Chapter 34!
I decided to finish up the Christmas arc with a final, super-long chapter.
Kelly, there's somethin' near the end just for you.
You were conspiring with Santa behind my back, weren't you?
When they re-entered the large toy-room, all of the equipment had been cleared off and the items that could be moved were against the walls. Elves were lined up like mini-military men, each wearing a helmet. The helmet style varied. Some wore red fireman hats, some wore yellow hard hats for construction, some wore army hats, and one elf (whom Skie now dubbed the coolest elf ever) wore an Indiana Jones hat.
"They're so cuuute!" Nami said.
"We elves ain't cute!" one piped out from the ranks.
"Yeah! We're kick-ass elves now!"
Santa's face turned purple. "WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT SWEARING?! THIS IS CHRISTMAS, DAMMIT!"
Everyone grew eerily silent.
"Santaaa!" Skie gasped.
Santa blinked. "Oh. My apologies. Sorry."
"He's got high blood pressure you know." Everyone turned to see who had spoken and saw someone who could be none other than Mrs. Clause. "He's had too many close-calls with missing Christmas and what not. Oh, and there was that time Jack Frost tried to take over. Remember that, dear?" (LOL! MOVIE REFERENCE!)
"Yes of course," Santa grinned from ear to ear cheerfully.
"Thanks for baking those cookies, Mrs. Clause! They were soooo good." Tasha said, almost drooling at the mere thought of them.
Mrs. Clause smiled. "You're welcome, dear. Anytime."
"WHOO! ANYTIME!" Skie threw her arms in the air enthusiastically.
"WHOOO!" All the elves did the same, copying her movement.
"Where are the reindeer?" Santa asked, a little elf climbing up to a ladder next to him and putting an army hat over his normal red and white one.
"All armored up and ready to go, Santa." The elf on the ladder said.
"Good, good. Wait, armored up? What does that mean?"
"It means they're wearing armor, duh." Zoro grumbled.
Skie stomped on Zoro's foot, and the green-haired swordsman started hopping around on one foot barking random insults before stumbling back into a pile of boxes pushed up against a wall.
"We just want the reindeer to be protected and able to fight back full force, Santa, sir." The elf said.
"Ah…okay…" Santa rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'll go and get the reindeer, dear." Mrs. Clause smiled cheerfully and exited the room.
Santa looked at the Straw Hats, then at his elves."I guess it's time to fight then, right?"
"AYE!" the elves all shouted.
"GIMME A 'W'!" Tasha shouted.
"W!" the elves roared.
"GIMME AN 'E'!"
"E!"
"GIMME A 'R'!"
"R!"
"GIMME AN 'O'!"
"O!"
"GIMME A 'C'!"
"C!"
"GIMME A 'K'!"
"K!"
"What does that spell?" she asked cheerfully.
"WE ROCK!" everyone shouted, and hats of various types flew into the air.
-l-o-l-
Well, they were all set up to fight. That was for sure (although Santa was still a bit uneasy about it all). But they still had to find their enemies. So the straw hats each split up, taking a small group of elves with them. Santa took most of his army with him and would search all the secret passageways.
Skie and her group of seven elves were back in the Christmas tree room, Skie giggling every time she saw a broken branch or a knocked over tree, knowing Zoro had been the one who was practically beaten up here.
"Skie, right?" one of the elves asked. It was the elf who wore the Indiana Jones hat (Skie started flipping out when she saw he'd be following her).
"Yep, yep, Lil' Indie." She said.
"My name is Ralph."
"I'll call you Indie."
Ralph grumbled, "Fine, fine. But do you know where we're going? Shouldn't one of us elves lead since we live here?"
"Nope! I've got a girl's intuition!"
The other elves sighed heavily.
"Can I lead? Please?" Ralph asked.
"Nope. I'm stubborn. Don't try changing my mind."
"Bah." Ralph grumbled again but kept quiet.
They reached the other side of the huge, sparkling Christmas tree room, and spotted another door. Skie hopped over her group of elves and opened it. "What's this room? It's pitch black in here." Skie noted.
