So that's where they had all gathered, underneath the massive gothic looking tree as the gifts were passed out down the line of people. Everyone had basically received the same gift, assorted food and treat gift baskets. Everyone except for October, Thorne, Winter, Cream, and Mephiles that is. October received a box that played her favorite song, Chandeiler, in music box style and Cream received a plush Chao. Winter and Thorne both received a music box that played their own favorite songs. Winter's favorite song is Hero by a group called Skillet and Thorne's favorite song is Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. Mephiles wondered where his gift was because Iris hadn't given him anything and he looked at her questioningly. She just smiled as she escorted her guests out of her cave. Before they could leave though, a strange creature hopped into the cave entrance and hissed at them. The creature sort of resembled an alien hedgehog of sorts and had purple sclera with green irises, along with a white and powder purple body. Startled at how many things were around it, it jumped onto the ceiling and began to crawl deeper into the cave.

"Was that another one of your creatures? You said that they shouldn't be hostile in any way. Does this one not listen?" Infinite asked.

"That is not one of my creatures. I'll check out where it went. Stay here for right now, please." Iris said as she went back down into her cave again to find the mysterious thing.

She found it perched right on top of the Christmas tree where it had knocked the tree topper right onto the floor. It looked at her indifferently as she came closer to the tree.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?" She looked up to the creature and asked it directly.

The creature didn't seem to understand as it just stared at her, starting to look annoyed now that she wasn't leaving. It hissed and clawed the air in front it.

Iris, unblinkingly, climbed the tree up after it. The creature's weird spines stood on end as it growled louder and louder as she got closer to it. Iris tried growling and softly hissing back in response. The creature widened it's eyes then squinted at her, it's stomach rumbled.

"Are you hungry? I have some food here for you." Iris said to the thing as she whistled for one of her creatures to fly overhead and drop a cooked leg of duck into her hand. "Try."

The creature quickly looked back and forth from her to the food, just incase it needed to run at the first sign of danger. It took one big bite and pulled back, chewing. Next, it held out it's hand to grab the drumstick. Iris gave it up as the creature chewed through the bone and all. Next, she tried talking to it telepathically. This seemed to work a little better as the creature actually responded with little nods of understanding.

Why don't you come down from there? I'll give you plenty to eat. I won't hurt you sweet.

Iris said as she extended her arm for it to take. It reached it's four fingered hand forward and grabbed onto hers. Iris helped it down slowly all the while not breaking eye contact with it. Curious and not listening to directions, a certain alien manages to creep back inside and look at the foreign creature better.

Eclipse chimes in, breaking the silence and startling the thing again. "He reminds me of a certain cousin race to our own who's planet was destroyed by Xorda thousands of years ago. Maybe some of their race survived after all. I believe the race was called Null…Oh and everybody left, just to let you know. Except Mephiles. He listened to you."

"Thank you Eclipse that was… helpful now please, go back to the entrance. And you can leave too." Iris says as the little alien shrugs and walks away. She notices the alien look at her then to his own skin again. "I suppose I should call you Null then."

Mephiles you can come back now.

So Mephiles does just that. He walks away from the darkness and back into the light of the main chamber room, observing this interesting thing before him. "What is this? Who?"

"This is Null. He is… well some sort of alien according to Eclipse. But just to know for sure, I'm calling Dr. Finitevious later to see if he can take a DNA sample from him and examine it. It would be intriguing to know exactly what he is for certain."

Mephiles looked at it coldly and asked. "Why don't you just kill it? It seems weak, and pointless to keep it around."

"How do you know for sure? He could be useful. Let's keep him around for a bit. See what he can do, yes?" Iris asked as Null muzzled her hand gently. "He is kinda cute."

Mephiles rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I don't know what the hell I see in you."

Iris giggled. "I do. You see qualities in me that you don't possess that you wish you did. That's one thing."

He sighed. "So why don't I get a gift?"

Iris got up slowly from the floor from Null. "You do. I just couldn't bring yours out without attracting… attention."

Mephiles raised an eye. "What did you get me?"

"It's something you've been wanting for a substantial amount of time. Let me get it." Iris said as she flew away to retrieve the tall present. It was shaking.

"What is in there?" Mephiles asked. "An animal?"

"Just unwrap it and you'll see silly." Iris said as she smiled from cheek to cheek.

That was just what he did. He used his claws to rip along the edge of the paper and cardboard only to unveil a bound and gagged Shadow struggling to get free of the guillotine he had found him in. Mephiles gasped in delight and then laughed sinisterly.

Iris clapped her hands together joyfully "I knew you'd love it!"

End