didn't learn of her secret until they really needed to. When Sonic Boom saw her shiver, she draped a wing around her, warming her up some.

"You cold, Cynder?" Sunburn asked, and Cynder nodded. "Oh that's right, you're not good in cooler temperatures. Sorry, forgot."

"It's all right," said Cynder. "You know, after a few months, there's gotta be something you forget about, you know? But fortunately, I have a good memory, so I know I haven't missed anything." She was referring to the fact she already had Spyro's gift, somewhere in their treehouse, hidden in a place where only she could find it at the moment.

It took another ten minutes for Spyro to finally exit the workshop and join them outside. He smiled brightly at them, and hugged Cynder, who eased herself a little farther away from him. "What?" he asked.

"I'm grateful for warmth," she said, "but when it comes to you being sweaty, not so much." She laughed, as did he. "Maybe you should wash up before you join us. We'll meet you over at the healing tent, okay? Cali wants to talk with us, as well."

Spyro nodded. "Sure," he said. "I'll see you guys soon." He saw them walk away, and then hurried toward the beach. He would just dive into the cool ocean water before joining them again. It would help to get all the sweat off him.

He dove right in, feeling the water cascading down his body. It felt amazing, and he felt that once he'd dried off, he'd better hurry over to the healing tent. It was the best thing to do.

As soon as he landed and began drying off in the cold air, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around to find Hex there. The Dark Elf Witch was one of his and Cynder's good friends, and she was the only other Skylander who knew of Cynder's secret besides Spyro and Cynder themselves. She only knew because she had faced off against Malefor a while past, after Spyro had saved Cynder, and when she'd met Cynder, she had recognized her almost instantly. She became her friend as a result, and Spyro was grateful for that.

"Hey Hex," he greeted. "Merry Christmas. How's everything going with you?"

"Good," she replied. She didn't smile due to her dark past. "I just wanted to talk with you, if you didn't mind. If you're busy, I'll come back and talk to you later. It's just that I would rather do it tonight than anytime later."

"Well, I'm about to go and meet up with Cyn, Sonic Boom, and Sunburn, if you would like to talk to me while we're there?" Spyro suggested.

"No, it's better if I do it now, so you can be on your way," she told him. As a result, Spyro sat back and listened to what she had to say. When she saw this, Hex nodded, her form of a smile without smiling. "By the way, have you finished that gift for Cynder yet? I really like what you're doing for her. If you ask me, you're the best thing that's ever happened to her, and you'll likely remain that way. Thank you for all you've done."

She floated away, and Spyro nodded. He then continued on his way to the healing tent, where he found Cynder waiting on him. "They're inside," she answered for him, knowing he was going to ask where Sunburn and Sonic Boom were. "I see you washed up, though."

"Of course," Spyro said. "I had to look the best for the love of my life, did I not?"

Cynder giggled, and he kissed her. Then they continued on into the healing tent, where they found Sunburn and Sonic Boom talking with Cali. Cali looked to them and called them over. "I have some news for you," she said. "But first, I have to ask you something." Spyro nodded allowing her to continue, though it didn't really matter; she'd just wanted confirmation that she could continue without being interrupted by any of them. "Are all the presents finished?" Spyro and Cynder nodded. "Good. But there's only one problem. Kaos is probably going to try something, and we need to be ready when he comes, do you know what I mean? We have to make sure he does not come at all. Now, have we set all defenses? Earlier, we had to turn off the Magical defenses around the Ruins, but they were turned back on."

"Who turned the Magical defenses back on?" Spyro asked. "You? Or did you give it to someone else?"

"I gave it to Trigger Happy," Cali replied. "He should have—" A sound reached all their ears suddenly, and Cali's dark blue eyes widened. "Oh no. Oh, please God, no, no, no!"

"HELLO, SKYLANDERS!" came the annoying, high-pitched voice of the little tyrant known as Kaos. "What's the matter, have you all lost your minds or something? HAHAHA!"

