TWF: Ho, ho, ho! …did I sound it right? It's like as if I just called a-
Fen: You're fine man. Anyways, what's up everybody?! Fen and Fang here to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
TWF: Man, this shirt is stuffy… and I had to tie a pillow on my stomach, just to wear this clothes… o.o
Fen: Not to mention the beard and the hat.
TWF: *looks at Fen* And why are you wearing girl's clothing? Crossdressing much? lol
Fen: Huh? *looks down* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What the heck?! *quickly changes into Santa outfit* Ahhhhhh… Much better.
TWF: Good thing I had your pic in my phone! Just one button and everyone in the world would witness your true self! XD
Fen: NO! I DON'T ROLL THAT WAY! C'mon man, it's Christmas… Don't do this to me… T_T
TWF: I kid, I kid… maybe? troll face
Fen: :'(
TWF: Anyways, here we go!
Fen: Oi! C'mon! Seriously though…
Disclaimer: Same thing.
Note: This takes place months before the events of Awakening of Kiva: Twist of Fate
"Daddy! Mommy! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Mmmmmmmm…" I groaned. "Five more minutes…"
"Girls, we're trying to sleep…" Cordelia said.
"But you gotta wake up! It's snowing! It's snowing!"
"Snowing…?" I mumbled.
"It's snowing! It's snowing!" Serena and Morgana chirped happily. Cordelia sat up from her bed and looked outside.
"Oh heavens…" she gasped, "Kurogasa, you should wake up…"
"Come on, Cordelia… today's my day off…" I grumbled. "There's no way Plegia's covered in snow. Not when it's literally a hot oven…"
"But a miracle happened…" Cordelia added. "It is snowing."
"Eh?" I said before I managed to sit up rubbing my eyes and when I looked out the window, "WHOA!"
"See? We told you!" Morgana said excited.
"Well whaddya know?" I said in disbelief as we all went up to the window and saw that the whole kingdom of Plegia was being covered by snow. "You girls were right."
"Yay~!" both Morgana and Serena cheered happily.
"Quiet down, girls. Your little brother is still asleep." Cordelia said softly, making them hush up.
"Gwampa~! Gwanma~!" A door opened up, revealing Louise with her favorite teddy bear in her arms, happily running towards us. "It's snowing!"
"Yes Louise, you're right." Cordelia giggled carrying Louise into her arms, to have her look at the snow gently falling.
"My, my, will you look at that." Kaa–san said as she and Dad entered the room with Severa and Owain.
"What a sight to behold! Plegia is covered in snow!" Owain said.
"A rare occurrence, one must say." Father noted.
"And fortunately for us, the whole family is here." Cordelia said.
"Morgan and Kan'shou included?" I asked.
"Yes, of course." she smiled. "She gave birth to Masao, remember? She still needs to rest for another month before she can leave and head back to Chon'sin. The maiden also said that after the second month of her three–month recovery, she should try getting back to her usual energetic self by walking around."
"And Morgan would complain about not being able to move in her room, too." Kaa–san pointed out.
"That's true." I chuckled.
"So, what should we do for today Daddy?" Severa asked.
"Hmmmmmmmm…" I pondered, before looking at my nightstand and saw the calendar. It was December and there's only a week before Christmas! Awesome! I know just what to do! "I know what to do! We'll invite all our friends here to the castle for a Christmas party!" I grinned.
…
…
…
…
My family looked at me strangely before they all said, "What's Christmas?"
That caused me to fall down anime style.
"Oh, come on! Really?!" I gawked.
"This is the first time I've heard of this… 'Christmas'." Father pointed out.
"Why Christmas?" Owain asked. "I thought it was Holy Winter Day."
"Holy Winter Day? Not Christmas?" I blinked. I saw them shake their heads, making me sigh. "So what's this Holy Winter Day all about?"
"Every year, we celebrate Holy Winter with much festivity, back in my home." Cordelia explained. "Family members gather and celebrate together, exchanging gifts to one another or to someone they like as an appreciation for all the things they have given us throughout the year."
"Oh… ok. Phew…" I sighed in relief.
"Is something wrong?" Kaa–san asked.
"No, no," I waved off. "It's just that back in my world, we call it Christmas. And it's exactly what Cordelia explained."
"Ah, is that so? No wonder this new word confused us!" Owain said theatrically.
"Daddy! Daddy! I want to build a snowman with you!" Serena said while holding my hand.
"No! Daddy's with me!" Morgana argued while holding my other hand.
"Gwampa with me!" Louise puffed her cheeks, hugging me for dear life.
"Looks like his Fangire pheromone got the best of him…" Kaa–san giggled, as my daughters and granddaughter had a staring contest on who gets me to help them build a snowman.
"Later girls, there's not even enough snow yet. It just started falling." I said.
"Oh…" the girls said disappointed.
"But hey, we can do something else. We can go find a Christmas tree for the castle and decorate it. How's that?"
"Christmas tree?" My family asked confused.
"Hehhh… let me guess, you've never seen a Christmas tree before." I sighed.
"My son, despite you making Plegia into the green luscious country it is now, you do know that Plegia doesn't have a lot of trees, yes?" Father said.
"Huh… might as well ask some of our friends for help since I don't know how to explain it." I pondered.
"And how in the world are you going to get a tree, Daddy?" Severa deadpanned with doubt.
"Ehehe…" I sweat dropped with a nervous laugh.
"Did someone say Christmas tree?" A voice said. We all turned to see Saigo leaning against the doorway.
"Saigo?" I blinked.
"I heard everything, and I think I can solve your tree problem."
"When did you get here?" I asked.
"Hey, Emm, Athena, and I are living in the castle, remember? Besides, we do need a place to crash and our daughter needs a playmate her age, too." Saigo explained.
"Oh…" I blinked. I forgot that he's been living with us in Castle Plegia as my advisor.
"There is a tree where it can withstand even the harshest of snowstorms." Emmeryn entered, holding Alice in her arms before gently placing her on the ground. "And Regna Ferox has such trees since the country is always covered in snow."
"That's true. Their trees can withstand anything." I said.
"Great! I'll get Mother Sagark and have her take me there fast. Meanwhile, you can send out the invitations, and the family can make some Christmas ornaments. I'm sure Anna can help you out on that." Saigo grinned.
"Okay, thanks man." I nodded with a smile.
"Alright, Alice. Be nice to Mommy while Daddy is getting a tree, okay?" Saigo said to Alice.
"Ha~i!" Alice chirped absentmindedly. "Alice will be a good girl, Daddy~!"
"I'm sure you will." he smiled before landing a peck on her forehead. After that, he looked at his wife and gave her a quick peck on her lips. "I'll see you later, Emm."
"Stay safe, Saigo." Emm said with a motherly smile before he took his leave.
