So, it's that time again! It's time for Christmas and gift giving! And, as stated on my profile, I have decided to take a break from Pokémon Sun and Moon in order to do some Christmas themed fan fiction!
This particular fanfic was written for Warrior Cats RP Forum Secret Santa event. As always, I do not own Pokémon or any of the references used in this story.
See the author's notes that the end for details, and enjoy!
Promises to Keep
Nothing could compare to Viridian Forest during the winter.
Because, even though the woods seemed like the deepest, darkest, place on Earth, there was a certain beauty to them.
The snow glittered like crystal as the feathery flakes fell on the branches of the sky-high trees. The normally strikingly green forest had turned into a white wonderland, welcoming all with a blanket of snow.
A completely moonless night only enhanced the scenery's beauty, as the sparkling snow contrasted against the blackened sky. Bright white colors illuminated the entire forest, nature's power something Christmas lights could never hope to match.
And yet nature was not finished with her display.
As the pitch-black forest was filled to the brim with white, even more snow plummeted from the sky. The slow snow allowed unfortunate souls to still see, but no one dared to blindly stumble in. Nature's production gathered in mounds that reached almost as high as the trees.
The branches suppressed groans as the stunning snow became a constant weight. When they could bear no more, the trees relinquished their burden. The snow from the trees fell in tandem with that of the sky, as though they were partners in some sort of dance.
Except this dance was different from any other.
There was no accompanying music, or even sound.
Feathery flakes fluttered silently as they made their way to the forest floor. The mounds continued to scale as high as the trees, yet none ever toppled. Even the branches and their battles lacked any noise. Instead, the snow simply splattered to the ground, without a trace of it ever having been above it.
Nature truly put on a show during winter in Viridian Forest, yet no one could hear what was going on.
Not like anyone was listening.
Many of the wild Pokémon had scurried to the safety of their dens. There they would huddle, almost cower, at the sight of the snow until warmer weather came. They didn't dare take one look at the snow in front of them. To the wild Pokémon of Viridian Forest, there was no beauty in winter's woods.
So it was a shame that nature put on the brilliant show, yet there was no one there to witness it.
No one, except for one seasoned traveler.
The traveler strode along confidently as his hoof prints faintly lined the snow. Instead of falling straight to the ground, the snow now coated a flaming mane. Even with all the snow, the mane still glowed a brilliant red. The only thing matching it was an identically colored tail, also wreathed in flashing fire. Again, the snow tried to stifle the foreign flame, but it was no use. The traveler was instead surrounded by the fire's glow.
Clearly, he disrupted the scene of white, yet he continued without a care.
But the flames were nearly not disruptive as some of the other things the traveler had with him.
For he wore clothes when his kind hardly ever did, and they were as deep a red as his fire. Draped around him was a sash of white that almost blended in with the snow.
Unfortunately, it was clear that however much he blended in nature, the traveler was not a part of it.
This could not be more pronounced than by another glaring difference, one that further separated him from both nature and others of his kind.
Fire was not the only thing on his neck. Behind the flaming mane lay a string of golden bells. Further behind them, a black harness.
One would expect that the traveler would be carrying a rider. Normally, these were the adornments of someone who often traveled with one.
However, instead, he trotted alone.
That did not stop him from carrying something, though.
As the traveler left hoof prints in the snow, what he carried left obvious skid-marks. Rather than having something on top of his back, an object followed behind him. Then again, it wasn't like the object could get away from its owner. It was held in place securely by the harness behind him. This was clear despite the fact that the harness could barely be seen beneath the carrier's clothing.
Even the harness could hardly be seen, the traveler was still clearly foreign. Others of his kind hardly ever wore harnesses, much less with a weight being dragged behind them.
Yet that was not the characteristic that made the traveler stand out the most. No, what made things strangest of all had to do with exactly what the traveler carried.
Taking a closer look, one could see the skidmarks belonged to a sleigh almost as big as the traveler. Adorning the sleigh was the same deep red clothing and white sashes that he wore.
The sleigh sported even more brilliant colors inside of it, and even more foreign material. For inside the sleigh stood presents stacked so high it looked like they could topple over any minute.