"Oh no," Spyro said. "Kaos is here? But how in the heck did he get in?" A thought crossed his mind. "Did Trigger Happy forget to turn the Magical defenses back on?" He thought about it for a moment, and then sighed. "Oh great. This isn't going well at all."

He and the others ran as fast as they could out of the healing tent to find Kaos standing there with a group of his soldiers behind him. Some of them were running over the Ruins, and it was obvious what they were trying to do: steal the Christmas presents and prevent the Mabu from receiving them.

Trigger Happy came up to Spyro, and he said, "I'm so sorry, Spyro! I was busy making more toys for the Mabu, and I guess—"

"Forget it," Spyro said. "You're not going to succeed, Kaos! You'll fail! You know it, and we all know it!"

"What's the matter, Purple Dragon?" Kaos asked. "You think it's possible you can stop us? We're going to do what you won't! We're going to stop the children from receiving their toys! I never got my toys as a child, and as a result, I am going to stop all the others from getting them!"

"Nice try, Kaos!" Cynder yelled at him. "We're going to stop you!"

"Too late, freak!" Kaos roared at her. "ARMY, DO IT!"

The army ran around, and it was obvious they were after the toys. The Skylanders ran around, hoping to stop them before they could. At least then of the soldiers ran to the workshop. Spyro did not see them, but Stealth Elf did. She ran toward them, and she knocked them all out. But she missed another soldier coming from behind, and they broke right into the workshop. By this point, Spyro knew what was happening, and he opened his wings and flew straight to the workshop. I have to stop them from taking the gifts! Cynder's is in there, as well! Oh God, this could go badly if I don't stop them from succeeding! he thought.

He flew into the workshop, and prepared himself to fight the soldiers on the inside.

Meanwhile, Cynder found many soldiers stealing some of the train sets. She took a few of them out with her violet Spectral Electricity, and others with her tail, kicks, and punches.

Sonic Boom used her sonic scream to attack the soldiers, and knocked many of them out with it, while Sunburn caused many of them to scream in pain as their behinds caught on fire. He laughed at it, but he knew this was no laughing matter. If he didn't hurry up, then there would be no presents to deliver to the Mabu children, something he hated.

Cynder worked the hardest of them all, but she did not see the club of one of the soldiers, and she was knocked onto the ground. She was happy she had not been knocked unconscious, but when she looked up, finishing the daze she'd been forced through, and saw many of the soldiers had bagged up the presents and were prepared to leave. But she wouldn't allow that.

She flew forward at one, grasped them by the soldiers, and said, "Nuh-uh! I don't think so!" She flew off with them, flipped them up in the air over the ocean, and caught the gifts that flew up with them. She flew back as quick as she could, but then she found that she was too late. She'd saved the three gifts that one soldier had had, but now it was too late.

Almost all the gifts had been stolen, and Kaos stood with his soldiers. Cynder's eyes opened wide when she saw Spyro was being dragged by one of the soldiers. They took him just as she growled at them threateningly and threw him to her. He hit the ground, though not as hard as he could have. He woke up seconds later, and he hugged Cynder when he saw her. He wanted to let her know that he was all right.

Then his eyes widened, and he realized he had failed. He looked over to Kaos, and found that Kaos and his army held all the gifts with them.

"You won't win, Kaos!" Spyro yelled. His head felt a little fuzzy. He remembered how he'd been knocked out: he'd been fighting in the workshop, and he faced a Troll who had the necklace he'd been making for Cynder. He felt ashamed at the fact he had failed. He still couldn't believe that he had been unable to succeed.

"We have won, and you can't do a thing about it!" Kaos yelled out. "We're going to end you all soon enough!" He laughed, and he made his army do it, as well. "Next stop, we're going to the Mabu village you planned to go to and tell them how you all failed! AHAHAHAHA! These children will never get their presents! They will never be able to feel so happy ever again! We'll make sure to steal all the presents over again! This is where we part ways! We'll likely see each other again, but for now, so long! HAHA!"