"That's weird. This is the Christmas light room…" an elf with a fighter pilot's helmet on said. The helmet was way too big for him, so Skie thought he was adorable too. "Usually this place is always fully lit."
"I have a strangely suspicious feeling." Skie said.
"Great." Ralph walked past her, disappearing into the dark. "Lemme find the light switch-Whoa!" he yelled in surprise.
Skie grunted and jumped into the dark, "HIYAA!" she roared.
"RAAAH!" apparently, she'd gotten a lucky shot and kicked Ralph's would-be-capturer.
Skie grabbed for Ralph, catching him by the back of his shirt, and chucked him at the square light source that was the open door. "RUN FOR IT! GET SANTA AND EVERYONE AND GET BACK HERE! Oi! Let go!" Skie barked.
The seven elves hesitated for a moment before rushing away from the open door. As they ran, they heard Skie shout "See? Told you! Girl's intuition! Hah! I SAID LET GO, YA STUPID- Hey! It's you! You're-"
The door slammed shut with a dramatic echo-ish sound effect that silenced Skie.
-o-m-g- -d-o-u-b-l-e- -l-o-l-
"SANTAAA!" Ralph and the six others shouted, running quickly through every secret passage they came across. They ran into Santa and the other elves in a big room covered in Star Wars posters. "Santa, they got Skie! We know where they're hiding!"
"They what? Kidnap? Again? THAT'S IT! NO MORE MR. NICE ELF!" Santa yelled.
"Your blood pressure, Santa." An elf chirped by his side.
"I'm calm…" Santa said.
"What's with the yelling?"
Everyone screamed and turned around to see Roronoa Zoro standing at the other entrance in the back of the room with his group of five elves. "What is it?"
"Skie's been kidnapped." Santa said.
Zoro's eye twitched, "Again?"
"Again? She's been kidnapped before?" Ralph asked.
"Oh, many, many times…hell, I'm gonna kill her when I rescue her." He walked towards the other door, the elves parting to get out of his way.
"Zoro?" Ralph called, causing the swordsman to stop.
"What?" he snapped, turning around and glaring down.
"Do you even know where you're going?"
Zoro was silent, glaring at a nearby poster of Han Solo.
"I think I heard yelling from over here, Sanji-Kun." Nami's voice called. Nami and Sanji emerged from the door Zoro just came from, "Ah, hello everyone." She greeted.
"Skie's been kidnapped again," Zoro informed then.
"Again?!" Nami groaned loudly, smacking her forehead.
"We hafta rescue poor Skie-Chan!" Sanji wailed.
"This way! Follow me!" Ralph waved his arm and started running down the hall, and the army of elves, Santa, Zoro, Nami, and Zoro followed close behind.
-s-t-a-m-p-e-d-e-
They reached the door, and Nami was the one who opened it (to Sanji's annoyingly shrill protesting). As soon as she had the door open, a hand zoomed out at her. She shrieked and ducked, and Sanji spun over her like an enraged helicopter-guy, legs spinning and blocking the numerous knives that flew at them through the door and kicking the disembodied hand to the side.
"Hmm." Zoro said flatly, "I wonder who we're up against today."
"Idiot." Nami said.
"I was being sarcastic!" Zoro yelled.
Sanji pointed at Zoro, "Don't you talk to my Nami-Swan like that!"
"Shut up, you mamby-pamby-pansy!"
Suddenly, the lights inside the room of which they'd yet to enter turned on, blinding them momentarily.
They all cautiously entered the room, looking around nervously. The light room was huge also, you could have fit fifty armies of elves in that room without getting too close together. The walls were lined with glowing Christmas lights of various types and sizes. Some flashed, some blinked, some made cool patterns, the room just sparkled with it all.
"So! The Straw Hats finally show themselves!" a voice laughed echoed around them, and the door out of the light room slammed shut, making them all jump. "Glad you could make it!"
"What is the meaning of this?" Santa barked.
"Steady now, Big Man," the voice laughed again.