"Should we be writing letters to the Shepherds?" Father asked. "If we do, it might take some time before the letters reach them."
"And it will take at least five days for Castle Doran to gather all the Shepherds under one roof." Kaa–san added.
"Hm… this is gonna take a while…" I said.
"But I'm certain you would do fine, Kurogasa." Cordelia stated.
"Daddy! Daddy! I wanna see Onee–chan with her baby!" Serena chirped happily.
"I'm surprised that my little brother's still asleep from all the shouting…" Severa deadpanned, seemingly surprised.
"Ehehehehehehe…" I laughed sheepishly.
So with that, preparations for the Christmas party began. While Saigo went to get the tree, and the servants and maids went to decorate the castle, my family, along with Morgan, Kan'shou, and Masao flew all over the place to personally invite the Shepherds and Riders to the Christmas party.
First stop, was Wyvern Valley, home of the Ryders, where Storm, Cherche, Gerome, and Lucina reside along with Andy, Elie, and Marth.
"Yo Storm!" I waved as Cordelia and I along with Kivat approached, after getting out of Castle Doran. The whole Ryder family was out to see us, including Kivat II.
"Hey buddy!" Storm greeted. "Fancy seeing you guys all the way out here."
"Quite a rare occasion…" Gerome said.
"Really?" Andy asked looking at him.
"Yes, Andy." Lucina nodded. "Ever since the war ended, everyone's busy with their daily lives."
"Mommy, Elie feeling sleepy…" Elie yawned cutely.
"Alright, my sweet." Cherche smiled as she carried her youngest daughter in her arms and Elie leaned on her shoulders, closing her eyes. "Forgive my daughter, everyone. She can be sleepy during the winter, especially since Holy Winter Day is approaching. She isn't used to cold days, is all."
"Actually, that's what we came here for." I said.
"Oh?" Kivat II raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yep! Aibou's throwing a Christmas party for the Shepherds!" Kivat chirped.
"Really?! Awesome! Count us in!" Storm said excited.
However, all of the Ryder family minus Storm, Elie, and Kivat II, titled their heads saying, "What's Christmas?"
That caused Storm to fall down anime style.
"Cherche, didn't we talk about this before?" Storm asked.
"It must have slipped my mind, love…" Cherche said.
"What's the point, anyways? If Holy Winter Day is equivalent to this… Christmas, it's still the same…" Gerome deducted.
"Mommy, what's Christmas?" Marth asked Lucina.
"It's much like Holy Winter Day sweetie." Lucina smiled.
"Oh… ok!" Marth chirped.
"Trust me Storm, my family was like that too when I said the word Christmas." I said.
"This new word confused us, so it's a given…" Cordelia added.
"So much for the Christmas spirit…" Storm deadpanned.
"This Christmas person has a spirit?" Lucina blinked, taking his joke too seriously.
"Um… not really…" Storm sweat dropped.
"Well anyways, I take that as a yes?" I asked.
"Heck yeah it does!" Storm said back with his normal attitude, "So when do we leave?"
"Now."
"Now?" the Ryder family blinked, minus the sleeping Elie and blinking Marth.
"Minervykins is still at home, sleeping. We can't just leave her." Andy began. "And so is brother's."
"So we bring them along." I said.
"Well, you're going to have to wait until both Minervas' wake up." Gerome sighed.
"And that usually takes a while." Storm sweat dropped.
"Man that sucks…" I grumbled.
"What can we do? We can't control them. They have emotions too." Storm replied.
"How about all of you come to our house? We can prepare you warm Rosanne tea." Cherche said. "At the same time, I can let Elie take a warm nap."
"And we can invite Virion and his family too, since they're Shepherds." Lucina suggested.
"I guess, but what about going off to invite the others?" I asked.
"Not to worry, us Kivats can handle it." Kivat II said. "My son, grandson, and I can go."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. We Kivats can travel long distances for days without pause. It is nothing to us."
"Well… alright then." I nodded hesitantly. "But be careful."
"Aibou, this is Kivat here! Nothin' can stop us that easily!" Kivat boasted before the two flew away, to get Kibat in Castle Doran so they can head off.
"Kurogasa, I think we should at least personally invite the Rider families." Cordelia suggested. "It doesn't take too long for that and the Kivats can take care of the rest."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I shrugged. "Okay then, after this, we'll head over to Akane–chan's, Aqua–chan's, and Nee–san's place."
"Sweet!" Storm perked up.
"Aunty Tiki!" Marth said excitedly, getting Lucina's attention.
"Of course." Lucina recalled. "Lady Tiki's place is also nearby, yes? We should pay her a visit too. Who knows? Maybe Say'ri and Yen'fay are there for the blessings of the pilgrims."
"Okay, we can do that." I nodded.
So after staying with the Ryders to have tea, the Minervas waking up a few hours later, and picking up Tiki, Say'ri, and Yen'fay, we headed off to the orphanage where Akane–chan's family were.
"Hey, knock it off!" Apollo exclaimed, getting bombarded with snowballs, while the children were having a good time. "Bakuya, a little help here!"
"Gomen ne, anata." she apologized, as Mai'yu snuggled up close to her mother in thick clothes. "Mai'yu doesn't want to leave anytime soon. She's too shy to play with the others…"
"Bakuya!" Kan'shou called out from afar, getting the twin's attention.
"Nii–san?" Bakuya blinked.
"Well this is a surprise," Libra noticed as he and Akane–chan with Kiva–la approached, and Cordelia, Kan'shou, and I approached them.
"Hey Kuro! What's up?!" Akane–chan chirped.
"Just wanna visit ya." I told her as both of us hugged each other.
"How're your kids comin' along?" Akane–chan asked.
"They couldn't let me go…" I chuckled. "And you?"
"See for yourself." Akane–chan jabbed her thumb to the back, pointing at Apollo being dragged around by orphans.
"The children are too excited to play with him, especially during Holy Winter Day." Libra said.
"It can't be helped. They're having a wonderful time." another female voice said, as we noticed Elena, approaching in her casual clothes, if not, slightly thick. "How nice to meet you again, my King. I hope my husband has served you well, commanding two countries at one time?"
"It's pretty hard to take control of Plegia and the Fangire kingdom at one time, but I'll scrape through with their help… and my wife." I said, only to have Cordelia giggle.
"And yourself, milady? I thought you are at Erignaf after the war was over." Cordelia noticed.
"After the Fangire Peace Accords made by your husband, Ursor decided to move the orphanage to Ylisse, where we can always help out Libra and Akane. The children of mixed blood were more than happy and everyone enjoys the peace and tranquility. But not to worry, the old orphanage is still being run by the other members of Erignaf. It's been our dream to establish another one outside of Erignaf."
