A/N: Alright, we know we promised this sooner but it's the holidays and honestly, this took us a while and Writer P is a natural born procrastinator, so forgive us. Anyways, we won't be able to do the News Years special, so maybe next year. Hope you like it and please review and favorite~!
Attention!: This special has words of various languages. The translations is at the end of it.
Merry Christmas And Happy New Years~!
The snow always seemed to make anything so beautiful, covering every building and tree, and freezing every lake and puddle. It was absolutely mesmerizing to the little seven year old blonde looking up at the gray sky and giggling each time a small snowflake falls on her face or on her outstretched cupped bare hands.
"Skai, come back inside! You'll catch a cold if you don't at least wear something warm." A blond man in his late twenties shouted from the porch of a wooden home. He had his hands on his hips in a typical scolding fashion, despite that his bright green eyes and delicate smile showed soft amusement.
Skai pouted, reluctantly running back through the snow that reached her bare ankles and finally staggered up the short set of stairs onto the porch, holding out her cold hands so the man could see the amount of snow she had collected. "Look, Onkel Gio! I've caught the white puffs! Can I keep them?"
Giovanni laughed, shaking his head and taking the shivering blonde up into his arms, rubbing her sides to give her warmth and brushing off the snow on her bare feet and clothing as he opened the screen door into their home and got inside. "Of course you can. Maybe even a snow fairy might visit us tonight to give you more. But why don't we get you warmed up first?"
Skai cuddled up to her uncle, digging her face into the crook of his neck and cradling her cupped hands on her lap. "Okay! But not the white puffs, they don't like the warmth! And I want to meet a snow fairy!"
Giovanni nodded sympathetically, walking into the kitchen and using his free hand to open a cabinet and take out a glass jar. "You can put them here."
Skai glanced at the jar and carefully let the snow slid from her grasp and into the jar. When done, Giovanni took the jar and put it inside their freezer.
"We'll take them out later," Giovanni reassured at the worried look he received from his niece. "Now lets get you into a warm bath."
Skai gasped and managed to jump off her uncle's hold. She ran to the hallway, her small feet creating mini puddles as she giggled and shouted, "Only if you catch me, Onkel Gio!"
Giovanni sighed and shook his head with a grin, jogging right behind her into the hallway and catching her before she could escape to her room. She squealed and giggled, struggling to get out of her uncle's grasp, who laughed and decided to put her on his shoulder like a sack of flour. He chuckled when she began to punch his back with the little strength on her small fists. "To the bathroom!"
Later on, Skai was sitting, cuddled up in one of her uncle's bear fur jackets with her jar of snow on her lap and a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, on the warm rug in front of their fire place. Her uncle, only wearing a white tee and torn plain jeans, was sitting with his legs crossed right behind her, brushing her wet blond long hair with a comb.
It was quiet and calm, the only sound being the occasional cracks of the burning wood. The living room didn't have a lot except for the wooden rocking chair and small wooden table, but Giovanni made sure to decorate it with as much Christmas decorations he could afford when his niece asked him if they could celebrate the holiday. Truthfully, he wasn't really fond of the festivity, the season was always bad for his kind since the humans tended to hunt for fur, especially in Germany in these specific times, where they currently lived. Personally, Giovanni could recall a few good friends who have been victims of the season, even one whose son, who just started learning the concept of transforming, was brutally killed by those disgusting metal weapons. Most of the werewolf clans have moved further east cause of this. But Giovanni, being caring and generously selfless in general, didn't mind celebrating it for his niece, who was the last precious person he had left.
"Onkel Gio?" Skai spoke, breaking the silence.
"Mmm?"
"When is Weihnachtsmann going to come?"
"Just in a few days."
"And the snow fairy?"
Giovanni hummed, setting the comb down beside him and patting his thigh as a signal for Skai to crawl onto his lap, which she did after setting aside the now empty cup of hot chocolate and snuggled up close to his chest, hugging the jar of slowly melting snow closely. "Snow fairies are usually really shy, but they'll be here once they see you sleeping."
Skai frowned and pouted, her gray eyes wide as she looked up at her uncle. "But I want to see them! I can't see them if I'm asleep!"
Giovanni laughed and kissed her forehead, rubbing noses with her and making her giggle. "I told you they were shy!"
Skai smiled softly and yawned, cuddling up even closer to her uncle, who was always so unnaturally warm and comforting, and closing her shining gray eyes. "Onkel Gio?"