"That's Mr. Clause, to you!" an elf barked angrily.
"Quiet, shrimp!" the voice sounded angry again.
"Oi, cut the crap and tell us where Skie is." Zoro said, his eyes scanning the room for anything suspicious.
"What? Oh. Her. Right." There was a pause, "Hold on." Another long pause later (in which one elf yawned, then all of them started yawning) there was a loud metallic clank, and a tall glass box fell from an opening in the ceiling and clanked to the ground. Inside the glass box was Skie.
"Skie!" They all rushed forward.
"Skie, are you all right?" Nami demanded.
"Are you okay, Skie-Chan?!" Sanji said.
Zoro was looking up at the ceiling for the person responsible.
"Guys!" Skie said.
"What?! Are you hurt?! What is it?!"
"Watch this!" she pressed her hands up against the glass, then pressed a hand against the top of the glass box, and the other hand on the side of the glass box.
"What're you doing?" Ralph said slowly.
"I'm a mime!" She said happily.
They all grew silent, Skie grinning obliviously, continuing to pretend she was a mime.
"THIS IS NO TIME TO BE PLAYING MIIIIME!" Zoro roared angrily, his forehead almost touching the glass, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU WHEN WE RESCUE YOU!"
"I don't need no rescue! Listen to mah bad grammah! Hahahaaah!" Skie laughed loudly.
"What'd you do to Skie? She's stupider." Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"She was never stupid! Shut up!" Sanji yelled.
"I gave her a cookie with some stuff in it to make her loopy so she wouldn't try to break the glass again. You really can't, it's bulletproof-"
Zoro's fist and Sanji's foot went through the glass, and Zoro snatched her out before the glass could touch her.
"Gotcha," Zoro said.
"AAAGH!" the voice shrieked, "CURSE YOU, STRAW HATS!"
"That's for druggin' Skie-Chan!" Sanji barked.
"My mime box! Nooo!" Skie sniffled, "Hey, Moss-Head, can I have a bowl of cereal?"
"No, you can't have a bowl of cereal." Nami said, pulling Skie away from Zoro before he 'accidentally' tossed her across the room.
"Who are you? Show yourself, coward!" Santa shouted.
"Coward? ME?!" there was a loud explosion in the corner of the room where a large fiber optic light display was, and there, in the flickering rubble, stood none other than Buggy the Clown, Arlong, Don Krieg, and Kuro.
"We're making a glorified cameo!" Buggy cheered. (Got that from Yugioh Abridged x3)
"And this time, we won't let any of you survive!" Arlong laughed.
"I'M THE GREATEST!" Don Krieg yelled.
"He sounds like Don Krieg from my video game," Skie said, pointing at Krieg, "I don't like him, it's the 4Kids version. Make him go away, Sanji!" she whined, then suddenly gasped.
"What?" they looked at her.
"Look at the pretty lights!" she said.
Zoro's arm twitched as he resisted to smack her in the back of the head and turned his attention back to Buggy.
"So you wanted to attack us, right?" Nami asked them.
"Yes." Kuro said.
"So you kidnap a bunch of elves from Santa's Workshop." Nami raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"This was all a part of my ingenious plan!" Kuro pointed a claw at her, "Do NOT mock the plan!" Kuro hissed.
"But mocking is fun! Isn't it Zoro? Haha, mocking you is fun!" Skie giggled.
"ONE more word, Skie, and I'm gonna tape you to the ceiling!" Zoro barked, drawing his swords.
"Elves!" Santa raised an arm.
"HUP!" the elves all grouched down low, strapping their helmets down.
"ATTACK!" Santa pointed at the four pirates, and they all charged, swords, legs, staffs, and elves flying in every direction.
Skie stood in the back of the room staring at a fiber optic light that changed colors every two seconds
The battle raged on viciously, Skie not moving from where she was, until she heard Santa shout. She turned and saw Santa with five of Kuro's claws at his neck.
"NOBODY move or the fat oaf gets it!" Kuro growled.
Everyone grew still.