"I see." I nodded. "Anyways, I came by to tell you all that I'm having a Christmas party over at Castle Plegia and everyone's invited."
"A Christmas party?!" Akane–chan asked excited, jumping up and down.
"Ara, how exciti~ng!" Kiva–la cooed.
"Akane?" Libra asked getting her attention. "What is this 'Christmas' Kurogasa speaks of?"
That made Akane–chan fall down anime style. Seriously, what is it with us Riders falling down anime style every time they don't know anything about Christmas?
"Mou~ you don't know anything about Christmas?!" Akane–chan asked in disbelief after she got up.
"Forgive me, love, but it is foreign to me." Libra apologized.
"Aye, it is." Bakuya nodded while carrying Mai'yu.
"…" Mai'yu looked at us before burying her face in Bakuya's shoulder, feeling scared and shy.
"Gomen ne, Mai'yu is still shy," Bakuya apologized.
"It's okay," Cordelia assured.
"Anyways, to answer your question Libra, Christmas is basically my world's equivalent to your Holy Winter Day." I explained.
"I see. No wonder why Akane was so excited…" Libra smiled, somehow making Akane–chan slightly blush. "No wonder her childish side came out."
"L–Libra!" Akane–chan exclaimed.
"If it is alright with you, we would love to bring the orphans for the party at your place." Libra proposed. "If it isn't much of a bother to you, Kurogasa. We understand if you are unable to do that."
"No, it's okay. I'm inviting everyone." I said.
"Yatta! Christmas party here we come!" Akane–chan cheered.
"Yeah, but first, let's stop by Aqua–chan's and Nee–san's place." I said.
"One, two, three~!" Nee–san said, happily holding little Tommy up high in the air with her arms. The toddler giggled happily before she lowered him down and held the toddler close to her.
"Little brother happy!" Danny said happily.
"That's right." Daniel nodded.
"Your mother did the same thing to you when you were just a toddler, young man." Frederick said.
"Really, Father?" Danny asked with glee, making Daniel chuckle.
"Ha~i!" Athena nodded absentmindedly, changing Jenny's diaper and tickling the child's stomach gently. Jenny smiled while wiggling happily. "Your mommy does tha~t."
Just then, they heard a familiar dragon roar.
"Ara…" Nee–san noticed.
"Ahhhhh, mitte, mitte~! It's Castle Dora~n!" Athena said pointing at Castle Doran approaching.
"Brother–in–law is here to pay us a visit." Frederick said.
"Ara, that's just like otouto." Nee–san smiled.
"But we didn't prepare any presents yet…" Daniel noticed.
"Oh not to worry, it will be in time for Christmas." Nee–san said.
"Christmas?" Frederick and Daniel asked confused.
"Ara? You don't know what that is?" Nee–san asked, tilting her head with a big imaginary question mark above her head.
"Forgive me, beloved. But the only thing I know that involves winter would be Holy Winter Day." Frederick explained.
"Yes, Mother. This is the first time I've heard such a word." Daniel explained.
"Ara, I guess there's going to be some explaining, ne?" Nee–san said. Just before she can tell them what it was, Athena noticed me exiting Doran's mouth.
"Ara~! They're here, Mother~!" Athena said absentmindedly while holding Jenny.
"Ara, otouto!" Nee–san chirped as she gently passed Tommy to Frederick while I approached her.
"Konnichiwa, Nee–san," I smiled before giving her a hug, which she returned.
"It's so nice of you to visit." Nee–san said.
"Yeah, but there's something I want to talk to you about."
"Okay" Nee–san said, as she backed off a bit, still keeping her embrace around me. "But before that…"
"Eh?" I blinked.
"It's been a while since I've done this…" she smiled as she leaned forward and planted a sisterly kiss on my forehead. As she backed off, I blushed slightly. No matter how many times she does that, it would always bring warmth to my body and our bond as siblings remained strong. "Did you miss that kiss, dear?"
"Hehehe… yeah, I did." I chuckled, making Nee–san giggle.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.
"Well, to be brief, I want to invite you and the family to a Christmas party I'm hosting at Castle Plegia."
"A Christmas party?" Frederick repeated.
"It's a party that's similar to Holy Winter, only on a grand scale." I explained. "I found out about it when Cordelia explained to me what Holy Winter was."
"Is that so?" Daniel pondered. "It's the same custom as ours, only the term is different. Am I correct, Uncle?"
"Yeah, you're right." I nodded.
"No wonder why we were confused with the word." Frederick said.
"Ara, we'd be delighted to come." Nee–san nodded happily, clapping her hands once while tilting her head to the side.
"Ya~y! Party~!" Athena cheered randomly.
"Someone's happy." I chuckled.
"She just misses reuniting with the Shepherds, Uncle." Daniel said.
"When will we depart, dear?" Nee–san asked.
"And should we invite milord Chrom and his family too?" Frederick suggested. "He is your relative, is he not?"
"Not to worry, the Kivats are already on it, gathering the other Shepherds." I waved off.
"I see." Frederick stated.
"Alrighty, all aboard! Last stop: Aqua–chan's place!"
"Kaa–chan! Kaa–chan!" both Rua and Ruka exclaimed happily, as Aqua–chan smiled at her twins.
"What is it?" Aqua–chan said.
"When is Tou–chan coming home?" they asked.
"Once his errand is done, Tou–chan will come home." she told them. "And aren't you two supposed to be taking a nap?"
"Not sleepy!" the twins giggled.
"Well, when I catch both of you, I'm going to tickle you!" Aqua–chan said playfully, making the young twins run away from her happily.
"Hm… It was difficult to do, but I managed to finish…" Lon'qu said as he headed back to his home. Just before turning a corner, he noticed me and the older twins behind me. "Kurogasa. Kan'shou. Bakuya."
"Yo." I waved.
"Konnichiwa, Tou–san." The older twins greeted.
"What are you doing here?" Lon'qu asked.
"We're just about to invite you and your family to Castle Plegia." I replied.
"For what reason?" he asked.
"A Christmas party!" I said, leaving him confused.
"Holy Winter Day, Tou–san." Bakuya translated.
"Ah, I see." Lon'qu understood.
"Kurogasa? Bakuya? Kan'shou?" Aqua–chan noticed, and the younger twins noticed us too.
"Tou–chan's home!" Rua and Ruka cheered before they ran over to their father for a big hug. "Yay~!"
"Heh… lively as always." Lon'qu scoffed good–naturedly, patting their heads happily.
"That's because of the tickles I gave them." Aqua–chan added.
The younger twins shifted their attention to the older selves, squealing happily, "Onii–chan! Onee–chan!"
"Konnichiwa." Bakuya smiled as her left arm moved to the back, bringing out another figure hiding behind her legs.
"Mai'yu–chan!" both of them said.