He hummed questionably, closing his eyes and nuzzling his face into the blond locks of his niece.
"Frohe Weihnachten."
Giovanni smiled when he heard a light snore come from the cute blonde in his arms. Slowly and gently as to not wake his niece, he stood, shifting her weight so he could have a free hand, and walked carefully to the back of the wooden house and inside her room. He delicately placed Skai on her already warmed up bed, although not without firstly pushing away all the wooden toys he had personally made for her. He gingerly took the jar from her grasp and set it on her nightstand, pulling her blankets so that she was completely enveloped with them. Despite that she was already developing the ability to withstand the cold, Giovanni was still extra careful. He leant down and kissed her cheek.
On his way back toward the door with the jar of half melted snow in one hand, he heard a small but definite ting come from the window beside Skai's bed. He smiled knowingly before shaking his head and leaving the jar of snow on the drawer for the snow fairy to take.
"It's only two days until Nollaig," a blonde huffed as she flapped her transparent sparkling blue wings to sit on top of boulder beside the flowing river and take off her green moccasins to shake off the dirt that has somehow managed to get inside her shoes. She glanced behind her when she heard no response to her exclaim and smiled softly at the seven year old blond boy who carefully stood on his pale bare feet on the muddy ground and flashed a victorious smile at his mother at having finally mastered how to land when flying.
"Mhàthair, how long until we get to Emain Ablach?" He asked softly as he tippy-toed toward where the woman sat.
"Two more hours, if the humans don't get in our way of course," she said as she put her shoes back on. "Viktor, hun, get off the ground, you're going to get your feet dirty and then what would Queen Boudica say when she sees you all dirty?"
Viktor laughed sheepishly, jumping slightly so he could get off his feet and his green sparkling wings could carry him instead. "Do you think Queen Boudica would bless me?"
"Of course she would, you're my mac after all," the woman grinned and ruffled the blond locks of the child once he was close enough. "Now, let's continue. Despite that the humans can't see us, I still want to get to your aunt's home without scaring the shit out of one of them."
"Okay!" Viktor spoke cheerfully as his mother smiled at him and grabbed his hand, continuing to fly through the enchanted forest.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed, koi," a slender tall raven dressed in a black yutaka spoke in a deep soothing voice as he approached the bundle of blankets huddled beside the window in the barely lit room. Upon closer inspection, you could see a pale little girl with sad blue eyes gazing beyond the windowpane and into the snowy night. She didn't respond, intertwining her fingers into her blue and black kimono, until the older man kneeled next to her.
"Itachi-ojisan, when are 'Touchan and Otousan coming home?" She asked in a small timid voice, hugging the orange silky blanket that she couldn't sleep without closer to her chest.
Itachi sighed, gently taking the seven year old into his arms and kissing her temple as he ran his fingers through her black tendrils. "Soon, my beautiful mei."
"B-But it's been days, ojisan!" The little raven whimpered, digging her face into his broad chest. "What if they're not here for Kurisumasu? What if t-they...don't ever come b-back?"
Itachi frowned, not liking the way his niece was clearly agitating over the thought of losing her precious fathers when being so young. He mulled over the thought that it was something expected, ever since she had gotten kidnapped a while back, she hasn't been the same radiant child. Subconsciously, Itachi's hold tightened in a protecting manner at the horrid memories. That month was absolute hell for his dear baby brother and his husband, and hell for himself as well. It had gotten to the point that Naruto was going to resign the position as Hokage and just go search for his daughter himself. The elder raven had understood the blond's frustration and desperation, having been witness to the countless times his precious little brother had bowed his head down low with quiet sobs and reports that the mission of retrieval had failed. Watching Naruto slowly lose his sanity and Sasuke immerse himself into alcoholism was something Itachi would never even think of seeing again. Miraculously, Sasuke and Itachi were able to finally catch the kidnappers, and honestly, it was the most gruesome of killings the Uchiha brothers had ever willingly done. He sighed after a long while, forcing himself to relax and kissing the little raven's head. "Mikasa, do you wish me to tell you about the time your 'Touchan was just as anxious as you?"
Blinking owlishly up at her glorified uncle, Mikasa cocked her head to the side. "'Touchan doesn't get anxious!"
Itachi chuckled, nodding his head. "Oh yes, he does, koi. In fact, the reason your 'Touchan was so anxious was because of your Otousan, who was also very nervous."