However, Kaos had made a horrible mistake. He'd made both Spyro and Cynder angry. To most, that would be a fatal mistake. A mistake that never would have allowed most to live.

Kaos backed up as he saw the two Dragons coming toward him. The smile was wiped off his face, and he thought to himself that things were about to become very horrible. He backed up, only to suddenly find himself on a piece of metal. His eyes widened, and he looked to Spyro and Cynder, who released their Electricity on the metal, and Kaos screeched in pain. He finally fell to his knees, and found that he was defeated. He coughed, and he raised one hand. "I surrender!" he yelled out. "Give them back the toys!"

Kaos was defeated. In the strangest of ways, Kaos had been defeated. And his army decided to follow his lead, and they gave up the toys to the Skylanders.

An hour later, after the Skylanders had unloaded all the presents (Spyro made sure Cynder didn't see the gift he had for her) and tied Kaos and his army up, Spyro and Cynder came forward. "Kaos," Spyro said, "for what you have done, we are going to send you off, along with your army, somewhere we don't even know."

"The Core will help us accomplish that," said Cynder. "And as soon as Spyro and I press this button, it will send you off." She brought forward a button, and she and Spyro began the countdown together:

"10…

"9…

"8…

"7…

"6…

"5…

"4…

"3…

"2…

"1…"

Kaos looked around in fear, and realized this was it. He had failed in his mission. He heard the whirring sounds of Core working to banish him and his army off to wherever the Skylanders had planned for him to go.

"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. But within seconds, Kaos and his army were gone in a flash of golden light, and the Skylanders cheered, knowing they had won.

Cynder hugged and kissed Spyro, and he returned it.

Minutes afterward, Cali came back toward them with Trigger Happy in tow, and she told them, "I put the defenses back up. Kaos won't be getting in again."

"Yeah, about that…" Trigger Happy said. "I'm sorry I did that, guys. I was just in the Christmas spirit, and I…" He was cut off by Spyro, who was laughing.

"Don't worry, Trigg," he said. "I understand, and no one was affected horribly for it…well, maybe a little…" Trigger Happy's expression became that of great horror, but Spyro and Cynder watched it become happiness again when they both laughed. "Anyone could have made that mistake. As long as the Mabu get their gifts, that's all that matters. Speaking of the Mabu…" Spyro looked to Cali. "When do we have to leave?"

"In a few hours," she replied. "Their timezone is a little ahead of ours, is all. So you and Cynder can sleep."

Spyro nodded, and he led Cynder away from there. He'd hidden the necklace in their treehouse, and he was ready to give it to her soon. But first, he was going to need some sleep.

They passed Sunburn, Sonic Boom, and Hex along the way and explained what they were doing.

"Good to know," said Sunburn. "See you in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised you want to sleep," Sonic Boom said. "Tonight was definitely crazy, but at least we don't have to deal with it all anymore, and the Mabu get their gifts." She hugged Spyro and Cynder, and then said to both of them, "Goodnight, and see you later!"

Hex said a simple, "I'll see you both in the morning," then floated off. However, she turned back and said, "Merry Christmas," and continued on her way toward the Core; at least, that was where it looked as if she was going.

But Spyro and Cynder just wanted to sleep for the time-being. They would need it for the next morning, what with all the excitement that was going to be coming.

Minutes later, after Cynder had kissed Spyro and fallen asleep, Spyro lay awake in bed, thinking of what would be coming the next day. He had Cynder's gift ready, and he was ready. He just loved her so much, and while he knew he would be making the Christmases of the Mabu children in the village so much merrier, he would have been fine if the only one made happy was his own mate. He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Goodnight, beautiful. I love you."

The next morning, the Skylanders got up, despite being so tired from the night before. Using the Core, they teleported themselves to the Mabu village along with all the toys. Fortunately, none of them had been broken the night before, and that made the Skylanders even happier.

The mayor of the village came and joined them soon enough.

