Hi guys! Merry Christmas! This is my Christmas special for this year. There's not much to say about this beforehand, except that I'm not very good with writing fluffy stories where there isn't intensity and action, so please bear with my amateur writing here. I did put in some effort to make it as light-hearted, humorous and heart-warming as possible, though, so I hope you enjoy it. This special takes place after Regalian Bloodbath, just to let you guys know.
Oh, and by the way, the title of this story has nothing to do with it. I just thought it sounded nice.
Christmas Special: Good Tidings
Gregor sat on the edge of the High Hall as his legs dangled through the chilly air of Regalia. The city slept serenely as Gregor quietly observed the streets. It was a highly peculiar feeling- he had never quite experienced such an intense peace like this before. His life over the past decade or so had been a complete clutter of tragedy and redemption, which was the perfect recipe for complete pandemonium and mayhem. It had left such an indelible mark on him that he was feeling an urge to pounce to his feet and pace up and down the High Hall just to rid himself of the energy coursing through his body every second of the day. As much as he hated it, he had to accept the fact that being a rager meant he wasn't going to enjoy this peace.
The hilarious irony was that he had spent all his life fighting just to achieve this peace. It was a well-earned peace, but on another hand it didn't quite encapsulate the relief and satisfaction that Gregor had long yearned for. Peace was supposed to be the forbidden fruit of the Underland, yet here Gregor was twiddling his thumbs as the days surged past him, pulling his youth further and further away from him.
He turned to his right and gazed at the woman who was sitting next to him as her eyes wandered the city with underlying concern. The past few months would have been unbearable without her. It was her presence that enveloped him in a warm glow of love and made his day brighter whenever he woke up to her gentle breathing. Gregor wasn't very good with words, but he could spend a whole day just talking about how fresh his life felt now that he was with Luxa.
It was rare for her to take these small pockets of time off to just relax and let the burden of managing Regalia slide off her shoulders temporarily. She was always so drained and exhausted that she had the capacity to become bitter and nasty towards him. He didn't mind enduring the fierce abuse hurled in his direction once in a while, but he didn't like seeing her so stressed out. Sometimes she seemed as delicate as a flower- gentle and beautiful but easily ripped to shreds in a fierce wind. Luxa would give him a sharp jab in the side for describing her like that. She always wanted people to perceive her as a warrior queen who was feared and feared nothing. But she could only take so much stress from her duties as a queen. She was still a mortal woman, after all.
The beauty of Regalia mixed with the long shadows cast over the city made for an incredible sight. It reminded Gregor of those medieval cities where the harsh cold of winter was far from being a dampener on the spirits of people during Christmas.
Christmas.
It must be close to Christmas! Gregor had been in the Underland for approximately five months and seven days, if his memory hadn't failed him yet. Or was it eight days? He distinctly remembered the date he left his apartment and trudged over to Calvin's mansion- May 17th. Regardless of the number of days since his fateful departure from the Overland, the bottom line was that they were definitely in the thick of Christmas!
Christmas was Gregor's favourite time of the year with quite literally no other exception. There was just something… quaint? No, quaint wasn't the right word… unique, in terms of the atmosphere it created. Even during his darkest days in the Overland, he always looked forward to Christmas. To him, it was more than just a mere celebration or a religious commitment to enjoy Christmas and foster the "Christmas Spirit". Even in the most bitter winters New York City could throw at him, the dingy old apartments he lived in still provided a sense of warmth that was unparalleled anywhere, including the Underland. There was just something about Christmas that made even the dullest and gloomiest of days that much brighter. Whether it was the singing of Christmas carols on the street or the feeling of hope that became so pervasive during this period, Gregor just felt the old and familiar feeling of hope slowly creeping back into his soul.
So where were the Christmas trees? Where were the decorations? Where was the partying on the streets? Regalia surely celebrated Christmas, didn't they? Christmas was a tradition and a day which was celebrated even back in the Medieval Ages. Surely Sandwich would have brought that down here…
Oh right. Gregor remembered Luxa mentioning, "The Christian faith died out down here a few centuries ago. The historical manuscripts tell us that Sandwich banned any practising of religion in the Underland, and that all those who advocated for the Christian faith were brutally put behind bars or sent to the cliffs to be thrown off."