Mikasa's blue eyes widened even more, her small hands covering her gaping mouth cutely. "Otousan was nervous?! B-But Otousan never gets nervous!"
Itachi shook his head with another chuckle. "That's what your Otousan wants you to believe. Do you know what made your Otousan so nervous and your 'Touchan so anxious?"
"What?" Mikasa asked eagerly, shifting in the taller raven's grasp and placing her small hands on her uncle's slender shoulders.
Itachi smiled softly, pinching one of the smaller raven's pale cheeks tenderly. "Kurisumasu."
Mikasa blinked twice, a sign of clear confusion, specially when she frowned. "Why?"
"Because they wanted to give each other presents!" Itachi laughed at the look of absolute shock cross his niece's face. "But your Otousan was nervous about it because he didn't want to seem too romantic and your 'Touchan was anxious about it because he wasn't sure if he bought your Otousan would be enough!"
"But that's stupid!" Mikasa exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a typical imitation of her raven dad. "I mean, if they loved each other, anything would be fine for a present and it wouldn't matter that it would seem too romantic!"
"That's exactly what your ojisan here said to his otouto." Itachi nodded in agreement. "So you could say that what they worried over was for naught, correct?"
"Yes." Mikasa nodded, trying to seem mature but only looking cuter when her long hair got on her face and she had to blow it off. Itachi chuckled and brushed her bangs out of her face.
"Why?"
"Cause love and trust is enough." She quoted her blond father and they both smiled at each other for a moment until Itachi chuckled and poked his niece's forehead.
"So, if love and trust is enough, then why should you worry over your 'Touchan and Otousan if they trust and love you?"
Mikasa gasped in realization and she nodded enthusiastically in understanding. "I get it! So, all I have to do is trust and love them and they'll be here faster! Right?"
Itachi chuckled and nodded. "Yes, that's right, koi. So, now, it's time for bed. I promise they will be here when you wake up."
And they were there when she woke up, exhausted and bruised but smiling and hugging their daughter close when she squealed and ran down the stairs with a laughing Itachi to joyfully greet them.
"You shouldn't spend Christoúgenna alone."
The girl shifted in her seat of sand, digging her bronze skinned hands into the hot smooth grains, not saying anything as the young boy creating a shadow by standing over her stared and frowned.
"Clarice? Pay attention to me! You're really far away from home and Thíos nearly threw a fit strong enough to interrupt Patéras in his meditating! Thíos is worried you know..." The boy with a dark complexion and a bright blue flame for hair stopped when the seven year old female, the same age as him, looked up at him with teary caramel eyes.
"Why would he care?" Clarice whispered, hugging her knees to her chest and thus carefully hiding her bare feet under her light blue and gold peplos. "Tobi, Patéras doesn't do anything to stop my adhelfi from bullying me simply because my mitéra was a human. And in this time of the year it just gets worse cause he gives me the best of presents and they get jealous! I don't want to go back! Besides, what are you even doing here? If Thíos and Patéras find out, they'd be furious!"
Tobi sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest, which was revealed thanks to his white and black tunic. He bit the inside of his cheek for a few seconds in thought before promptly moving to sit down beside his cousin and put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. She accepted the embrace, digging her face into his neck while the only sound was the calm ocean and distant seagulls.
"You know that I don't care what Patéras says," Tobi mused as he petted Clarice's long dark brown tendrils. "You are my exádelfos, and I am way closer to you than my own adhelfi and adelfós combined. Christoúgenna is a time to spend with family. Not alone in a beach of a deserted tropical island."
"Then just leave. Thíos isn't as forgiving as you think," Clarice said and despite her words, he clutched her cousin's forearm tighter.
"He doesn't care much." Tobi shrugged and giving her a small smile when she glanced up at him. "We can spend Christoúgenna together then, how about that?"
Clarice grinned softly and closed her eyes, nodding. "I would like that very much, Tobi. Thank you."
Tobi kissed her head and smiled widely to himself. "Kalá Christoúgenna."
"Kalá Christoúgenna."
"Where do you think you're going with that, young man?!" A woman around her mid-twenties with bright red messy hair scowled as she placed her herself in the way of the three children, putting her hands on her hips and raising a thin eyebrow. "You know what your father said about taking his wand, Albus!"
"But Mum!" The child in the middle exclaimed with wide bright green eyes as he placed his hands in front of him pleadingly. "It's snowing! Xkali and Rosie came over so we could make snowmen but with magic!"
