(Well, it's Christmas once again, and I felt it would be appropriate to write a holiday-inspired fanfic! Aw, who am I kidding? We read "A Christmas Carol' in English and this was one of the assignments. The good news is that you won't have to wait forever to update because the whole parody is due on Wednesday! Happy holidays!)

It was Christmastime in Avalar. There was about a foot of snow on the ground, more in Winter Tundra, and decorations adorned walls and trees everywhere. It was difficult to go anyplace without hearing the melodies and verses of some jovial carol. Spyro hurried down the street. "Oh for cryin' out loud! I'm late!" He hurried through the streets of the city until he came to an alley. He slowed to a walk as he went through it, straight up to a door.

He pulled out a keychain, unlocked the door, and entered a room lit by one fluorescent light. The room held a threadbare couch, an old microwave and mini-fridge, and a small television set that only received three channels. This was the break room. Spyro hung his coat on one of the hooks near the door and put on an apron. He looked at the clock that hung upon the wall. "Only 7:01, maybe he won't notice." Spyro punched in his time card and went through the doorway on the far wall into the kitchen.

"Spyro, you're here!" said Elora. She wore an apron identical to his. "Hurry up and help me mix this, and pretend you've been here all this time." She pointed to a large bowl of pizza dough. The phone rang and Spyro listened as he heard Bianca answer it. "Pizza's Pizzeria, how may I help you?"

Spyro helped Elora hold the bowl as they positioned it under the mixer. "Man, I still don't know how we got suckered into this." he said. "Even if we're one minute late-"

"Late again, are we now, Spyro?"

(Don't tell me you didn't see this one coming!)

They looked up. It was their boss, Moneybags. Spyro groaned. How had he lethimself get sucked into this fanfic deal?"I checked your timecard, Spyro, and you were one minute late." he said. "You know I'll have to dock your salary accordingly."

Spyro resisted the urge to fry the fat bear with a well-aimed fireball. "Whatever." he muttered. Moneybags nodded and waddled into his office. Elora sighed. "He keeps getting worse, doesn't he?"

"Sure does." said Hunter as he joined them. The cheetah carried a bowl of pizza sauce. "Ever since our old boss, Macob Jarley, died it's been nothing but this kind of stuff since!"

"Not that he was much better." remarked Bianca, who had just gotten off the phone. "We need three large supremes, two Cokes and a Pepsi, and a side order of pasta." Spyro grabbed a hunk of dough and slammed it down on the table. "How did we get involved in this anyway?" he asked himself.

"Becauseseven summers ago we needed a part-time job so we could get enough money to go to the Bahamas." Elora answered. "And we've been stuck here ever since." The faun went to go turn the ovens on. "That's the last time I ever sign a contract without reading it first." Spyro thought. He rolled the dough into a flat disk, pushed it aside, and started work on another.

"Stupid seven to nine hours." Bianca griped as she spread the sauce over the flattened dough. "If that bear hadn't told all the other fast-food places to not hire us, we could've gotten another job by now!"

"Hey, at least he hasn't decided to make this a 24 hours a day joint!" Hunter said. Just then the intercom crackled to life. "Attention employees!" Moneybag's voice boomed, "Starting December 26, we will be open twenty-four hours a day!"

Bianca slapped Hunter on the back of the head, causing him to fall face-first in the pizza they had just made. "Way to go, genius!" she half-shouted. Elora pulled them apart. "Hey! Quit fighting, it's Christmas Eve! Besides, it's not his fault; Moneybags could just be spying on us."

They looked behind them to see a mini spy camera and tape recorder sticking out of the sink. As they looked at it, it quickly disappeared down the drain. "Still, it's a stupid idea." said Bianca. "What kind of idiotwants a pizza at three a.m.?"

(Meanwhile, in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom...)

Patrick was in his bedroom, asleep. Suddenly, his alarm rang. He sat up quickly and turned it off. "Oh boy! Three a.m.!" he pulled a pizza out from under his bed and started eating it.

(Back to the story...)

"I rest my case."

The pizzeria had slowly started to fill up with customers. Many of them kept their coats and jackets on because the place wasn't heated very well. "Will you turn up the thermostat already?" one customer complained to Moneybags. "I can still see my breath!"

"You have sweaters, wear them!" said the bear. "Heat costs too much these days!" It was amazing how they continued to do business, but then again the place was known for its pizza. At around noon, Hunter checked the clock. "Lunch!" he announced. They adjourned to the break room.

"Wonder what's on the tube." said Bianca as she switched on the old T.V. There was a Christmas special on, though the picture was snowy. The four managed to get seated on the couch while they ate lunch. The door swung open. "What is this?" demanded Moneybags, seeing his employees seated.

"Um, break?" said Elora.

"Well, make it quick! I'm not paying you to sit around!" snapped the bear.

"You barely pay us at all!"

Now, seeing as it's a break, I'll take a moment to fill you in. You see, seven Christmases ago, Moneybag's old partner, Macob Jarley, passed away. Moneybags kept up the business of running the pizzeria. Our heroes, Spyro, Hunter, Elora and Bianca, had applied for a summer job at the location, failed to read the contract, and unwittingly signed themselves up for a lifetime. They then decided to quit, but the bear had called up all the other restaurants and told them to not hire the foursome.

It is important for you to know that Moneybags was a greedy, scamming, covetous, fat bear. (duh) No one even remotely liked him. Not even a little bit. He was, to put it bluntly, a miser. How could a soul so corrupt, cold, and obese even be worthy of an entire story? Read on, and ye shall see.

By now, the all too short break was over, and it was time for work again. It was a quarter to one when the bell over the door rang. Enter Moneybag's brother's mother's sister's daughter's cousin's son, Frank.

"Uncle Moneybags! Merry Christmas" exclaimed Frank. He approached the counter gleefully. Spyro and Hunter quickly retreated into the kitchen, knowing what was sure to take place. Moneybags stepped out from behind the counter. "Christmas!" said the bear. "Bah! Humbug!" On the floor, a bug started humming.

"Stop that!" yelled Moneybags. The bug shrugged. "Well, you said 'Hum bug!" it said.

"It's an expression, now get lost."

The bug sniffed haughtily and walked away. Frank said to his uncle "Christmas a humbug? Pshaw! Surely you don't mean this?" he asked. The bear nodded. "Indeed I do. What reason have you to be merry?"

"Come now!" retorted Frank pleasantly. "What reason have you to be so dismal on a bright occasion as this?" His uncle walked to the window. "What's Christmastime but a time for fools to go traipsing all throughout the town or lazing around at their abode? A time for finding one's self a year older." he said in annoyance. "Why, if I had mine own way, every fool who went around with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips would be..."

"Uncle!"

"Hush! Now, what business brings you here?"

"I have come to invite you to dine with us, with myself and my family, tomorrow. Will you accept?"

"Nay." said Moneybags, turning sharply. "Now I bid you good afternoon!" He walked back behind the counter, his nephew following him. "What reason have you for declining, uncle?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the four employees were listening to the conversation from behind the kitchen door. "Why are they talking like that?" asked Bianca. "This is the twenty-first century, not 1843!"

Moneybags faced Frank. "I have already refused! Now, if you're not going to order something, I suggest you leave." he snapped. Frank sighed and exited. Moneybags swiftly opened the kitchen door. "Someone get some more pizza on the buffet! You lazy bums let it get almost empty like that one more time and I'll dock you pay even more!"

The door opened and two stout men entered. "Good afternoon, sir!" said one of them. "We're from the 'Helping Hands' foundation and we're taking up donations for the less fortunate, maybe even to get some of the poor off the streets." the other one held up a clipboard. "Care to donate?" he asked.

"Tell me, are there still prisons?"

"Oh, yes. Plenty of those."

"Union workhouses, what about them?"

"Yes."