Because of stupid Sandwich, the Underlanders had no concept of the greatest season of celebration on Earth.
Gregor sighed. What a wasted opportunity that was. Regalia would have looked absolutely spectacular when coupled with the typical seasonal decorations which accompanied the celebrations. The Medieval setting would have been SO amazing and perfect.
Gregor glanced over at Luxa again, who was still persisting at gazing over the city concernedly. Suddenly, he felt an idea light up. Maybe it was time for him to liven her day up.
He scooted closer to her and asked, "Hey Lux, have you ever heard of Christmas?"
Luxa snapped out of her trance and shook her head a couple of times to force herself out of her stupor. "Christmas…" she murmured, seemingly hell bent on giving Gregor the answer as she frowned, "Christmas… Is it an Overlander tradition?"
"Sorta," Gregor answered with a slight shrug. She was not quite nailing the spot.
"The one where you sacrifice humans to your gods?" Luxa asked innocently.
"Good God, of course not!" Gregor exclaimed in shock, "Where the hell did you even get that idea from?"
"I was just guessing," Luxa replied sheepishly.
Gregor then explained, "Back in the Overland we still have Christianity. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday."
"And this Jee… Jezy… Jezass is your… god?" Luxa asked as she struggled to pronounce the name.
"Jesus," Gregor corrected her, "And it's a big deal. Whether you're a Christian or not, we always celebrate Christmas. It really gives a feeling of hope. I bet Vikus would have loved the Christmas atmosphere."
"I agree," Luxa mumbled sadly, "It sounds like he would have enjoyed it if he was still around."
Uh oh. Gregor needed to change the topic quickly. There was no telling how far south things could go if they allowed this conversation to flow on. "Anyway," he quickly spoke up, clearing his throat awkwardly, "I was just wondering if you'd like to celebrate Christmas with the rest of your people. I think now would be a good time to spread the feeling of hope."
Luxa's eyes lit up instantly. "That's a… good idea," she chimed, "But… you do realise that we do not celebrate Christmas here."
"But you can make it a tradition," Gregor pointed out, "Trust me, it's going to be good fun."
Luxa slowly broke out into a smile. "What do we have to do to get things started?" she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.
That was a good question. There weren't trees or electricity in the Underland, so how were they going to get the Christmas lights and trees set up? No they couldn't do that. They needed to find another way. Gregor himself slowly began to grin. "I have an idea…"
"This is a really bad idea," Howard grumbled as he nervously shifted about from foot to foot in his Santa Claus costume. Gregor and Luxa had been able to assemble all the necessary clothing for the costume in a relatively short time. The spiders had even been able to spin a silk beard for a reluctant Howard to wear.
And yes, they roped in Howard to play Santa Claus. Gregor was amazed that Howard had even agreed to do this job. He must have thought he was going to dress up as some kind of grim reaper. Gregor had to strain against his natural instinct to burst out into laughter at Howard's appearance.
"You look absolutely fine," Gregor told Howard, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.
Howard stared at himself in the mirror for a while and observed his appearance. "I think this does look impressive," he remarked to himself unconvincingly.
Gregor had to turn around to stop Howard from seeing him stifle his laughter. "Is Santa Claus always an old man?" Howard asked as he stroked his silk beard.
"Yes he is," Gregor responded, putting in a Herculean effort to prevent a grin from spreading out over his face, "I don't think I've ever seen a young Santa Claus."
"And this… Santa Claus… rides into battle with this… rain… reindeer of his?" Howard inquired as he now fiddled with his sleeves.
"What's with Underlanders and battle?" Gregor sighed in slight exasperation, "Of course not! Santa Claus doesn't go into battle, like, at all. He's supposed to advocate for peace instead of encouraging war. He gives presents to all the little kids for Christmas so that he can make everybody happy. And that's what you're going to do today."