"Mai'yu, you're looking healthy today." Aqua–chan smiled.
"Baa–chan!" Mai'yu recognized as she quickly sprinted off from her hiding place and into Aqua–chan's arms.
"Always energetic when you see me." Aqua–chan giggled picking up Mai'yu into her arms.
"Kurogasa invited us to a party he's hosting." Lon'qu said to his wife.
"A party?" Aqua–chan blinked.
"A Christmas party to be exact!" I grinned widely.
"Baa–chan come to party?" Mai'yu asked cutely. "Make Mai'yu feel happy?"
"Hai. We can go." Aqua–chan smiled.
"Did someone say party?!" A booming voice asked. All of us turned to see Basilio and Flavia approach us.
"Basilio? Flavia?" I blinked surprised.
"Hey there, kiddies!" Basilio exclaimed.
"I heard someone say party." Flavia said.
"Yeah. What about it?" I replied.
"You do know the party ain't gonna be lively without me and this oaf right here, right?" Flavia pointed out.
"Heh, do you even need to ask?" I scoffed good–naturedly.
"Then it's settled! We're partying!" Basilio cheered.
"Ya~y!" The kids cheered too.
"Does that mean everyone's there, Kurogasa?" Aqua–chan asked.
"Yep, everyone is staying at Castle Doran." I told her.
"Tired of traveling, huh?" she teased.
"Oi, I'm not that old." I smirked.
"I know that," She smiled.
"Alright, let's head back to Castle Plegia!" I said.
Now that we have all the Rider families with us, plus friends and relatives, we flew back to Castle Plegia on Doran and by the time we arrived and got out of Castle Doran, the city had more snow than ever.
"Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, it's f–freezing." Severa stuttered.
"Goodness, there's more snow. There wasn't much when we left." Cordelia said surprised.
"I wonder if Saigo's back." Storm commented.
"Yes, from what I heard from Cordelia, you gave him the task of finding a tree in Regna Ferox, right?" Cherche added.
"And Emmeryn and her daughter are in Castle Plegia, helping the maids with the decoration ne?" Nee–san added.
"I wonder how she decorated the place." Akane–chan pondered. "I hope it's nothing like that royal stuff in London, we used to watch on TV."
"I'm sure it's going to be nice all the same," I said.
"We still need to make the ornaments for the tree too." Cordelia reminded.
"Yeah, let's do that!" Akane–chan chirped. "And then we can bake cookies, wrap up gifts, sing songs, bake more cookies, and–"
"Akane–chan, calm down." I said holding her shoulders to stop her hyperactive self. "I know you're excited, but gotta calm down. Remember what happened last time back in our old world when the Kamen Rider club members had a Christmas party at your house? You got so hyper on the cookies, Akira couldn't control you. And it took him, Storm, and me to calm you down."
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" she pouted.
"Come now, love. I know you're excited about baking cookies and such for the others, but you should know there are many people that would gladly help you." Libra said. "And doing it with everyone would make things interesting and fun."
"Hm~…" she pondered before hugging his arm, "Well, as long as you're around, I don't mind at all, Libra!"
"Cherche and I will help as well." Elena said. "We might help the other maids prepare other meals for the feast."
"I'd love to help!" Cherche said delighted.
"Great! And all the little kids and I can come with me and help Anna make the Christmas ornaments for the tree!" I said.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" The little kids and orphans cheered. Well… minus the quiet ones like Andy and Mai'yu.
"Andy, is there anything you want to do?" Storm asked.
"I would like to stay with Minervykins, Father." Andy replied back.
"And what about Mai'yu?" Storm said, as the little one quickly hid behind Bakuya.
"A–Ano…" Mai'yu said shyly.
"If you want, you can help me bake cookies with your Baa–chan." Bakuya smiled.
"Hontou ni?" Mai'yu asked.
"Aye. If we work together, it would be good, too." Bakuya said.
"Besides, I do need a little help." Aqua–chan played along. "And of course, my granddaughter would be fit for helping me out."
This made Mai'yu's face brighten instantly. "Hai!"
"Alrighty then! Kids come with me!" I called out. "We're making ornaments!"
"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The kids cheered.
"Fuh~! This isn't easy when it comes to finding the right one…" Saigo said, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"INEKNWRQ?" Mother Sagark asked.
"Yeah, for the party. If you guys want, you can join in too. I bet they have tons of food over there to share." Saigo kneeled down and pat her head.
"EZEGEVDNQKRBFGEJDGDJ." Mother Sagark said.
"Oh don't worry, I'm sure all of you could fit in the castle." Saigo said.
"AHDHFKWGRN?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"JIWJPN!" Mother Sagark perked up.
"Alrighty, let's head back home!" Saigo smiled widely. "I bet my daughter and wife will be the first one to find this tree I brought in. It'll be a surprise too!"
"Wohoo~!" Akane chirped happily, tossing the large dough in the air, to make her favorite pizza. It was also well accepted by the orphans and seeing her husband smile made Akane more excited than ever.
"Mama looks great!" Perseus chirped.
"Indeed, she is." Libra smiled. He then felt a small tug on his shirt, making him looking down. "Felghana?"
"Papa… poopy." Felghana said as she was holding it in.
"Oh dear…" Libra murmured. "Okay, let's go sweetie," Libra said before quickly carrying Felghana to the nearest restroom.
"Okaa–sama is having fun ne?" Bakuya said to Melissa.
"Hai, she's always like this, when it comes to cooking." Melissa smiled.
"I didn't know…" Bakuya added, looking at Akane again.
"Things were different before we set foot into this world." Melissa said. "Everyone had personal issues that were hard to accept."
"Such as my Kaa–san being unable to smile?" Bakuya said while looking back at the table, cutting the cookie dough with a round cutter.
"That's right, dear." Melissa nodded. "And now, look at her. I've never seen such a wonderful smile during our time in our old world…"
Bakuya looked at her mother, where Mai'yu was helping her. Mai'yu accidentally dropped too much flour off from the bowl and onto the table instead. Of course, this would get Aqua's attention while Mai'yu suddenly felt nervous when she saw her. "G–Gomen ne, B–Baa–chan! Mai'yu made a mess…"
"Don't worry…" Aqua said calmly, smiling at her granddaughter to ease her nervousness. "I can clean it up later. Why don't you help me decorate these cookies? It's fun if we do it together."
Mai'yu smiled brightly at that, "Hai!"
"Okay kids! I got the supplies for the ornaments!" Anna chirped as she was carrying a very huge box. And Like a wild stampede, all of them rushed towards her, making Anna panic. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!"
"Looks like she has got her hands full." Cordelia giggled. "The kids' curiosity are at its best."