"Thank you for all you've done!" he told them. "We don't know what we would have done without you! It's been such a hard year, but it's nice to know that there are those who still care for us! Thank you so much!"

"No problem," replied Spyro. "We're always happy to help those in need. We had some trouble last night, but it's all fine now. None of the toys were damaged in any way, so that's even better."

The mayor nodded happily, and he called out to the citizens of the village, who came out to join him and the Skylanders. The children were sorted into three single-file lines. Spyro and Cynder were at one, Sunburn and Sonic Boom at another, and Cali and Stealth Elf at another. The other Skylanders helped out with the preparation for the later celebration.

It took a total of three hours to hand out every gift to the children in the village, and by the end of it, they were all very happy. That much was obvious. The celebration began almost immediately after the final gift was handed out, and Spyro and Cynder ate and drank and danced heartily for a while, alongside their friends.

But later that night, Spyro and Cynder left the celebration tent, and they both attempted to give each other their gift at the same time. They both laughed, and then tried to see who would give their gift first.

"You go first," Spyro said. "You know, ladies first. Especially the beautiful ones."

"Aw, you're sweet," Cynder replied, laughing. "But okay. Here you go. Merry Christmas, Spyro. I hope you like it."

Spyro took the large package from her and opened it. He found beneath the wrapping paper a large book. It was History of Skylands, Vol. IX. It was the one that would almost complete his collection. He was about to say something, when he noticed something more. It was the Collector's Edition. He laughed in surprise, and hugged his mate tightly.

"Wow, Cyn!" he exclaimed. "I wanted this for so long, but I wasn't able to go out! Thank you! How'd you know I wanted this, though?"

"Well," she said, "I saw how you've been missing the ninth volume in your library, and I was also talking to all your friends about it, the ones who would know something more than I would when it came to reading and stuff like that. I knew everything else, but they helped to remind me when my mind went off-task, and I have Sunburn, Trigg, and Gill to thank for that."

"How'd you get the Collector's Edition? Do you know just how rare that is?" Spyro asked, obviously in great shock, which was what Cynder had wanted.

"Yes, but being a Skylander has its perks," Cynder said. "So I called around a few places, and I was able to find it."

"Thank you so much!" he exclaimed. He hugged her again. "Well, here's yours," he finally said. He handed it to her. He'd placed the necklace in a box.

When Cynder opened it, she gasped. Spyro saw tears come to her eyes as she beheld the necklace. He'd been able to do more than make it into a necklace. He had chiseled her initial into it, and on the back, his initial was there, as well, to symbolize they were mates.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Thank you so much." She took out the necklace and placed it around her neck. It made her eyes sparkle even more than the lifemate ceremony necklace had. She hugged him tightly. "This is the best gift I could have asked for!"

"I know it's not what it could be…" Spyro began, but Cynder cut him off.

"Are you kidding?" she asked him. "It's an amazing gift, and I love it so much. Thank you! You've done so much for me, and for me, that was my Christmas gift. But this takes it to a whole other level. Thank you so much!"

Spyro hugged her close to him and kissed her. "I love you so much," he admitted to her for the innumerable time. "You're the best gift I could have ever asked for."

They hugged each other tightly for many minutes. Then Cynder began speaking.

"You know, it's been a long week," Cynder finally said. "But we got through it. Even when Kaos came and tried to make it hard on us, we were able to stop him, even if it was in a way that seems almost childish. But it's Christmas, and that's all that matters. You have given me a gift that symbolizes so much. It's thanks to you that I'm even here now, and for that, I think my true Christmas present is how much you've done for me. How far you will go for me. How amazing you are. All of that. In the end, gifts won't even matter, but love will." She kissed him. "Thank you for all that you've done for me."

"No problem," he replied. "I love you with all my heart, and that love is not ending soon."

They embraced happily, kissing, and then broke apart.

"Merry Christmas, Spyro," Cynder said.

"Merry Christmas, my love," Spyro said. "And God bless us. Everyone."

And so ended their first Christmas together. But their journey was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning.