Winter Wonderland
by Bluestar
The Shadow Dragon's Southern Training Centre
"Man, I'm bored," is not generally a good way to start the day. It was, however, Dirx's first comment at breakfast one cold winter morning.
Sebastian silently agreed with his team mate. The Dragons had no tournaments until spring, although with the training regimen Creet was insisting on anyone would think they were due to duel the Vanguard this week.
"I could go challenge Major Wallis," Marcus suggested, only half-serious.
Tachi pretended to consider it. "Somehow, I don't think that would do much good."
"What we need is a break. You know, from the usual routine. Do something different," Zerve suggested.
"But what?" Sonja's question set them all thinking.
"I believe I have the answer," said Sebastian, surprisingly. "On Earth there used to be a midwinter festival called Christmas. It was technically a religious holiday for a group called 'Christians'. However, by the early 25th Century in Earth time, most of those who celebrated did only because they liked the idea, as it is said." Looking around at his team mate's faces, he could see they were at least considering the idea. He decided to elaborate.
A couple of minutes later, the Shadow Dragons voted unanimously for Christmas.
It was eight days after Dirx had made his comment about being bored, and the Dragons had gone Christmas crazy. The database had been searched for any and all information on Christmas, and the effects were showing. Evidence of this was currently echoing through one corridor.
"It's traditional!"
"No way!"
"They're back!" Marcus said, poking his head into the locker room where Dirx and Sonja were having a loud argument about certain Christmas customs they had dug up from the database. Tachi was watching them both like a spectator at a tennis match, covering a broad grin with one hand.
The argument halted as the three followed the Dragon Leader back to the hangar. "What do you think, kid?" Dirx asked.
"About what?" Marcus asked suspiciously.
"Mistletoe. According to the records, mistletoe is a traditional part of Christmas celebrations."
"Ah . . . Dirx, mistletoe is an Earth plant. I doubt there'd be any on Terra Nova." The four pilots walked into the hangar, where the Dragon's transport had just touched down. Zerve and Sebastian emerged carrying a potted pine tree.
"We got the tree! Man, this is gonna be a gas!"
"Yes, but . . . don't you think something smaller might have been better?" Tachi pointed to the tree, which was easily three metres tall.
"A very positive point," Zerve said, scrutinising the pine as if for the first time.
"Too late now. C'mon, we need to find somewhere to put it." Sonja hurried forward to help with the massive tree, as did Tachi.
Having found a place for the tree, Zerve, Sebastian, Tachi and Sonja listened to the bangs, crashes and occasional yelps of the two remaining Dragons who had forgotten how low the ceiling was in parts of the storage room.
"We got the decorations," came Dirx's somewhat muffled voice. The reason for this was soon obvious as he came staggering through the door under a massive box of Saturnalia decorations. He was followed by Marcus, who was trailing several long strings of multicoloured lights behind him.
Once the box was on the floor, the rest of the Dragons occupied themselves with hanging the baubles on the tree. Zerve was attempting to place the large gold-coloured star on top of the tree whilst standing on Sebastian's shoulders when an explosive snort of laughter made the big GREL spin around.
"Hey, watch it, big guy!" Zerve protested. Then he saw what had caused Dirx's amusement. "What on Terra Nova . . ."
"Hey, guys! This isn't funny," Marcus protested, trying in vain to untangle himself from the string of lights that were *supposed* to go around the tree.
"Yes it is," Dirx corrected.
"No, it isn't!"
"OH YES IT IS!" chorused the rest of the Dragons.
"Well, it looks about right," Sonja said dubiously as she and Tachi regarded the cooling Christmas pudding. "What does the recipe say next?"
" 'Before serving, pour brandy over pudding and set on fire for an authentic Christmas taste,' " Tachi read.
"And *what*?!"
"Read it for yourself."
Sonja did, suspecting that her friend had been teasing her. A few seconds of reading, however, proved that truth was indeed stranger than Tachi. She shrugged as she followed the instructions.
After putting out the fire, two extremely sooty-faced and slightly sheepish Gear pilots regarded each other, each trying not to laugh at the other's appearance.
"I think we used a little too much brandy," Tachi said eventually.
"Yeah. Maybe just a little," Sonja agreed.
Tachi stared at the now-inedible pudding. "Do you think we should try again?"
They looked at each other, then started laughing helplessly.
In another room, little suspecting the chaos that was currently engulfing the kitchen, Zerve had conscripted Sebastian into helping him make something. Or, to be more accurate, some things.
"Hey, Sebastian, I'm curious. Did people really believe in a guy who climbed down the chimney and brought them presents the night before Christmas?" Zerve inquired as he cut and pasted.
"Yes. It was apparently a means of ensuring good behaviour in young children. Parents would tell their children that if they were good, a man called Santa Claus would bring them presents."
"That's weird." Zerve shivered. "Man, it's freezin' this year."
"The weather is indeed unusually cold," Sebastian agreed. "But I still do not see the purpose of creating these paper chains, or paper lanterns." He held up his work.
"They're for decoration, big guy."
It was Christmas Eve in the Dragon's training base. The tree had been finished after Marcus had finally been untangled by a sniggering Dirx, and now glittered with unconventional (but effective) ornaments. Wrapped Christmas presents of all sizes lay piled under it, shimmering in every colour of the rainbow. Sonja and Tachi had eventually managed to get the hang of setting the pudding on fire without singeing themselves, although they now looked extremely peculiar, their eyebrows having burned off during that first disastrous attempt. Kilometres of paper chains, created by an over-enthusiastic Zerve and a somewhat confused Sebastian, were festooning the base. Creet had threatened to lock down their Gears for a week if they tried hanging any in his office.
That night, clouds gathered overhead.
When Sebastian woke the next morning, there was a strange chill in the air. Walking over to the window, he glanced out and then stood transfixed by the sight he saw.
A blanket of white had overlaid the familiar scene outside. Having rarely seen snow, it took him a moment to realise what he was seeing before the sound of someone hammering on his door pulled him away from the fascinating view.
"Sebastian, wake up!" came Marcus' voice. "We're gonna have a snowball fight!" The door opened to reveal an enthusiastic Marcus bundled up in winter clothing, with a similarly clad Zerve in tow.
Sebastian gave them a quizzical look. "What is the purpose of this 'snowball fight'?"
"It's for fun, man. It's a winter tradition."
"Hurry, let's get the others," Marcus said, clearly impatient to be outdoors.
About half an hour later, Lieutenant Creet looked up from his paperwork as a rogue snowball thudded into the window of his nice warm office. All right, enough is enough, he thought. He pulled on his coat and headed outside. It proved to be a mistake.
"Okay, people," he began as he stepped out among the flying snowballs.
With identical evil grins on their faces, the Dragons aimed and threw as one. All six snowballs hit bang on the mark.
Creet, spat snow from one particularly well-aimed missile, then gathered the remains of his tattered dignity and walked back indoors. The Shadow Dragons politely waited until the lieutenant was out of earshot before bursting into raucous laughter.
"And Merry Christmas to you too, man!" Zerve yelled after him.
Author's Note: Okay, I know it's a little farfetched. But after I had the joint inspirations about Creet getting snowballed and Marcus getting tangled in the tree lights, I HAD to write this.