Cue the music: "Last Christmas" by Wham!
This song, Last Christmas, is so calming, yet still has a sort of beat to it. A classic one as well, giving out the nostalgia to anyone who listens to it.
My one problem though: The lyrics. Especially the chorus.
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart.
But the very next day, you gave it away.
This year, to save me from tears,
I'll give it to someone special.
Why do I have a problem? Good question. Last Christmas, and pretty much every Christmas I've been through, I really had no one to "give my heart to". The lyrics were talking about a loved one, someone outside of the family. So parents, siblings, cousins,
any family members can't be included.
Sure, I might have had a family, but I hardly had any friends. This is why I have a problem with this song.
But putting that aside, assuming that this is an 'instrumental', it is nice and relaxing.
I'm just sitting in my bay, bay 3, the one with my hovercraft, listening to the music. The relaxing music, not really listening to the lyrics though.
Suddenly, an announcement went off, forcing the music to temporarily go quiet.
"Attention fighters, enemies have been sighted at Spitzer Dam. We request of you to head to your respective bays and prepare for battle."
Spitzer Dam? Never been there before. But I'm gonna pass on this one. I don't really feel like battling today.
Suddenly, a beep sounded through my helmet, that's the second interruption! Pulling down my HUD to see what's going on, the first thing that came up was:
IN COMING CALL FROM SKY ROYALTON
ANSWER or DECLINE
Sky's calling me? W-well, I got nothing else to do, answer it.
Stop the music
"Hello?"
"Hey Ozone. Are you busy?" The familiar voice replied.
"Well... No, not really."
"Why was I asking that? It said that you were active anyway."
"So what do you want?"
"Well, Christmas is around the corner. I was wondering if you could..." She suddenly stopped. What could she ask me?
"C-could... What?" This is starting to make me anxious.
"Come to my bay. I... I want to... Um... Show you something." Those pauses tell me that there's a different reason.
"Right. If only I had a navigator of sorts so I can get to your bay."
"Do you have a Navigation microchip?"
"Can't say that I do." An audible sigh came through.
"Ok, I'm using one right now. It's telling me to leave my bay, turn right and go past 6 bays before I'm directly in front of your bay. So if you backtrack that, you should be in front of my bay."
So I need to leave my bay, turn left, pass 6 bays then Sky's bay is to my left. But wait a minute...
"I thought I can't enter other fighters' bays."
"Actually, you can visit other bays, but only with the owner's consent." So I just need the owner's permission to enter their bay? Makes sense.
"So... What you're saying is that I'm able to enter your bay?"
"Definitely!" Ouch, that came louder than ever. It was like she shouted that. "Um... I mean... Yeah." At least that wasn't as loud.
"... Ok then. Ending the call." And that's that. So sky is expecting me to enter her bay. But what could she have that she wants to show me?
Whatever it is, I'm not going to find out by standing here. But do I want to know what it is? Is it a good idea? Good or bad, doesn't matter, Sky is expecting me. So I practically have no choice.
Taking a deep breath, and another one, I turn towards the left of the bay and step outside. As I look around outside my bay, I notice something: There aren't as many fighters going around as usual. Must be because of the battle at that dam.
I turn to the left and started walking, counting the bays to my left as I pass them. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... Is it the sixth bay, or pass six bays? I think it's the former.
I reach out with my left hand towards the bay next to me. Only to find a solid wall. Did Sky allow me? Then why can't I enter? Did she change her mind? What's going on!?
I try to push the door with both hands, putting as much force as I could. Even pushing the ground with my legs. But no matter what I did, it's not-
"What are you doing?" A feminine voice came from my right.
I-I look up to my right and... I see Sky. Standing there with an eyebrow raised and mouth slightly open.
"Uh... I was... Uh..." Come on, think of something! "Warming up?"
"Really?" She doesn't look convinced. "I've been watching you for the past minute-" What!? "- and it didn't look like 'warming up' at all." She quoted those two words.