Arlong laughed, "All we want is Luffy, and the rest of the Straw Hat crew."
"We'll let you fools live if you hand them over and don't ally with them any longer." Buggy offered, grinning.
"Never!" Santa said dramatically.
"NEVER!" the elves all echoed.
Kuro shrugged, "You're choice. I've personally always wanted to stab Santa." He paused, "I got too much coal as a kid." He raised his claws to slash Santa up like Freddy Kruger, when the whole room shook violently as another explosion boomed next to the small hole where Buggy and Gang came in.
There was a blur, and then, soaring at Kuro, was a very angry looking Mrs. Clause with a rolling pin. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY HUSBAAAAND!" and the rolling pin connected with his forehead, which sent Kuro flying.
Nine reindeer charged in then. They had metal armor on that seemed to be coated with glitter. Luffy was riding one of them, laughing loudly. Usopp was riding another, clinging to its neck for dear life. Tasha rode on the one that everyone could recognize through the helmet because of the bright red glowing nose.
"Charge, Rudolph!" Tasha laughed.
"Aye Aye!" Rudolph grinned, lowered his head, and charged at Buggy.
Buggy laughed, "Hah! Chop Chop-"
"DUCK!" Skie hurled a wad of Christmas lights at Buggy, and it collided with the back of his head. Buggy, not able to finish his attack, ended up getting trampled by Tasha and Rudolph. Skie then started laughing like a hyena.
"RAAAH!" Don Krieg swung his spear upwards, then down at Skie, who stared up at it unblinkingly.
"Skie!" Ralph jumped, and shoved her out of the way. They landed on the ground, Ralph sliding to a stop in a sitting position, Skie sliding to a stop on her face.
"Owie…" she groaned, "The heck's going on? My head hurts…" she grunted.
"Skie," Ralph waved a hand in front of her face, getting her attention. "Do you want some cereal?"
"Why? I'm not hungry for cereal right now."
"Are you still loopy off the drugged cookie Buggy gave you?"
"I don't think so. Wait, drugged cookie?"
"Yes, now move!" He got up and dodged an attack from Arlong.
"Puny human! I'll smear you into the floor!" Arlong grinned.
"I'm no human!" Ralph barked.
Arlong stared at him, "You're right! You're even more pathetically small than a puny human!" Arlong started laughing, "I could step on you like a bug!"
"Step on THIS! Taste the fury of my Indiana Jones hat!" Ralph jumped in the air, coming up to eye-level with the shark man, and kicked him in face.
"MY EYEZ!" Arlong fell backwards after being poked by Ralph's foot.
"Serves you right!" Skie got to her feet and dodged an attack from Buggy, but only barely, as the knife pinned her sweatshirt sleeve to the wooden floor. "I'm pinned." She said flatly, raising a hand.
"Skie! Rudolph, charge!" Tasha pointed at Buggy.
"Not this time, dear! Gettit? DEAR?! HAHAHA! Because he's a deer!" Buggy laughed hysterically at his own joke as Tasha and Rudolph charged at him. His grin darkened and he threw another round of knives at Skie, whom was unable to move.
Rudolph jumped in the air, and parried the knives with his antlers at record speed, halting in front of Skie with a grin on his face. "I'm a reindeer, Big-Nose." Rudolph said smugly, looking rather intimidating with several knives sticking from his antlers.
"Yeah, Big-Nose!" Tasha taunted, knowing very well what that would do.
Buggy's eyes bulged, "BIG NOSE?! ME?!"
"You must be getting tired of that." Skie stated.
"Oh yes." Buggy nodded, his mood flashing from enraged to conversational.
"Idiot…" Zoro heard Kuro mutter under his breath.
Buggy's mood flashed again and he attacked Rudolph and Tasha.
Skie Yanked the dagger out of the floor (after a couple dozen wiggles) and ran into the battle, leaping over a huge group of elves that were swarming over a bamboozled Don Krieg and landing next to Santa. "What do we do now?"
Santa shrugged, "I don't know, are we winning?"
