LiamTheYoshi
Given he's a five year old kid, Alex can get pretty emotional quickly. Alex will let his parents save the money for now until later.
mariobroultimate
In my humble opinion, I would guess that the Peterson family will put the prize money in their savings and use it for Alex and Leah's education as they grow older.
StarlitDuck
It's actually $312,500 if you multiply 250,000 by 1.25. I can't blame Alex for being overwhelmed because it was so sudden and everyone was on the edge of their seats during the video review.
10C - The Christmas Show
It's 8:00 PM on Christmas Eve 2004. At the Peterson residence, Alex and Leah were in their pajamas getting the plate of cookies and milk glass ready for Santa. There were three double chocolate chip cookies with chocolate milk on the side.
"I hope Santa likes chocolate," Alex said.
"I'm sure he will," Terry agreed. "Are you two ready?"
"YES!" Alex and Leah shouted with excitement.
"Great! Sit on the couch right there." Terry pointed to the couch facing the living room's fireplace in front before Alex and Leah sat on it.
"I can't wait, Mom!" Alex said.
"Me neither!" Leah added in.
"All right. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the show," Terry said. She turned the living room lights off to begin a Christmas show put together by her and Rocco.
The lights on the Christmas tree and walls brightened with fluorescent colors while soft Christmas music started playing over the ceiling speakers. Seconds later, a voiceover of Rocco began reciting the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas".
"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house – Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; – The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, – In hopes that St. Nicholas would be there;"
The four stockings above the fireplace lit up, amazing Leah and Alex.
"The children were nestled all snug in their beds; – While visions of candy danced in their heads; – And mother in her 'kerchief, and me in my cap, – Had just settled for a long winter's nap,"
Suddenly, the sound of jingling bells arose from the window on the right side of the living room, prompting Alex and Leah to turn to it.
"Santa's coming," Leah whispered.
"When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, – I got out of bed to see what was the matter. – Away to the window I flew like a flash, – Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash."
The window's blinds and curtains quickly opened up by themselves to show the backyard covered with snow. Even though it was cloudy outside, there was a bunch of lights hidden within the snow to project the Moon and stars in the sky.
"Wow..." Alex murmured.
"The Moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, – Gave a luster of midday to objects below, – When what to my wondering eyes did appear, – But a miniature sleigh and nine tiny reindeer."
Another projector outside turned on to show Santa and his nine reindeer flying through the air toward the house. Alex and Leah could barely see Rudolph's nose shining red.
"There's Rudolph," Leah whispered while pointing to Rudolph.
"With a little old driver so lively and quick, – I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick. – More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, – And he whistled and called them by name:"
As the projection of Santa and his reindeer got closer to the house, Rocco's voice deepened to imitated Santa.
"'Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! – On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph! – To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! – Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!'"
Rocco's voice returned to normal while Santa and his reindeer disappeared above the top of the window.
"As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, – When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; – So up to the housetop the coursers they flew – With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too."
Suddenly, clattering noises sounded from the speakers and all the lights turned off except for the ones on the stockings.
"And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof – The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. – As I drew in my head, and was turning around,"
The fireplace lit up with whitish yellow lights before a silhouette of Santa dropped down the chimney and landed in the fireplace.
"There he is," Alex whispered.
"Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound – He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot;"
The silhouette of Santa walked out of the fireplace and into the living room. Black powder dripped from the silhouette, who appeared to be carrying a sack full of toys.
"And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; – A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, – And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack."
As the silhouette of Santa placed down his sack, it lit up a small bit to allow Alex and Leah to see it in full detail.
"His eyes, how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! – His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! – His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, – And the beard on his face was as white as the snow; – The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, – And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;"
A faint cloud of black smoke emerged from the silhouette's pipe briefly.
"He had a broad face and a big round belly – That shook when he laughed, like a big bowl of jelly."
The silhouette of Santa laughed with his hands on his belly, which jiggled in the process. Alex and Leah silently giggled at the sight of Santa laughing.
"He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, – And I chuckled when I saw him, in spite of myself;"
The silhouette of Santa turned his head toward Alex and Leah and winked.
"A wink of his eye and a twist of his head – Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;"
The silhouette walked slowly to the stockings and appeared to be filling them, but the stockings only opened up by themselves.
"He didn't speak a word, but went straight to his work, – And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,"
The stockings closed by themselves and the silhouette of Santa turned his head to Alex and Leah again before placing his right index finger in front of his lips.
"And laying his finger aside of his nose," At that point, the music faded away and the silhouette dimmed back to black before nodding his head.
"And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;" As the silhouette of Santa walked back into the fireplace, the lights turned off and the window blinds and curtains closed, leaving the living room in complete darkness.
"What's gonna happen now?" Leah asked Alex silently.
"I don't know."
"He hopped on his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle," Rocco's voice continued. A faint whistle sounded from the ceiling before the sound of jingling bells arose and slowly faded away. "And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. – But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,"
Suddenly, a different deep voice called out from the fireplace in front, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Ho ho ho!"
The living room lights immediately turned back on, revealing Mario dressed as Santa standing in front of the fireplace. In addition, the song "Jingle Bells" started playing over the speakers.
"MARIO!" Leah and Alex cried before running into Mario's arms.