The mother sighed and shook her head with a small smile, extending her hand for her son to give her the wand. "I'm sorry, Al, why don't you make snowmen without magic this year?"
"Ugh, fine," Albus said with a huff, giving his mother the wand and running past her to the backyard with the other two seven year old closely behind.
"And please remember to invite Scorpius next time! The poor boy must be missing you, Al!" The redheaded mother yelled after her son, who merely waved nonchalantly and took his friends' wrists so they could run faster into the forest.
"Um, Al, where are you taking us?" The only girl in the three man squad asked, carefully taking a tight hold of her hoodie so the snow wouldn't get in her red locks.
"Yes, Al, I think Rosie and I deserve an answer as to where?" Xkaliber inquired, equally as bewildered as Rosie.
Albus flashed a shining smile at his best friends. "We're going somewhere secretive! Scorp and I found it last year and it's completely magical! Father said it was because of the snow fairies but I think it's something else!"
"About Scorpius, why didn't you invite him?" Rosie questioned before she squealed slightly at having almost fell down if it weren't for the quick reflexes of Xkaliber, who took her elbow in his grasp.
Albus paid them no mind when they stopped, just simply let them go and ran the rest of the way with the redhead and the raven fruitlessly trying to follow behind. "Scorp is busy studying 'cause Uncle Draco wants him to be his best," he answered with a wide smile on his face as the memory of the talk with his best friend flashed in his mind. "Don't you think that's just lovely?"
"Yes, very lovely!" Rosie squeaked again when she slid across a frozen branch and tripped on top of Xkaliber, who caught her but fell down as well and soon Albus joined them into rolling down the small slope.
They ended up laughing at themselves and their silliness, helping each other sit back up.
"Isn't Christmas just wonderful?" Rosie smiled at the two boys, her blue eyes sparkling prettily as Xkaliber and Albus grinned back.
"It sucks, though, that I can't spend much time with Scorp," Albus sighed, brushing off some snow as he stood up.
"I'm sure he's missing you too," Xkaliber murmured, throwing himself back onto the snow so he would lay, his shaggy black hair sprawled across the ground as he sneezed.
"Bless you," Rosie whispered, patting her friend's face with a napkin she got out from her pocket.
"Thank you," Xkaliber flashed a smile as he took it and blew his nose in it.
"Seriously, let's hurry though! I really want you guys to see it!" Albus practically shouted as he impatiently tapped his foot with a hand on his hip.
"Calm down, Al, whatever you're gonna show us ain't going anywhere," Xkaliber rolled his purple eyes in slight annoyance.
"But Xkali!" Albus stomped his foot.
Rosie giggled. "Al, if you keep acting like a little kid, Uncle Harry isn't going to let you go to Hogwarts, you know."
Albus looked startled at the accusation, his jaw dropping in genuine horror. "What?! Father won't do that to me! He'll let me go!"
"As if!" Rosie laughed, creating a ball of snow in her gloved hands and throwing it square on Albus's chest.
While the other two began to quibble about the prestigious school and how great it will be once they finally start, Xkaliber stared up at the gray sky with glassy purple eyes. He's been tired of hearing so much about that school. All his friends were obviously going, but for some reason, his father and mother were considering otherwise. He's been hearing them talk about how he wasn't a wizard and yet wasn't a complete muggle.
What was that supposed to mean? All his life, Xkaliber has seen magic and even done some secret spells with Scorpius and Albus. Of course he was a wizard! If he wasn't then...what was he?
"Xkali, come on, stand up! We're waiting for you, silly!" Rosie smiled as she and Albus extended their hands for him to take.
He couldn't help smiling back.
Translations:
German:
Onkel - Uncle
Weihnachtsmann - Santa Clause
Frohe Weihnachten - Merry Christmas
Celtic:
Nollaig - Christmas
Mhàthair - Mother
Emain Ablach - The Land of Promises
Mac - Son
Japanese:
Koi - Love
Ojisan - Uncle
'Touchan - Papa
Otousan - Dad
Mei - Niece
Kurisumasu - Christmas
Hokage - Fire Shadow (also known as a ninja leader of the Fire Country)
Otouto - Little or Baby Brother
Greek:
Christmas - Christoúgenna
Cousin - Exádelfos
Father - Patéras
Mother - Mitéra
Sister - Adhelfi
Brother - Adelfós
Uncle - Thíos
Merry Christmas - Kalá Christoúgenna
~StudentsOfCreaturesAcademy