"You betcha on that." I chuckled as I passed the long streamer to her so she could tie it up at a certain height while I held the ladder on the ground; behind her. It's to make sure she didn't fall down from that height. Truth be told, most of the maids were surprised to see Cordelia do the work where as a queen, she should've just let them do their job. But knowing her, she cares for perfection most of the time and is willing to get her hands dirty to accomplish that rather than sit idly in one spot.
"Kurogasa?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't try to peek under my skirt." she teased with a slight giggle, making me realize that she was in her usual clothes, which was a blue blouse with a red scarf around her neck, wearing a black skirt that covered up to her thighs and above her knees while wearing white medieval slippers.
"O–Oi!" I stammered.
"Hehehehehehe." Cordelia giggled.
"You know I don't do that in public." I pouted.
"Of course you don't." she giggled. "You're you, after all."
"But the way you're teasing me. It's as if you're tempting me to…"
"It can't be helped. I just wanted to see your face when I tease you like that."
"Heh, let's see what happens when I do this." I smirked, holding the ladder.
"Hm?" Cordelia said confused after she finished tying up the streamer. With a little shake, she slowly lost her balance, and just like that… "Waaahhh!"
"Gotcha!" I said, catching my wife bridal style.
"K–Kurogasa, that was dangerous!" she exclaimed.
"Not dangerous. It's a controlled fall." I corrected. "I learned it from Miriel and used it to my advantage. As long as you're in a right position, with the right amount of force, anything is possible."
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…" Cordelia frowned, with narrowed eyes.
"Consider us being even," I smirked.
"Hey, hey, hey! Looks who's back?!" Saigo's voice called out.
"Saigo!" I exclaimed, noticing him with his grin while Mother Sagark dragged the tree to the center of the castle.
"What's shakin'?" he asked. Then he noticed something else. "And what are you two doin'?"
"Just joking around with my wife after she teased me."
"Really? Or is it that you just wanna play around with your wife?" he chuckled. "Get a room, you two!"
"Hey!" We snapped with a blush.
"Just joking, just joking." Saigo waved off. "Though, not by much."
"Saigo~?" I growled threateningly.
"Well, whatever you two wanna do, don't let anyone know." he said cheekily before leaving the both of us.
"That Saigo… still having time to tease us…" Cordelia said.
"He's just being himself." I replied. "I bet Ursor would say the same thing too, if he saw us like this."
"Indeed." she nodded slightly. "Kurogasa?"
"Yes?"
"How long are you going to hold me?" she asked, still blushing slightly. "It's going to be embarrassing if anyone saw us like this."
"Why? Can't I hold you longer?" I teased. "You're pretty light in my arms and I'm kinda enjoying this."
"Oh?" she smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Does that include when I was pregnant with Kyoshiro?" she countered.
"Um…" I trailed off.
"That's what I thought." Cordelia smirked.
Dang it, you're not playing fair!
"Ugh… seriously, you two!" an angry voice said, and we saw Severa who groaned at us. "Can't you two do that anywhere else but here?!"
"Severa!" both of us shouted.
"Most of the preparations are done, Father!" Morgan smiled. "All that's left is the tree decoration and helping out in the kitchen! There's nothing much to do right now!"
"So I suggest that both of you blow off some steam elsewhere." Severa pointed out. "Don't want our younger selves to know that their parents are flirting with each other…"
"Uh…" I said at a loss, while Cordelia kept quiet with a slight blush on her face.
"C'mon, sis. Let's help out with the kitchen or the decoration." Severa said, holding Morgan's hand.
"Huh?" Morgan blinked before being dragged around. "Wait, hold on, Severa!" As much as Morgan tried to stop her, it didn't work as they eventually left both of us alone.
"So, what shall we do now?" Cordelia asked.
"Um well…" I said, thinking about it, "We could help the kids make the ornaments."
"We could, but I think Anna has that covered," Cordelia said.
I looked at Anna who was helping out the kids and she looked like she had things under control. "Hmmmm… then I guess…" I blushed a bit. "I suppose… we can do what Saigo suggested…"
"Oi, Cordy!" Kivat exclaimed, catching our attention.
"Kivat?" Cordelia blinked, looking at Kivat. "What's the matter?"
"Your son's cryin' and wants you to feed 'em or somethin'!" Kivat said. "Your in–laws already have their hands full with some other stuff right now! Good thing I was passing through the hallway and heard him crying in your room."
"Oh ok. Thank you Kivat," Cordelia said before turning to me. "Maybe some other time," She smiled sadly.
"Uh, yeah, sure. Go ahead." I nodded.
"Thank you." Cordelia said before giving me a peck on the lips. I then put her down and she left.
"When the heck did ya get back Kivat?" I asked. "Your old man and son got everyone to come here?"
"We already got here since we've done our job!" Kivat said. "And most of them are on their way, too!"
"Oh…" I blinked.
"I see you're trying to score some points to get to yer shrine, huh, aibou?" Kivat teased. "Can't control it, can ya?"
"U–Urusai!" I snapped with a blush.
"I don't blame you though. I kinda understand since you're half Fangire, but you gotta control it!" Kivat added.
"I can't help it!" I protested. "She gets playful whenever she feels like it!"
"That's because of your nature, aibou." Kivat deadpanned.
"My nature?"
"You blush too easily." Kivat pointed out. "Isn't that the reason why you go at it and end up having a kid?"
"Mmmmmmmmmmm…" I pouted.
"I'm just saying aibou." Kivat shrugged with his wings.
"I'm gonna go into town and get a present for Cordelia…" I grumbled before walking away.
"Oh? What kind of a present would that be?" he asked.
"Why should I tell you? It's a secret, Kivat!"
"Something that would make your wife feel happy, huh?"
"Yes, and that's all I'm saying." I said before leaving completely.
And so, all of the Shepherds and Riders arrived at Castle Plegia, although it took a bit of convincing for Tharja to come, but hey, he managed to get everyone. Anyways, the Christmas Party started and the kids/grandkids and their parents/grandparents were helping them decorate the Christmas tree that Saigo brought, and it was the perfect size for the Banquet Hall. Everyone was having a great time at the party, eating the food, talking with one another and of course decorating the tree.
"Guys, the decorations have to be colored coordinated!" Nah complained.
"Oh don't be such a party pooper Nah! We're making the tree festive, so we're mixing the decorations all over!" Nowi chirped.
"Really?" Nah deadpanned.
"Yes! Gregor thinks it beautiful!" Gregor exclaimed. "Polly like tree pretty!"
"Does that include having some of your old scales on this tree?" Nah pointed out.
"Yep!"
"Ugh, why did I even bother asking?" Nah groaned rolling her eyes.
"Oh relax Nah, as long as the kids are happy, then that's fine." Brady said.
"Look, even my grandkid's happy!" Nowi chirped happily, seeing the young half–Manakete, Alex, happily decorating the tree.