The presents themselves varied in every design imaginable, ranging from sparkling navy blue to dazzling emerald green. Vibrant reds almost blended in with the sleigh, and bows matching each of the boxes emphasized the camouflage even more. Yet some of the presents had absolutely no camouflage. The wrapping on these presents depicted things that were pleasing to children, like cartoon characters. Amusingly, some pictures on the wrapping were of the traveler's kind, but he paid that no heed.
Not every present was wrapped in a box, however. Some were placed neatly into bags, while others had no covering at all. These presents simply were decorated with a festive bow. Still others even had messages on them, the traveler thought for the hundredth time that it was a pity he couldn't read. Another thought struck the traveler as he hoped the delicate unwrapped items would not be ruined by the snow covering them.
The bells on the harness rang softly as the traveler shook himself. He couldn't focus too much on the presents and ignore the scenery around him.
Fiercely, the traveler glanced straight up at the snow. It was always beautiful this time of year, he admitted. The snow glittered and glistened off everything as it seemed to light the world up. He took a moment to marvel at how this natural white light contrasted perfectly with the darkened sky and the seemingly never ending blackness of the forest beyond. No noise disturbed the scene now, and the traveler relaxed a bit to smile as a slight winter breeze tickled his mane.
The traveler threw his head back down as he willed himself to focus.
The woods could be dangerous too. He mustn't let his guard down.
The blackness stretched on for miles as the woods ran in their deep darkness. With its winding paths and little light, people could easily get lost (and had). To make matters worse, this was supposed to be the darkest night of the year.
A prickle of dread overtook the traveler as he recalled an ominous thought that plagued him every year.
Was this a mistake?
His bells rang again as he shook his head.
No, it wasn't.
He was the fastest and most experienced of all the Ponyta, and he knew the routes to all of the towns. The Ponyta knew that most needed a rider, but his years of experience meant he could travel to familiar places by himself.
Within time, he hoped, all the Ponyta could. They should be able to, he thought. Ponyta were smarter than common horses, and did not need constant guidance. As he had proved.
Yet when the Ponyta set his eyes on the seemingly never-ending expanse between him and his destination, he shook his head again.
Trying to keep the memories from flooding back was never a success.
The Ponyta's eyes narrowed as he became lost in thought.
He knew no one truly owned Viridian City's expansive forest, and yet the Ponyta always recognized a single house when that resided in the village beyond.
It was as if the owner had control of the entire forest, no, the entire village.
The Ponyta understood that this truly wasn't the case, but it didn't stop him from thinking that way.
After all, he knew the house as well as he knew the tiny lakes that would freeze up with ice, or the strange lack of farmhouses in the area.
The Ponyta always recognized the house solely because of its owner.
Inside was his former Trainer.
His former Trainer would never see him stopping by the city; they'd long since gone their separate ways. The Ponyta figured he'd probably gotten more Pokémon by now.
But that didn't stop the Ponyta from remembering the time before.
His mind whirled with the cries of constant battle.
And of constant losses.
He reared up on his hind legs and spat out a plethora of Embers at his Trainer's command. The searing hot fire soared toward its target. Yet it did nothing to the opponent, a Sandslash, as it curled up into a ball. Its powerful spikes acted like a shield, and right away, the Ponyta's heart sank.
He had tried to please his Trainer, but he couldn't!
The Ponyta didn't have time to ponder the absorbed attacks, however.
Suddenly the Sandslash barreled towards him, rolling at him at a speed he never thought possible. As soon as the Ponyta tried to run, the Sandslash bounced up and unfurled itself. Without a moment's hesitation, it raised a gleaming white claw. The Ponyta screamed as the claw tore into his flesh, knocking him off balance. He tried to retaliate with more Embers, only to be met by a second strike of the deadly claws. With that powerful hit, he collapsed to the ground.
There was no getting up.
The disapproving glare of his trainer burned into his mind as he was recalled into his Poké Ball.
Yet this wasn't the only battle the Ponyta lost.
Both the size and flame blazed as the Ponyta stared down another opponent. This time, a menacing Arbok loomed in front of him. Fear seemed to be something unknown to the purple snake as he locked eyes with it. It stared back just as fiercely, the glimmer of confidence in its eyes. The Pontya dug his hooves into the ground.
No matter how intimidating the opponent, he would not retreat!
His trainer issued the command, and the Ponyta unleashed a torrent of red-hot spinning flames. The flames seemed to dance as they waved in a spiral, and the dance was one that would surely strike fear into any Trainer's heart.