Skie looked out over the battle.
Krieg was completely hidden in a mountain of furious elves, Zoro was pummeling Kuro, Luffy and Nami were beating the pulp out of Arlong, and Rudolph and Tasha were taking on Buggy with ease. The reindeer and Usopp were attacking whichever one of the four were closest. And Mrs. Clause was with Zoro, batting Kuro with her rolling pin whenever he tried to slash at the green-haired swordsman.
"I'd say we are." Skie nodded.
"Oh, good." Santa grinned cheerfully.
"Have you even fought at all?" Skie asked, looking up at him.
"Nope." Santa shook his head.
"Your wife's fighting, you know. Why aren't you?"
"I'm a saint."
"Oh. Right." Skie nodded knowingly. "I understand."
They stood in silence with mayhem and chaos going on around them, Skie picking at her nails, trying to dislodge an unwelcome piece of dirt under her thumb. Santa was humming 'Joy to the World' as Kuro flew through the air in front of him.
Buggy drew back from Tasha and Rudolph, "I think it's time we retreat!" he called.
Krieg's arm popped out of the elf pile, "I AGREE!" he shouted.
Kuro grunted and vanished, reappearing beside Buggy, "I hate to say it, but I do to."
"You humans are so weak! OOF!" Luffy punched Arlong in the gut and the shark man careened through the air, crashing into a bulging-eyed Buggy.
Kuro sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Idiots. I'm always surrounded by idiots."
Krieg's arm appeared from the elf pile again, "I'M NOT AN IDIOT!" he yelled.
"Get offa me!" Buggy shoved Arlong off of him and stood up, "This isn't the last time we'll meet, Straw Hats!"
"I don't doubt it." Skie muttered.
"You shut up!" Buggy pointed at her, "I really don't like you!"
"Likewise!" Skie barked back.
"Arlong, get Krieg and let's get outta here!" Buggy pointed at the elf mountain and ran like heck through the giant hole with a slight limp, Kuro sprinting behind him.
Arlong charged like a football player through the elves around Krieg, grabbed his ankle, and ran after Kuro and Buggy, ignoring Krieg's shouts of 'You can't drag me!' and 'I'm the greatest!' and 'The greatest don't get dragged!'.
"That was kind of really stupid." Skie said.
"I agree. They didn't even do anything but give you a drugged cookie."
"How'd you know about that?"
"Zoro told me." Tasha pointed at Zoro, who was poking at a candy cane colored lava lamp on a wall.
"That was a yummy drugged cookie, though." Skie grinned.
"I'll bet!" Tasha looked at Mrs. Clause, "Mrs. Clause, before I go, do you think I could have some more cookies?"
"Oh of course, dear! I'd be glad to make more!" Mrs. Clause smiled and walked out of the Christmas Light room. She reappeared a second later, "Oh, dear?" she called to Santa.
"Yes?"
"There's a remote by your foot. Push the button on it." Mrs. Clause smiled again and disappeared.
Santa looked down, and picked the little remote by his foot. There were two red buttons on it. One looked like it'd already book pressed. "Hmm…" He pushed the other one, making a little 'beep!' sound.
"WAAAAAAH!" everyone looked up to see at least fifty elves fall from the opening in the ceiling where Skie first came through.
Most of them landed on Zoro.
"Hey! It's the newbie elves!" Rudolph said.
"I'm gonna murder someone when I get out of here." came Zoro's muffled complaint.
"Don't say that during Christmas or I'll shove coal down your-"
"Santa! Don't talk like that!" Tasha said.
"I was going to say 'stocking'."
"Oh. Okay then." Tasha smiled, satisfied. "Now let's go get some cookies before I hafta wake up!"
-s-u-c-h- -a- -p-o-i-n-t-l-e-s-s- -b-a-t-t-l-e-
"Mrs. Clause I need your recipe before I leave," Tasha said, her mouth jammed with cookies.