"I thought he was just a legend," Howard recalled as he returned to stroking his beard.
"He is," Gregor explained patiently, "It's just that we tell the kids that he is real and that they have to behave well or he won't give them presents."
"The Overland is certainly a peculiar place," Howard commented with a look of unadulterated amusement.
"Speak for yourself," Gregor quipped back, "At least Santa Claus likes kids there and treats them well."
Howard's eyes widened in alarm. "If Santa Claus existed here, he would most certainly be arrested," Howard said in disapproval.
"What the hell are you even talking about?" Gregor asked in utter bewilderment, and then suddenly what Howard was referring to dawned on him, "Oh… Oh I see what you mean now… He's not like that, you've got the wrong impression…"
"Gregor," Howard declared, "I am most certainly not going to pretend to be a…"
"He is not! He is not fond of children in… that way!" Gregor exclaimed, "Santa Claus is just a nice guy."
Howard eyed Gregor suspiciously and said, "He better not be. Where is Luxa anyway?"
"She's giving a speech to the people about Christmas," Gregor informed him, "She's telling them about the new tradition and the enjoyment they can have during this time. We're just planning a small celebration this year, but it'll get bigger as each year passes. Sounds pretty cool that you'll have something else to celebrate now, huh?"
"Mmm," Howard grunted as he resumed an intense scrutiny of himself in the mirror, "I wonder what Dulcet will think of how I look."
"What does Dulcet have to do with any of this?" Gregor snorted, before he realised what Howard was implying, "Wait, Howard… You can't possibly… Oh man this is so messed up…"
"NO!" Howard reacted voraciously, "That is NOT what I'm saying."
"Then what ARE you saying?" Gregor shot back.
Howard looked completely stumped. Gregor had to resist the urge to break out into laughter again as Howard's face blushed a bright red, which matched the colour of his costume brilliantly.
But his blushes were saved when Hazard poked his head in and said, "The crowd is starting to get really excited and out of hand. Whatever it is you want Howard to do, he better do it soon."
"Has Luxa taught them how to sing 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' yet?" Gregor questioned Hazard.
"Yes she has," Hazard confirmed, before adding with a smile, "I must say, it is a rather catchy tune and the Regalians love it."
"That's good to hear," Gregor said with a sigh of contentment, "Now I have to teach Luxa how to sing Jingle Bells."
"Jingle… Balls?" Howard asked incredulously.
"Damn it Howard, it's Jingle Bells," Gregor sighed again, this time in exasperation, "It's a really nice song. Anyway, the presents have all been loaded on the platform. A couple of gnawers and humans will push the platform around the city and you can just toss the presents around. Oh and don't forget to say, 'Ho ho ho' and 'Merry Christmas!' Is that ok?"
"I can do that," Howard said indignantly as he trudged out of the room in the ridiculously large black boots he was wearing.
"We'll talk about Dulcet later, right?" Gregor called out.
Howard shot him a glare before closing the door behind him. Man, this was going to be one awesome Christmas.
"Why are people slaying each other in the open?' Luxa asked concernedly, "I thought there was no human sacrifice during Christmas."
"Luxa," Gregor said as patiently as possible, "The sleigh is like a vehicle. It's spelt differently from the other slay."
"And what exactly is a horse?" Luxa pushed on.
"It is a very big animal. Bigger than a gnawer but smaller than a schemer. Actually, they're pretty close in size but I'm not sure. Look, it doesn't really matter Lux. Just enjoy the tune," Grego responded, accidentally letting slip his impatience into his words.
Luckily for him, Luxa didn't seem to notice. "I'll tell Hazard to teach them how to sing that later. Howard is still in the midst of throwing the presents to all the little children," she told Gregor with a giggle.
Gregor grinned as well. He wondered how embarrassed Howard must be dressing up like an old man in front of Dulcet. Howard was not going to hear the end of this.
Luxa's words interrupted his thoughts. "What's Christmas like up in the Overland, Gregor?" she asked softly.