Even the most hardened opponents could cower in the wake of the feared Fire Spin.
And once the dreaded flames immobilized foes, an easy victory would be within reach.
Surely, the Arbok would be no exception to either rule, as the flames mercilessly leapt toward the giant snake.
Yet the Ponyta couldn't be more wrong.
The purple serpent instantly slithered out of the way, the furious flames missing him by inches. The Ponyta's eyes widened in surprise, and he recoiled backwards.
Yet his disbelief became his weakness, as the Ponyta realized too late that he had left himself wide open.
The Arbok seized his chance, and the two locked eyes again.
Only this time there were something even more terrifying about the Arbok's eyes.
A blue aura surrounded them, reflecting the frightful recognition in the Ponyta's own.
The Ponyta's muscles seized up as his body locked in place. He tried to use all his strength to move and attack again, but it was no use.
After all, he reflected, that was what happened when one was the victim of an Arbok's horrific Glare attack.
How ironic that he was the one that meant to immobilize his opponent and win the fight, yet he was the one immobilized.
And his opponent wasn't finished.
The Arbok sprang forward, mouth open and fangs bared in a hiss. Within a second, its massive tail draped around the Ponyta. In another, the Arbok had coiled its body around the hapless victim.
That was when the Ponyta knew victory was impossible.
The Arbok squeezed the Ponyta as effortlessly as a child squeezed a toy. His entire body burned like fire, and for once he knew that wasn't a good thing. The Ponyta wheezed and choked as he fought for air. Nothing would come, and black spots played at the edge of his mission.
The Arbok was squeezing the life out of him, and the Ponyta couldn't say he expected anything else.
That was what happened to the victims of the infamous Wrap attack.
The battle was lost before it had even started.
Yet there were some battles that were more drawn out, and even then, the Ponyta still lost.
Like the one where his trainer finally took separate paths.
The Ponyta vividly recalled the wild snarls of the Jolteon he'd fought that day. The Jolteon jumped, its front legs lashing out in a Double Kick. The Ponyta reared up to deliver his own crushing blow with a Stomp attack.
But his opponent's swift kicks hit their mark as they slammed into the area just above his back legs. The Ponyta winced as pain shot through him. Even as he completed his counterattack, he quickly realized he couldn't ignore the stabbing sensation of hooves colliding with sharp spikes.
But he couldn't give up after this. He had to win for his Trainer!
Then, his Trainer shouted the next command, and an idea came to him. There was a technique his Trainer had taught him in order to help him win more battles. It seemed like now was the perfect time to utilize it.
He would show his opponent with the strongest truly was!
After all, if his Trainer taught him the technique to win more battles, then surely he could win this one!
The Ponyta summoned all of his strength as he readied the ultimate move. The flames on his his mane and tail shown so brightly, he thought they would blind the other battler. Or worse, he could burn up the battlefield. Luckily, neither happened.
However, the fire was not finished.
The heat from outside of the Ponyta's body coursed through all of it. However, he welcomed it. This time, it was not an Arbok suffocating him that that had body aflame, but the Ponyta's own power.
Power he could use to win.
The Ponyta reared up again and let loose a massive flame in the shape of an X. The power of this flame was unmistakable as the Ponyta noticed a brief flicker of fear in his opponent's eyes. Even more indicative was the two Trainers on the battlefield with their sweating and reddened faces. Clearly the power had not been lost on them either, even if it was showing in a different way.
The Ponyta resisted an urge to grin. For once, he had power and was on the winning side. And his opponent surely knew that.
However, pure power wasn't enough.
The flickering fear in the Jolteon's eyes was replaced by absolute confidence, and within seconds, he had regained his composure.
In a heartbeat, the Jolteon leapt up to dodge. The mighty attack did nothing as the intended target soared safely over it. The Ponyta resisted the urge to scream as he glanced upward at his fleeing foe.
But he had no chance to make a sound.
As rapidly as it had dodged, the Jolteon tensed. Its body crackled and sparked. The Jolteon was then illuminated in yellow light, brightness rivaling the flames.
The Ponyta shook his head in dismay.
He knew what this meant, and there was nothing he could do.
The Jolteon let out a howl as he shot a bolt of blindingly yellow lightning straight towards the Ponyta. An agonizing scream left the Ponyta's mouth as the lightning bolt crashed into him.