"B-but didn't you say-"
"Pass six bays, then my bay is to your left. You only passed five."
Oh...
She sighed. "Never mind, all bays do look alike, and our helms only identify our own bays, not someone else's."
"Oh, uh... R-right." I lift back up my posture from that now awkward one.
She smiled for a second before walking through the bay next to the one I was trying to enter. I followed her, but just before I entered, I hesitated. I seriously need to pull myself together, especially after that embarrassing moment.
I step forward, half expecting to face-plant into a wall, and entered Sky's bay. I expected to see a swift-looking robot with powerful thrusters facing forwards, considering that Sky's a scout. But what I actually saw is...
"A Christmas tree?"
"Not just any Christmas tree that you see in the shop." Sky cheered as I saw her placing cubes at the bottom and painted them to look like presents. "I personally designed this tree out of the very cubes that fighters use to build their everyday robots.
Both the armoured cube and glass variants creates this very masterpiece of mine."
"Was that meant to be poetry?"
She shook her head. "Nah, I'm not very good at poetry. I don't even see how it can help us fighters."
"Kill time, perhaps?"
"Fighters don't have much time to kill, Ozone." She laughed. I don't know about that. Most of the time, I see tons of fighters just standing around and talking with each other and judging from their facial expressions, they look like they're just having-
Richard Keys: "-some banter, together."
"Right..." I rolled my eyes. "So is this exactly what you wanted to show me?" I gestured towards the tree. Which is actually quite detailed, considering the limitations of the cubes and even colours.
"Well, partly."
That made me raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'partly'?"
"Well, the other part is..." Sky started, still looking at her 'robot'. "Since I have lost connection with my family and old friends by becoming a fighter, I thought my future Christmas experiences would be... Rather lonely."
I just stayed silent.
"Well, I thought that until you showed up." She eventually turned towards me. "You seemed, to me at least, to have the potential of being a good friend. And I..." She stopped, looking down to her left.
"Hmm?"
"I think you actually are a good friend to me." She finished. Hold on! D-did she...
"W-wait." I stammered. "Di-did you just s-say..."
"Huh?" She seems confused.
"Th-that I'm your... I-I'm your..." I-I can't get my words out!
"Good friend?" She guessed.
"Y-yeah."
"Well, I did. But I don't understand why you're reacting like that."
"D-do you know h-how it feels t-to be told th-that for the f-first time e-ever?" I think I'm tearing up.
"'First time ever'?" Sh-she repeated, looking down in th-thought. Th-then her eyes expanded. "Wait, are you saying that..." Sh-she paused. I hope she understands. "... That you never had any friends in the past?"
I n-nodded.
"Oh my, Ozone." She starts w-walking towards me. Have I made a m-mistake? Have I made her mad? Did I ruin her Christmas? Did I ruin my own Christmas? Did I- wait...
I feel a pair of arms wrap around me and something on my left shoulder. Sky isn't-
"You're shaking. Calm down for me." I hear Sky's voice from my left. Wait a minute. Is she... Is Sky...
Hugging me?
"I feel so sorry for you, being all alone, no one to talk to, at such a young age. Life must've been hard, hasn't it?" Somehow, that calmed me down. And she's right, my life was hard. I just wanted someone to call an actual friend.
I feel the extra weight lift off of me as Sky pulled herself back, but still holding onto my shoulders. "I hope your future will be different, Ozone."
"Sky, I..." I paused and had a glance at the Christmas tree. Just knowing that I have an actual friend is enough to make my day. Or rather, year.
I look back at Sky, straight into her eyes. "...thank you."
I hugged her back, I feel her arms wrap around my back again.
Best Christmas I ever had.
And here is the long awaited chapter that I told you about a couple weeks ago. Anyway, now that this story is finished, I'll be continuing my other stories. Reviews for this story will be responded to in the next chapter of Journey To The High Leagues.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"