"Ugh… why do things have to be out of control…?" Nah groaned.
"Daddy, daddy! I want that star on the tree!" Catarina chirped happily on Inigo's shoulders, pointing at the star on top of the tree. "It looks pwetty~!"
"Sorry sweetie, but you can't," Inigo shook his head.
"Why not?" Caterina whined.
"Because that's the best ornament out of all the others,"
"And that belongs to the others, so we can't have it." Cynthia said.
"Mmmmm…" Caterina puffed her cheeks, pouting.
"Don't be like that, sweetie. That's gonna ruin daddy's favorite little girl's face." Inigo tried to console his daughter.
"Mmmmm…" Caterina continued to pout.
"What should we do, Inigo? She's insistent on getting that star…" Cynthia said worriedly.
"Maybe we could ask Kurogasa about getting that star for her?" Inigo pondered.
"Or getting the same star as a gift?" another voice said, with Caterina recognizing the voice.
"Gwamma!" Caterina exclaimed, as Sumia approached them, with the same star ornament in her hand.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Sumia asked.
"Yes! Yes! Can I have it?!" Caterina asked excited.
"Of course you can!" Sumia smiled walking closer to them… until she tripped, making the ornament fly in the air.
"Mom!" Cynthia gasped in surprise as she quickly ran towards her… only to trip instead.
"Starry!" Caterina exclaimed, extending her hand towards the fallen star.
And fortunately for them, Cynthia's fall actually broke the fall of the star that nearly dropped onto the ground… with mother and daughter suffering pain on their faces. "What's going on here?" Chrom asked. Then he noticed and sighed, "Did Sumia and Cynthia randomly trip again?"
"Yes Father–in–law…" Inigo sighed.
"Starry safe!" Caterina exclaimed.
"You can thank your mother for that one." Inigo said.
"Ow…" Cynthia and Sumia groaned as they got on their knees.
"I hate it when that happens…" Cynthia groaned as both girls pushed themselves up.
"I feel your pain, dear…" Sumia added, eventually getting back on their feet.
"Mommy! Starry! Starry!" Caterina said excitedly, making Cynthia blink for a moment until she noticed the star ornament in her hand.
"Calm down, sweetheart." Inigo grinned. "Mommy just got up."
"Well, at least I saved the star," Cynthia sighed.
"Just don't trip again." Chrom said. Mentally he said, 'Honestly, I thought she and Sumia would get over this by now.'
"That's it! Give us more mead! Keep it coming!" Basilio laughed heartily, being drunk.
"You know the Vaike is always up for a challenge, right?" Vaike boasted proudly.
"You ain't half bad yourself!" Flavia said, satisfied.
"You guys, we better not make any bad scenes around here…" Kellam tried to persuade, but for some reason, they didn't notice him.
"Man, I haven't felt this drunk in a lo~ng time!" Ricken laughed as he drank away.
"Father you're going to vomit at this rate," Laurent sweat dropped.
"Indeed, by my calculations, with how fast you're drinking, you're going to vomit in three rounds." Miriel analyzed.
"You're thinking too much, Miriel!" Ricken waved off. "I'm a grown man! There's nothing to worry about!"
"Oh, Father…" Laurent sighed.
"A–As long as Father–in–law's happy, t–that's all that matters, right, Laurent?" Noire asked, while holding baby Athena in her arms.
"I suppose…" Laurent sighed.
"Feel the wrath of my delicious sword!" Frederick shouted who was drunk on the egg nog before swinging a chicken leg and hitting Donnel on the head.
"Hey! Watch where you swing that birdie!" Donnel snapped.
"Brother, why is Father acting like that?" Danny asked his older self.
"Father has always been a stern man." Daniel explained before letting out a sigh. "But when he's off duty, he'll find his way to make him relax."
"Really?" Danny blinked. Then he looked around. "Where's Mother?"
"She's with your little brother." he answered. "She'll be joining us as soon as she is done."
"Oh ok." Danny nodded.
"Wow, this party is amazing!" Morgan said with glee while holding Masao in her arms.
"Aye. Very joyous indeed." Kan'shou agreed with a nod.
"I knew you kids are gonna like it." I told them with a smile.
"And Masao's happy too!" Morgan chirped while looking at him, smiling happily.
"I wonder who he inherited that smile from." Kan'shou teased.
"Oh Kan'shou you…" Morgan blushed.
"Anyways, I'm ready to open some presents!" Kivat said.
"Yeah, me too!" Kibat added. "I can't wait to open mine!"
"We can't open them yet." I said.
"Why not?!" both Kivat and Kibat whined.
"My wife and Nee–san aren't here yet."
"Okaa–sama and Sister Melissa are probably in your chamber, Otou–sama." Kan'shou said.
"Yeah. I saw Mother and Aunt Melissa together with the kids just now." Morgan added.
"Probably taking care of your little brother and Tommy." I shrugged. "They should be here soon when they're done."
Meanwhile, with Cordelia and Melissa…
In Cordelia's chamber, both Mothers are with their toddlers in their arms on the bed. Melissa hummed a gentle Christmas lullaby to the toddlers, and both of them fell asleep. "Hai that would be all."
"Thank you, sister." Cordelia thanked as she placed her toddler in the crib and covered the child with a warm blanket.
"It's what I can do to help my relative, dear." Melissa smiled while positioning Tommy in the best position for the latter to sleep in her arms.
"Kyoshiro cried a lot during the party." Cordelia said, concerned. "He was fed, took a bath, the diapers are clean and I've given him proper clothing. I've tried the lullaby you taught me, but today, it didn't work."
"Ara, I see." Melissa nodded. "A mother must have a lot of patience when taking care of their child."
"And that lullaby you hummed, it isn't the ones you usually hum." Cordelia noticed.
"The hum I did is usually suited during Christmas, dear." Melissa explained. "The gentle melody is fitting for making them sleep with a smile on their face. Otouto once fell asleep on my lap during our youth in our world; while we were waiting for our parents to return from work."
"I see." Cordelia nodded.
"Saa… I think everyone is waiting for us so we can open the presents." Melissa said.
"You're right. It did take a while for Tommy and Kyoshiro to fall asleep."
"Hai." she nodded. Before Melissa left the room with the sleeping Tommy in her arms, she paused for a moment, "Ne, little sister?"
"Yes?"
"Have you told otouto yet?" she said, making Cordelia understand.
"Not yet, sister." Cordelia shook her head with a smile. "I want to tell him when we're all alone. I'm willing to bet that he'll be surprised."
"Knowing him, he will…" Melissa giggled.
"Yes, I'm sure." Cordelia giggled back.
"Man, what's taking them so long?" I said a bit worried.