Now he wasn't lit up by the reassuring flame that coursed through him, but by hostile electricity surging everywhere. This electricity did not want to give him power to win, but only wanted to weaken him to the point where he lost.
Luckily, the Ponyta realized he was not paralyzed like with the Arbok's Glare. However, that did not stop his muscles from locking up anyway as he cringed from the tremendous pain. Yellow light was the only thing within the Ponyta's vision, binding him to everything else around.
Would this torture never end?
As soon as the thought escaped his mind, the electricity suddenly ceased. The Ponyta still could not shake off the stinging pain, but the familiar flame in his eyes and body returned. He quickly turned around in hopes of pinpointing his opponent.
He had to finish this quickly before another attack was launched.
There! His opponent was still soaring through the air, having before stopped its jump to fire at him. Temptation overtook the Ponyta as he fought the urge to send another blast of fire in the Jolteon's direction.
Although his opponent had not finished jumping, the faint outlines of a shadow were beginning to appear on the ground.
So the ground was exactly where he would aim.
Lowering his head and snorting, the Ponyta let out another white-hot X-shaped fire. This time, it was the Jolteon that screeched as he barreled straight into it. The Ponyta could hear the Jolteon coughing as the flames licked hungrily at his body.
The Ponyta held his head high again. This time, he would win!
Yet as the flames cleared, his shock was as noticeable as the one that had hit him earlier. Though it was panting and having difficulty standing up, in front of him was the Jolteon.
How was the Jolteon still able to fight?
The Ponyta did not have time to ponder this, as his opponent threw his head up and shrieked to the sky. Before he had a chance to react, the area darkened. There was not even time to scream in fear as a lightning bolt at least twice the size of the one before it dropped down from above.
In fact, the Ponyta had no time to process the pain going through his body, or see his vision fill with electricity.
For the instant the lightning bolt hit, the Ponyta's entire world went black.
He woke up once again to his Trainer's disdainful glare.
There was no going back now.
The Ponyta had been given the most powerful move possible, and he had still lost.
Not only that, but he had lost several times before, no matter what opponent he faced.
The Ponyta's Trainer spoke the words that sealed his fate.
"You have lost too many times, and are not fit for battle. And I cannot keep the Pokémon who cannot battle."
They came the very next day, to his trainer's home.
He may not have personally known the strangers that showed up that day, but all Trainer-raised Pokémon could recognize the symbol of the Pokémon League.
One of the figures from the League spoke authoritatively, and the Ponyta couldn't stop himself from shaking.
"Young man, we heard you have a Ponyta that is unable to battle well, and you would like to donate it to the Pokémon League. Is this true?"
His trainer had nodded and brought him forward.
"Yes, here he is."
The Ponyta trembled again as he was led away.
This was the beginning of his new life. Could he succeed after failing so miserably at the other one?
After a while, it seemed like he could.
The green L symbol of the League emblazoned on his chest and the translator hanging around his neck meant that he was one of their own from that day forward.
And it marked his success, for he still had them as he traveled today.
However, the life with the League was not without work.
The multitude of tasks the Ponyta was assigned were much more varied than those given by a simple Trainer.
There were so many missions that he had long since lost count.
The Ponyta first recalled the parades, where he carried humans on his back, and displayed the League symbol for all to see. Behind him marched countless others, having their own things to carry.
Piercing the Ponyta's ears were the booming of the drums. Other noises surrounded him, such as the wailing of sirens or the blaring of the many other instruments. The Ponyta always perked his ears up at the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd; how happy they must be to see him and the League! Of course it was even more interesting when candy was thrown to them, and the quickest scurried to scoop up their prize.
Other moments were not as lighthearted, however.
There were times when he had to deliver messages. Yes, messages just like the ones on the presents. Sometimes he traveled with a human companion, and other times without. However, the idea was always the same. The Ponyta was to deliver the messages to the destinations as rapidly as he could. And then, when he was done, return to, most likely, another task.
The Ponyta had lost track of the amount of times he traveled to multiple towns in one night.
Even with the League, battle was a familiar sight. Except now he wasn't a combatant. Countless times, he led humans to their battles on his back. They would dismount with a quick farewell and disappear into their fights. The Ponyta wondered if he would ever see them again.