Gregor's heart felt like it had just cracked into two. Luxa would have looked so beautiful as the snow fell down on her gently, creating a scene right out of a fairy tale. But snow was out of the question. They couldn't leave the Underland to go to the Overland, unless…
"Lux, what do you think about sneaking out like we did back in the good old days?"
As they made their way through the tunnel, Gregor could feel a cold draught slowly making his hair stand on end. He was able to convince Luxa to wear layers of clothes to prevent the harsh cold from freezing her, but he had stupidly ignored his own advice and chosen to go up there just wearing his Underland clothes. He didn't even know if this journey was worth the trip. For all he knew, there would be no snow up in New York, depending on how the weather was like.
Before long, he found himself at the rock. The rock which his father had put in place to seal the off Luxa from him. That fateful rock which had inflicted nine long and trying years of misery on him. He remembered the bitter pain of kissing Luxa goodbye, thinking that was the last time he would ever lay eyes on her beautiful features. He felt that same emotional pain beginning to flood back into his heart as his hands rested on the rock. "This is where I will think of you."
Luxa's words still pierced his heart as he felt sheer agony overwhelm his heart. Holding back the tears which had begun to well up in his eyes, he shifted the rock aside and got out of the tunnel and into Central Park. Gregor didn't recognise his surroundings initially, but then realised that Central Park had been renovated. That was why he hadn't been able to find the stone in the first place.
As he looked down at Luxa, a fresh wave of pain slammed into him. This was what it was like. She was staring at the moon in New York's sky for the first time while saying goodbye to Gregor for what was possibly the last time. Gregor, meanwhile, was staring down at her as he felt the despair of having to let her go. He never did let her go from his heart.
So now, in what felt a little like deja vu, Gregor reached out with his hand. She grasped his hand and he pulled her out into the chilly air of New York City.
"Gregor," she whispered, "It's beautiful."
The snow was falling down heavily in New York City as the lights shone brilliantly on this crisp Christmas night. The Christmas lights were decorated in absolutely magnificent fashion, invoking the same feeling of warmth and happiness that Gregor had been waiting for a very long time. Except on this occasion, he was staring at all this beauty with someone he loved.
As he gazed at Luxa, he realised she was even more beautiful than he imagined her to be in all this snow. The soft, white crystal flakes contrasted stunningly with her pale cheeks and purple eyes. Just then, he heard the tune of Jingle Bells in the distance.
Gregor leaned forward and gave Luxa the most loving kiss he could ever give her as his held her hand tightly.
Best. Christmas. Ever.
I am the first to admit I am not that great with all the "lovey dovey" stuff and all the fluff that can be found in Christmas specials for the Underland Chronicles. if anything, I favour the gritty and dark story telling that many of you have become accustomed to in my stories. but I hope you enjoyed this short story. If possible, I will write a Christmas special every year for the next couple of years, so I guess that, in a way, there is more to come and much more room for improvement.
On a closing note, I won't talk about my upcoming story or whether I want reviews for this story. I'm going to talk about Christmas. Most of Gregor's feelings about Christmas are an actual description about my own personal feelings about it. I am a Christian, but I'll be putting my religious beliefs aside for this part.
To me, Christmas is more than just a season of celebration. It's a season of hope. It's a time when families can rejoice in their unity together, where couples can share their love together, and where children can sit next to the Christmas tree as they pray desperately for Santa to come and give them their presents. I am fully aware that the experience of Christmas is different for everybody and that to some people, it is just a meaningless celebration. Well, to everybody who thinks that way I say this. Christmas is only meaningless if you make it meaningless. Go out there and spread the Christmas joy to others, whether it's helping out the poor or caring for those who don't have the same opportunity to enjoy Christmas like you do. Then you'll find that the spirit of Christmas is truly something unique and indescribable, no matter what religious belief you subscribe to.
It has truly been an honour trying to make your Christmas a better one. Spread cheer to all during this Christmas period and I'm sure it will be nothing short of magical.
Have a very merry Christmas everyone.
Vengeous