"They'll be here soon." Lucina assured while approaching me, with Tiki holding Marth. "You just have to be patient."
"Patience is the last thing on my mind, Lucy." I said.
"Maybe you should imply that a bit more in your social life, Kurogasa." Tiki teased.
"It's no wonder you can be reckless…" Lucina followed suit.
"H–Hey!" I blushed.
"And you blush easily too." Tiki giggled.
"Tiki~!" I whined.
"Blushing! Blushing!" Marth chirped happily, giggling.
"It can't be helped!" Saigo exclaimed, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "That's just who he is!"
"And the reason why he's my best bud!" Storm joined along, wrapping his arm around my shoulder on the other side.
"You know you're making it worse right?" I grumbled.
"Yes!" Saigo and Storm grinned.
"Not the answer I was looking for."
"What kind of answer were you expecting?" Chrom asked.
"Something that might help me get out of this mess…" I deadpanned.
"Oh come on, perk up, Kurogasa!" Lissa joined along. "Turn that frown upside down!"
"Yep. Don't be a sour candy, little bro." Gaius noted. "Liven up for once, will ya? Politics really have gotten into ya' and you ain't having fun."
"Hehhhhhhhh…" I sighed slumping my shoulders, with my head hanging down, "Have I really been this stiff?"
"Yes." Everyone answered.
"I thought so…" I sweat dropped.
"You should learn to relax once in a while." Virion added. "A legendary hero such as yourself should earn yourself some freedom!"
"I agree with Sir Virion." Cherche nodded.
"Maybe after New Year, you should take a vacation with your family, just to get out of the hectic political life." Frederick suggested. "I have taken one with my family and it worked wonders for us."
"I agree with the knight, young man." Kaa–san smiled. "It's been nearly a year and half since you have taken a break. Other than your wedding anniversary, we haven't spent much time together as a family."
"I suppose that's true…" I said. "You're right, I'll take a vacation after this. No more politics or anything, just relaxation."
"That's my bud!" Storm grinned.
"Nice choice, King," Saigo smirked.
"And speaking of choices, who wants to open up their presents?!" Anna called out from afar, dressing as one of Santa's little workers as she wore her red glittering dress with the white fluffy top, red long sleeves, brown boots, and a red Christmas hat.
"Easy, there's plenty of gifts for everyone." Stahl said, in a Santa Claus costume, as they were chaotic.
"What kind of costumes are they wearing?" Tiki pondered. "This is the first time I've seen such a thing…"
"Stahl is dressed up as Santa Claus!" I grinned.
"Who's Santa Claus?" Chrom, Lucina, Tiki, Lissa, Gaius, Virion, Cherche, Frederick, and Kaa–san asked tilting their heads making me, Storm, and Saigo fall down anime style.
"Are you serious?!" I gawked.
"Apparently so." Frederick nodded.
"Then, who depicted the term Holy Winter Day to you guys?" I asked.
"Naga." the Shepherds said, making me facepalm.
"I walked right into that one…"
"But anyways, who is this Santa Claus?" Chrom asked.
"Well…" I began. "There's a story behind that. Santa Claus is another name for St. Nicholas and his folklore goes way back, in my world. He was born into a rich family and one day he heard about a poor man who had three daughters and he could not afford a proper dowry for them. This meant that they would remain unmarried and worst case scenario, the daughters will be sold to slavery."
"So what happened?" Lucina asked.
"Well, hearing of the girls' plight, Nicholas decided to help them, so in secret, he went to the house of the poor family under the cover of night and threw three bags, one for each daughter, filled with gold coins, through the window opening into the house. And by the next morning, the poor man was surprised and overjoyed that from out of nowhere, there was enough money for his daughters to get married."
"Aw~, that sounds so sweet!" Lissa squealed.
"That's the reason why everyone is celebrating Christmas in your old world?" Chrom asked.
"You got that right." I nodded. "That's why whenever there's Christmas, we adults would give presents to the children, just so we can see their smiling faces."
"It's similar to our Holy Winter, then." Tiki noted.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Serena exclaimed, getting my attention while showing her present. "I got a present!"
"Me too! Me too!" Lucia chirped happily, showing it to Chrom with a smile on her face.
"I can see that." Chrom smiled back.
"Hello everyone," A voice called out, and we turned our attention to Nee–san and Cordelia approaching us.
"Sorry it took so long." Cordelia said. "Sister needed to put Thomas in his crib, so the child can sleep."
"Oh, I see." I nodded. "No worries, at least things have been taken care of here."
"Ara, I see the gifts are being given to the children, ne?" Nee–san noticed.
"Yep. And I got presents for all of you." I grinned.
"You do?" Nee–san asked.
"Yep." I said, before I went to the table and got out a huge bag from under. Opening it up, I revealed that there were many ring boxes.
"Whoa…" Lissa gasped in surprise. "That's a lot of boxes you got there, Kurogasa."
"Right, here you go." I said while giving each of them a box. There were two different colored boxes, so I gave the men the red ones while the ladies got the green ones.
"Goodness, it's a ring…" Tiki gasped as she opened up the box. Inside, was a golden band with a diamond that is formed into the Kiva insignia, "It's as if he's proposing to us…"
"Indeed." Cherche nodded, having the same opinion as she also received the same ring as well. During the time, I also walked towards Anna and Stahl to give them their gifts.
"We men have silver bands, but the same diamond ring, too." Frederick noted.
"Ara, this must have cost a lot of money…" Nee–san said a bit worried. As I approached back to the group, she questioned, "Are you sure you can spend all of the money that's supposed to be for the country, otouto?"
"Oh come on, Nee–san, its Christmas!" I said. "It's worth spending the money because we're all family. And I want my family to be happy."
"Otouto…" Nee–san murmured.
"And this one is yours Cordelia." I said, giving her the ring. "This one is… custom made."
"It is?" Cordelia blinked, before opening the box. She gasped and saw that it was a Kiva ring, having a gold band and the Kiva insignia on it, however, the crescent moon on top was a white diamond while the left side of the Kiva insignia was a red ruby and the right side was a green emerald.
"What do you think?" I asked.
"Heavens…" she muttered, as she tried to recover from her shock, "This is… beautiful. Thank you…"
"If it's his wife, he'd give 'em all, huh?" Vaike joked.
"She's precious to him, so of course she'll make it extra special for her!" Nowi chirped, teasing along.
"There's also something extra special." I smiled.
"Huh?" Cordelia got out.
"Look at the band."
Cordelia did as told and looked to see that… "It's engraved…" Cordelia gasped a bit before reading it saying, "Merry Christmas, my Queen. My love is yours forever more…" A gentle smile was on her face and one of her eyes pooled up a tear, as she said, "This means so much to me, Kurogasa."
"I know." I nodded.