It stung more than the Jolteon's electricity when someone didn't come home at night.
However heartwarming or heartbreaking the tasks for the League were, there was one that stood out in particular.
It occurred at the end of every year, when the winter snows were at their highest.
That was the time when everyone wanted the same thing.
Those shiny and beautifully decorated boxes called presents.
But in Kanto, there were countless presents to deliver. The League presided over the entire region, probably knowing exactly who got what. And yet there were far too many presents for just the humans in the League to deliver.
So that's where the Ponyta and the others of his kind came in.
Each participating Ponyta recognized the jingle of the harness bells and expected to be covered in the red and white clothing. They understood what it meant when the matching sleigh was carefully fitted to the harness. And for the final touch, their sleighs were loaded with presents piled high.
One of the humans once joked that they look like four-legged Santas (each participant eventually figured out what Santa meant, too).
That's effectively what they were, minus the hat. It was too dangerous to put a hat on when following it was a flaming mane.
Flaming mane or no, dutiful Santas they became. Each participating Ponyta was assigned a route to the towns. From there, they had one mission.
To deliver the presents to the towns on Christmas Day, and spread as much of the festive cheer as they could.
Every year, the traveling Ponyta participated, and he quickly became known as one of the best. It got to the point where he could be assigned any route, and complete it with the ease only a master possessed.
And the traveling Ponyta could finally be a master at something, after the many battles he had lost.
The harness bells rang again as the Ponyta's mind was jerked back to the present.
Normally, thinking about the Christmas mission would make his chest swell with pride.
But one doubt still lingered in the back of his head.
Was this a mistake, too?
Should he have refused to go with the League?
Would he have eventually won the approval of his trainer?
Was not constantly losing battles better than running around without pausing for the League?
It would be miles before he could sleep, after all.
The Ponyta snorted.
No, this wasn't a mistake.
There were incredible memories every single year, and they were worth reliving.
The beautiful lights that looked just like him shown almost as brilliantly as the forest. He lost count of the dazzling colors he'd seen, and how many times he noted they blended well together. So many other "Santas", and yet they all were sight to behold.
However, that wasn't the only thing to enjoy on this trip every year. Adorable men made out of snow could be seen at almost every house. Their top-hats made up for his lack of one, and their stick arms almost seemed to be extended in greeting. The best part was the carrot noses though, and the Ponyta always found them delicious.
Music flooded the area, and the sound was so mesmerizing that he listened every sweet note. They played a lot of music back in the League, but it was nothing like this. The Ponyta often wished he could stay forever, but he always had to move on. So he would only hear the tunes at this special time of year.
But the true music income from instruments.
No, the true music to his ears came from the children and their families.
They rushed out of their houses, screaming with glee. As they recognized his iconic sleigh, his translator would activate, and the Pontya would state the familiar words.
"Merry Christmas! Santa is here!"
And he could not resist the urge to smile with them as their faces erupted into joyous grins.
It was at that point that many of the children would shower the Ponyta with presents. Of course, there was the usual carrots, and apples, and horse treats. However, Christmas also brought out the exotic.
The Ponyta would never forget seeing the green and red speckled cookies, or the ones in the shape of Christmas trees. The children giggled at his baffled stare, and it took him a few minutes to regain his composure.
Remembering his manners, the Ponyta had quickly used to his translator to shout "Thank You!" With that, he gingerly ate the cookies anyway.
The Ponyta had never tasted anything like that in this life. The closest thing he could compare them to were the sugar cubes back at the League. Even then, they simply weren't the same. No, these were sugar cubes with flavor, and color, and texture.
And, the Ponyta had discovered, he couldn't eat them in one bite. The children giggled and cheered again as the giant cookies continuously fell back onto the plate.
It was like a game for all of them, with him trying to get every last scrap, and the children wanting to be entertained. He managed to win though, with all of the cookies disappearing into his mouth.
Yes, this was one of the many Christmas memories the Ponyta would never forget.
Just like the children would never forget him or the presents.
Always, there would be a barrage of questions and children asking which present was theirs. And always, the parents following would help their child pick out the right one. The Ponyta wasn't entirely sure how they knew which present belonged to their child. He couldn't read and didn't have a list. The Ponyta figured it was something that the towns worked out with the League, but he never found out for sure.