Everyone was eating them. The elves, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Santa…Luffy, Skie, and Tasha were having a cookie-eating contest (Luffy was winning). Even Zoro had a cookie, but nobody knew that because he would only take a bite when no one was looking, then hide it behind his back.
"Sure, dear." Mrs. Clause smiled.
"Hey, what happened to that penguin plushie we saw earlier?" Skie asked.
"Him? Oh they turned him back into an elf." Tasha said.
"Where is he?"
"Right here," they all turned to see a little elf that looked like a five year old, unlike the other elves whom all looked at least ten.
"How'd they turn you back to normal?" Skie asked.
"Simple. They put me through the machine backwards."
"…But-" Nami started.
"Just roll with it," Skie suggested.
Nami hesitated, but shrugged, continuing to munch on her cookie.
"We will escort you to your ship soon, so you can go on your way and continue your journey. But first…" Santa paused, and everyone stared at him. "Presents!"
The room erupted with cheers as Santa walked out of the room to get the presents from the huge red bag on the back of his sleigh. He came back with each present perfectly balanced on top of each other.
"Showoff," Mrs. Clause laughed.
Santa grinned and set them down on the table, away from Skie, Luffy, Usopp, and Tasha, since the three of them were practically foaming at the mouth. He passed the presents around to each person.
They each opened their presents, some with more vigor than the rest. (Zoro stared at his for a minute or two before slowly starting to open it).
Nami gasped when she saw a gift card for a large clothing store that would be on the next island they landed on. "Thank you, Santa!" she said, hugging the tall elf.
"You're welcome, Nami." He said cheerfully.
Usopp got something to polish his goggles and a new rubber band for his slingshot. "Thank you! But…How did you know I needed a new rubber band?" he asked curiously.
Santa shrugged, "I'm Santa Clause."
Usopp nodded in awe.
Luffy's present had a plate with a large steak dinner in it. "WAAAA!" he shouted, overjoyed as he started eating it right there. "THANK…YOU!" he shouted between bites.
Sanji opened up his present to see a brand new set of frying pans, "Thank you, Santa," he said politely, smiling. He needed a new one. His old one had a dent in the bottom when Skie hit Zoro over the head with it (not that he ever complained about that).
Tasha opened up hers and saw both the recipe for Mrs. Clause's cookies, and a pretty silver bracelet with a Straw Hat charm, and a charm of a Christmas tree. "Wow!" she said, "I love it!"
"It's to remind you of your adventure here," Santa said, "Don't worry, it will be on your wrist when you wake up."
Tasha put it on, happy to see it fit perfectly, "I love it!" she squealed.
Santa grinned, proud of himself. So proud in fact, he ate another cookie.
Skie opened hers next, seeing a new hooded sweatshirt neatly folded inside.
"Yours ripped." Santa said, pointing at her sleeve.
"Eee! It's so soft!" she said, hugging it. She slipped her old hoodie off and put on her new one.
"Wait, what did your shirt say?" Nami asked, referring to the tank top she wore under the gray hoodie.
"She had a shirt under there?" Sanji raised an eyebrow.
"It said, 'Pirates Rock'." Skie said absent mindedly, rubbing the long sweatshirt sleeves together.
"I like….that shirt…" Luffy said, still eating.
"Well, Zoro. What'd you get?" Usopp asked. Zoro sure was taking his time opening his.
"Hmph." Zoro finally pulled off the wrapper, and saw a plain white card. He raised an eyebrow and picked the card up, reading the inside slowly. When he finished his face was beat red.
"Oooh!" Nami said, "What's it say? Look at his face! It's gotta be good!"
"Yeah, Zoro, what's it say?" Skie asked curiously.
Zoro flinched at her voice, nearly toppling off of his chair. "Nothing!" he snapped.
Tasha blinked, "Aw, come on Zoro, tell us!"
"Yeah!" Everyone chimed, save Santa and Mrs. Clause.
"No. Way. I'm not reading this out loud!" Zoro sounded horrified by the very prospect of that.
"Then I'll read it!" Skie said, reaching for it.
"No!" Zoro held it over his head.