"And now, you'll be receiving a gift from us girls for the lovely gift!" Lissa perked up.
"Huh?" I got out. Nee–san was the first one to approach me and landed a peck on my forehead. As she backed off, Kaa–san approached me and landed a peck on my left cheek. The chain continued on, and to my surprise, even Tharja of all people joined. Severa, Bakuya and Morgan wouldn't miss it. And just like that, after being swarmed by them, my face was now covered with kisses and with different colored lipstick all over my face, except my lips.
"And you'll be getting the last one from me, my love." Cordelia smiled gently as she closed in and both of us shared a gentle kiss on the lips. Of all of the kisses I received, no matter how much I got this kiss from my wife, it never felt so old or haven't gotten bored of it.
"Man, aibou's too lucky…" Kivat chuckled.
"Oh wow…" I got out dreamily as I swayed side–to–side.
And then from out of nowhere…
"HO! HO! HO!"
"Huh?" Akane–chan got out, looking around.
"Is Stahl doing that crazy laugh of his again?" Sully asked.
"Uh… I'm right here, Sully." Stahl raised his hand, much to her surprise.
"Then… where the heck did that crazy laugh come from?!" she snapped.
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Akane–chan chirped excitedly.
"Uh… Mama?" Apollo blinked in confusion.
"It's Santa Claus!" Akane–chan exclaimed. "That's his laugh!"
"Look out there!" Serena exclaimed, pointing out the window.
Everyone gathered at the huge windows, seeing the snow fall gently all over Plegia. And much to our surprise, a silhouette of a familiar sleigh with eight reindeer pulling it, flew across the sky and we saw a silhouette of a familiar red, fat, jolly man on the sleigh.
"HO! HO! HO! ME~RRY CHRISTMAS!"
"Daddy, Daddy! Who's up there?" Cecilia asked, eager to know.
"I don't know…" Chrom said.
"Maybe what Kurogasa said is true…" Sumia added. "That person is Santa Claus…"
"A–And he's flying without a–any magic around him, too!" Olivia noticed.
"Very fascinating…" Miriel said interested.
"Yeah, it was awesome!" Ricken said amazed.
"As the saying goes, 'In every fable, exists a grain of truth'." Laurent quoted.
"This is one of the most wonderful Christmas's I've ever had!" Akane–chan chirped.
"I gotta agree with ya!" Saigo nodded. "And it's a rare chance of seeing that guy up there, too!"
"While spending time together with the Shepherds." Aqua–chan noted while holding Mai'yu in her arms, as the child looked at the sky with glee, holding a rabbit toy in her arms as a present she got from Aqua–chan. "It truly does feel like old times."
"Only merrier than our usual gathering." Tiki added.
"Could this be the blessing we're receiving for this year's Holy Winter Day?" Say'ri pondered.
"It could have been, Say'ri." Yen'fay nodded. "It has worked wonders for us."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but the night is still young and I'm ready to party again!" I cheered.
"YEAAAAAAAAH!" Everyone cheered.
As time went by, we went further into the night and eventually, the party ended as most of our guests were pretty tired. The Shepherds carried their kids to Castle Doran, so they can rest up for tomorrow's flight back home.
"Good night, Father! I had a blast!" Morgan perked up happily while holding Masao in her arms. Right now, I'm standing in front of her room after following them, since my room was just up ahead.
"Morgan, you should keep your voice down." Kan'shou chuckled. "Masao is still asleep and you don't want to make your sister scold at you for making noise in the hallway, yes? She's just a few rooms away from ours, after all."
"Oh right, sorry," Morgan laughed softly with a sheepish grin.
"You two have a good night. Merry Christmas." I smiled softly.
"Merry Christmas, Father." Morgan smiled before she and her family went into their room.
"Heh, she sure has some energy…" I chuckled as I walked along the hallway.
As I approached my room, I opened the door and noticed Cordelia, sitting in front of the mirror while she combed her hair. Oh, and she's in her sky blue sleeping dress too. "Kurogasa." she noticed from the reflection of the mirror. With a smile, she said, "That took you a while to get here."
"Sorry, just having a chat with our daughter and son–in–law along the way." I replied sheepishly as she placed her comb on the vanity table.
"Is that so?" she giggled. "It's no wonder why I heard her echo a little bit."
"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my head nervously.
"Kurogasa?"
"Yeah?" I said, and noticed her opening the music box on the table, letting the tune play. Oh, the music box being played is the same music that was used for our wedding.
"May I ask you for a dance, my king?" she curtsied in a ladylike manner.
"What's this all of a sudden?" I chuckled.
"I'm just asking for a dance." She giggled.
"I know but… this late at night?" I asked as I held her close while dancing to the music.
"Is something wrong with that?" she teased.
"Well… no… unless there's something important." I replied. "You don't usually act like this, Cordelia."
"Oh, don't worry. I have a very good reason." she added while resting her head on my shoulder while we continued to dance. "It might even surprise you, knowing you for a long time…"
"Try me." I challenged. "I've seen strange things over the year, and I'm certain that nothing could–"
"I'm pregnant." she cut off. "For a month."
…
…
…
…what?
I looked at her in shock. "Y–You're what…?!"
"Yes, you heard me."
"W–Wait…" I panicked a bit.
"We'll be getting another child soon. It's my gift to you, I should say." she added, looking at me with a smile.
"A–Ah, ah, a–ah…" I stuttered.
"Merry Christmas, anata…" Cordelia giggled.
As much as I'm happy and wanted Christmas to end on a good note, which it did, in the end, there's only one thing I said to finish the night off.
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"
TWF: Geez, Cordy! Your timing to scare the crud out of him sure is priceless! Way the go, girl!
Fen: Hey, at least it's a good present for Kuro right?
TWF: That goes to show how his Fangire lust would get the best of him. Poor girl, had to go through all of it, just to get more children along the way… XDD
Fen: Dude, it's Christmas and you have to be that blunt about his Fangire side…? -_-
TWF: Hmm…
RING~!
TWF: Oh, I got a message. *checks my phone and grins happily seeing it*
Fen: You… Didn't!
TWF: Yep! Your pic just surpassed of my likes in my Superman costume in white undies! TOTALLY wicked! XD
Fen: That's it! *Pulls out a sword length candy cane* You're dead!
TWF: Nintoryu… *holds the two sticks nearby and gets into stance*
Kurogasa: Oi, oi, oi, put the weapons down. It's Christmas. You can beat each other up the day after.
TWF: I know, that's why I planned to hit that pinatta on your head. :O
Kurogasa: Wait, what?!
TWF: FOR EGGNOGS! *start chasing Fen-kun, wielding the same sticks*
Fen: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *runs away*
Kurogasa: Ah geez… we'll see you guys later and into the new year! And Merry Christmas! *runs after the two*