What he was certain about was the joy he brought to the children and their families with his presents. The children's shrieks of joy was better music to his ears than the music that played during the day (beautiful though it was). Their faces lit up more brightly than the Ponyta's flame as they received their gifts. And the parents' faces burst into the world's widest grins, as if they had been given a gift too.
When his mind whizzed back to the present, the Ponyta couldn't help smiling as he recalled the fond memories of the past.
All of those memories proved that this path was no mistake.
Yet, inside all those positive experiences lay something deeper.
The Ponyta had promises to keep.
No matter how much he doubted himself or what the dangers were, the Ponyta and the winter mission represented a silent promise.
A promise to the children that they would have their gifts on Christmas day.
And in conjunction with that, that was the promise that everyone, including himself, could enjoy the Christmas celebrations.
With the harness bells shaking one last time, the Ponyta continued trotting forward.
He had with him his presents, his clothing, and his sleigh.
But their importance was nothing comparing to that which was unseen.
Because the most vital thing he carried was his promises to keep.
Author's notes:
-This story largely references Robert Frost's Walking through the Woods on a Snowy Evening (I don't own his work either, by the way). This poem is traditionally associated with winter and the holidays, so that's why I thought it fit a Secret Santa contest. The poem can be read in several places, for those interested in searching.
-For those that don't know (or prefer not to search), the poem is about a man who is riding through the woods with his horse (hence having a Ponyta in this story). He thinks about who owns the woods, how he won't see him, and that his house in the village. The man then thinks about several other things, such as frozen lakes, the quietness, the snow, and even the lack of farmhouses for his horse. He keeps going back to the idea that even though the words are very dark, they are lovely. And the man realizes that even though he has to go through them, he has a promise to keep and a long way to go before he can rest.
-There have been several interpretations of Walking through the Woods on a Snowy Evening. Since I first heard the poem sung in a Christmas concert, my interpretation was always that someone was walking through the woods delivering presents. Thus, that became the inspiration for the story.
-The original draft also differed a lot from the final version of the story. I had originally intended to have Robert Frost's poem be going on in Ponyta's head during the story. However, a lot of sites do not permit directly using poems or songs that are not in public domain (the work of Robert Frost is not).
-Furthermore, it would have been extremely out of character for Ponyta to think of Robert Frost when he's a Pokémon and can't read, and it's not known if famous people in the real world are also famous in the Pokémon world. So instead, the story just has a bunch of references.
-In the original draft, Ponyta was actually ridden by Santa as he did his mission. However, I found that that had already been done in a banned episode of the Pokémon anime. Therefore, I decide to go for something more original.
-Also, in the original draft, the battles and the tasks done at the League were only a passing reference instead of being fully depicted. However, I later decided to add them in completely because I thought it would expand on Ponyta's character, and also make the story more relevant to Pokémon (instead of just being a Robert Frost poem with Pokémon pasted onto it).
-A few notes about the battles as well. The moves not mentioned are Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Fire Blast. Also, battles are based on Gen I (Red, Blue, Yellow) mechanics, so things are a bit different.
-Fire Blast is mentioned by the Ponyta to be the ultimate power because it was the strongest Fire type move in the Gen I Pokémon games. Furthermore, he makes a big deal out of it being taught by his trainer because Fire Blast cannot be learned naturally by Ponyta in Gen I.
-Ponyta talks about immobilizing his opponent by using Fire Spin and being immobilized by his opponent with Wrap because those moves work differently in the First Generation Pokémon games. In those games, the opponent could not move for several turns after those attacks were used, and they would be used constantly. Combine this with the paralyzing moves like Glare, and battles could be over before the opponent could do hardly any damage.
-The League symbol being a green L is based on the first season of the anime. Ash wears a hat with a green L, which is said to be the symbol of the Pokémon League. As far as I know, the League has not had any other symbols, so this is the one that is used.
-Finally, the experience this Ponyta has with the battles and the League reflect some of my own experiences with Ponyta. The Ponyta line is one of my favorites, but unfortunately, is not one of the strongest in battle. In most of my runs, it was put in the box in favor of something stronger after fighting many battles. However, because I like Ponyta, I instead imagined that the ones I no longer used in battle were instead relegated to other duties. Therefore, that is what happens to this Ponyta.
And so ends this Christmas journey and Secret Santa fic!