"Gimme the card!" Skie said, standing up and jumping for it.
"Get back!" Zoro stood up, still holding it over his head.
"Give it!" Skie said, jumping up and snatching at it.
"Whoa-ho!" Zoro leaned back so Skie's arm missed the card by a millimeter. "You ain't reading it!" he yelled, and then stuffed the card into his mouth.
"Eeeww!" everyone stared at his puffed out, paper-filled cheeks.
Santa and Mrs. Clause burst out laughing. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the idea eventually!" Santa said, "And you'll like it."
"No I won't!" Zoro said, mouth full of paper still. He swallowed, gagging and sticking his tongue out from the weird taste, "I'll never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever love-" his voice caught in his throat, "…b-broccoli." He finished.
"That was the card?! Telling you you'd like broccoli?" Nami seemed very disappointed, "Santa, I hate to say, but that was lame."
"Broccoli?" Santa grinned slyly, ignoring Zoro's pleading look to play along, "I don't remember writing 'broccoli' anywhere in that card."
Mrs. Clause started laughing again.
"Whaaat?" Skie looked at Zoro, "What'd it say?!"
Zoro glared at her with more intensity than he usually did. "Nope. Not gonna say. I'm going back to the ship." He turned, his face still red, and stormed out the closest door to him.
"…Okaaay…" Usopp said slowly.
"Marimo's just being stupid." Sanji grunted.
Tasha yawned suddenly, "I think I'm going to wake up soon…" she said as her eyelids drooped.
"It was nice to see you again, Tasha!" Skie said, hugging her pal.
Tasha hugged her back, "Nice to see you again too! Thanks for letting be fight alongside the crew, guys."
"Don't mention it," Nami said.
Tasha yawned once more, and put the cookie recipe in her pocket. She made sure her bracelet was on her wrist, and then waved at everyone, "Bye!"
"Bye, Tasha!" everyone in the room said.
And with that, Tasha vanished.
"That always creeps me out." Usopp noted.
"Now…to the ship!" Luffy said, his dinner finished. "I'm full! And ready to take a nap!"
"Captain's orders. Let's go. Santa, could we please get that escort now?" Nami asked.
"Of course, of course. It was nice meeting you all!"
"Nice meeting you too, Santa!"
-b-a-c-k- -o-n- -t-h-e- -s-h-i-p-
"Well, I loved Christmas this year!" Nami said, looking at her new gift card.
"It was really fun!" Luffy said, grinning widely.
"Heck yesh it was." Skie said happily.
"Maybe we could come back and visit next year, huh?" Usopp asked.
"Maybe." Sanji shrugged, then headed into the kitchen to put his new frying pans away.
"Hey…" Usopp looked around. "Where's Zoro?"
-?-
Zoro stood in a huge tunnel made of ice that was identical to dozens of other tunnels in the area. He looked around, a vein popping on his forehead. "WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"
Haha. Christmas is over.
A VERY Merry late Christmas to everyone!
lol, it's closer to Halloween than Christmas...I'm almost a year late, ain't that sad? Yes. Yes it is. I'm getting back into my One Piece groove though! (Oh jeez, I just said groove...) So that may or may not mean really fast updates. I have school though, too. Which is annoying, because I'm actually trying to get really good grades now instead of just floating through. Darn.
And what'd Zoro's card say? Well, ask Santa. Or Kelly.
And there you go Tasha! For those of you who don't know, Tasha won an art contest I had, and the prize was an appearance in the story. Hers happened to be a really long appearance, no? Lucky xD I hope you liked it! And your pressents. Yep, I hoped you liked your very late Christmas pressents x3
And make sure to read other Skie in the OP world related stories of mine! Such as: The Island, Ask the Characters of Psycho on the Going Merry, Psycho in Hogwarts and Bookworm on the Going Merry, and there's a slight mention of Sanji in Skie in Psycho in Mushroom Kingdom. For a hint on what was in that card, read The Island (the last chapter, if you want to skip all the other stuff)
ROOTBEER AND ROCK! and roll.