"Then why do I need to donate? Just send the poor there."said the bear. The man lowered his clipboard slightly. "Why, because it is that time of year where everyone feels more compassion for their neighbors, and also a very giving time of year. All of the people we've talked to today have been more than willing to lend a helping hand! Wouldn't you like to make someone's Christmas a little jollier?"

"Humbug!"

The bug started humming again. "Will you shut up?!" demanded Moneybags. The bug stamped its foot. "Well, you keep telling me to hum!" The bear faced the two men again.

"Sir, I don't believe in handouts. Now good day!"

The two men left the building, knowing that they would fare better elsewhere. Moneybags retired to his office. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Elora was going through a filing cabinet. "Any luck finding our contracts?" asked Bianca. Elora pulled out a stack of papers. "Bingo! Let's rip these things..." she tried to tear the pages, but it refused to give. "That fiend!" she exclaimed. "He had them laminated!"

"Forget it." said Hunter. "It expires in another twelve years."

At about five minutes to nine, Moneybags stepped out of his office. "I suppose you guys will want tomorrow off?" Spyro nodded. "After all, tomorrow is Christmas Day." said the dragon.

"Humbug!"

"Hmmm hmmmm hmm hmmmm hhmmmm..."

"Shut up, you stupid bug!"

"Then quit saying hum bug!"

Spyro tapped the bear's shoulder. 'Well? Do we get Christmas off?"

"Very well then, but I expect the four of you to be here a full hour early the day after, and to stay an hour later." said the bear. He waited as his employees gathered their things and left, and then he himself locked up the place and went home. He walked through the almost empty streets, eyes turned downward. After several blocks, he came upon his house, which was an old manor, completely dark and devoid of any signs of life. He found his way to the door and began unlocking it.

As he did so he glanced at the knocker on the door and saw Jarley's face in it! Moneybags gasped. The image lasted barely a second, but it was enough to be shocking. The bear quickly opened the door and stepped inside. He headed up the stairs, checking each room of the empty house before retiring to his bedroom. Blowing out the candle, he quickly slipped into bed.

Suddenly, he heard bells ringing! There was a terrible sound of clanking chains, and Moneybags' blood ran cold. Something was coming up the stairs! Right through the door walked a ghost! "Scrooge! Scrooooge!" it said.

"Um, you're in the wrong house." said Moneybags. "The place you're looking for is three blocks down!"

"Oops! Thanks."

The ghost left the room. Moneybags settled down again. "Now, if there are no more interruptions…" he mumbled, rolling over. The chains started up again. Bells started ringing loudly. "What is it now?" grumbled the bear. Passing straight through the door was another ghost! "Look, do you need directions too? I'm trying to…" Moneybags trailed off as he realized that this apparition was none other than his former partner, Macob Jarley!

"Jarley! W-w-why aren't you dead?"

"Nice to see you, too." said the ghost. It walked closer to the bed, dragging with it the chain that was bound around his waist. This chain was made up with padlocks, pursed, cash registers, and an extra-large pepperoni pizza.

"What do you want?" asked Moneybags. "Why do you wear that chain?"

"This is the chain I forged in life. I made it and wore it of my own free will. Now I am bound to it forever, doomed to roam the earth, and the same shall happen to you!"

"No!"

"Yes! Unless you change your ways, and quit being such a stingy creep!"

"Hey!"

"It's true!" said the ghost. "Now, listen well. Tonight you will be visited by three spirits. Take their advice and pay attention to what they show you. Otherwise you will end up like me." Moneybags looked at the ghost of his former partner. He certainly didn't want to end up wandering the world for eternity, dragging along a heavy, iron chain. "Um, okay?"

"Good." said the ghost. He started out the door and down the stairs. "Oh, Jarley! Wait!" called Moneybags. He heard a trip, yelp, and the sound of thumping and chain rattling all the way down the stairs. "Watch out for that first step!" called Moneybags, a little too late.

The ghost disappeared, leaving Moneybags to go back to bed and await the first spirit.