Meanwhile, Terry had been observing the Christmas show from the kitchen with Rocco at her side. She was crying tears of joy at the sight of Leah and Alex hugging Mario.
"Wow... I can't believe it..." Terry murmured.
"Me neither. What a show that was," Rocco remarked.
Leah, Alex, and Mario sung the chorus of "Jingle Bells" before the song ended and the Christmas tree and wall lights lit up again.
Everyone cheered for a few moments before Mario kneeled and Alex and Leah sat on his knees.
"Thank you, Mario," Alex and Leah thanked Mario.
"Not at all, kids," Mario replied in his Santa voice. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you too," Alex said.
"How about that?" Terry asked before she and Rocco sat on the couch. "Did you love the show?"
"We did!" "I loved it!" Leah and Alex exclaimed respectively.
"How are you doing tonight?" Mario asked in his regular voice. "Have you been good this year? Hmm?"
"I've been good, Mario," Alex answered.
"Me too," Leah added in.
"Okey-dokey! Before you go to bed, how about an early Christmas present for you two?" Mario offered.
"YES!" Alex and Leah cheered while clapping their hands rapidly.
"All right-y!" Leah and Alex stood back up before Mario did the same. "Wait here while I get my bag of toys, okay?"
"Girls first!" Leah squealed.
"That's right, little princess! Girls first!" Mario agreed. He walked into the fireplace and reached up to get a brown sack from a compartment inside the chimney.
"What's in there?" Alex asked.
"You'll see. Be patient," Mario said. He set the sack to the right of the Christmas tree and rummaged through it to find Leah's present. "Now let me see... What does Leah get...?" Seconds later, Mario pulled out a Fashion Plates Deluxe Kit that serves as a fashion design book for girls.
Leah gasped at the sight of her gift. "Is that-"
"It is, Leah," Mario said in his Santa voice. "I know you want to be a fashion maker when you grow up."
Leah hurried toward Mario and took the kit before giving Mario a short hug.
"Thank you so much, Mario!" Leah exclaimed. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Leah," Mario replied in his regular voice. He then turned to Alex. "Now for you, buddy!"
"Okay!" Alex interjected.
Again, Mario sifted through the sack for Alex's gift. While searching, Mario hummed the "Overworld" theme from Super Mario World. Eventually, Mario pulled out a large picture book based on the Dinosaur Land adventure that Mario's old friend Jim Heeding went on with him and Luigi.
"I present to you Mario & Yoshi's Adventure Land!" Mario declared in his Santa voice.
"YAY!" Alex cheered while jumping for joy. "I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THAT BOOK!" Alex ran up to Mario and grabbed the book. "THANK YOU, MARIO!"
"You're welcome, buddy," Mario responded. "Do you want to know what else is in there?"
"What is it?" Alex asked. Mario opened the book to reveal a DVD with the same name as the book. Alex got even more excited than when he received the book.
"There's a movie with it?!"
"Just for you, Alex," Mario replied in his regular voice before Alex hugged him too.
"I LOVE IT! I CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH THE MOVIE!"
"Me too!" Leah said.
"All right, kids. It's time for bed," Rocco stated. "There are more presents for Mario to put under the tree, you know."
"Okay," Alex and Leah answered in unison.
"Good night, Mario," Leah said before hugging Mario again.
"Good night, little princess. Merry Christmas," Mario replied softly. Leah quickly ran upstairs.
"Good night, Santa," Alex giggled. "Thank you for my present."
"Ho ho ho," Mario laughed in his Santa voice while Alex hugged him tight. "Any time, buddy. I'll do anything for you." Alex stopped hugging Mario after five seconds. "Merry Christmas, Alex."
"Merry Christmas, Santa," Alex said before running upstairs. Mario, Rocco, and Terry watched Leah and Alex go into their bedrooms before going into the kitchen.
"Great job, Mario," Rocco praised Mario while shaking his hand. "It all worked perfectly."
"I guess those rehearsals paid off," Mario remarked. He was referring to when he and Rocco practiced the show multiple times while Leah and Alex were in school.
"Let's put the presents under the tree while we still can," Terry said. She helped Rocco and Mario take the rest of the presents out of the sack and put them under the Christmas tree. Rocco also put some candies in Alex and Leah's stockings that he bought a while ago.
"Do you want the milk and cookies too?" Rocco offered.
"Why would I not?" Mario asked in his Santa voice. "I am Santa after all."
Everyone laughed at Mario's comment before Mario took the milk and cookies and ate them.
"That's so yummy," Mario said. "I love chocolate."
"I figured," Terry agreed. "It was Alex's idea."
"Good for him." Mario let out a sigh and spoke in his regular voice, "All right-y. My work here is done."
"Thank you so much, Mario," Rocco thanked Mario.
"You're very welcome," Mario replied before shaking Rocco and Terry's hands. "I'm more than glad to raise the holiday spirits."
"And you nailed it," Terry said. Mario started toward the front door after picking up his sack.
"Merry Christmas, guys," Mario said before opening the door.
"Merry Christmas, Mario," Rocco and Terry replied. They waved goodbye while Mario walked outside and prepared to go back to his pad.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
All right. That's a wrap, everyone. This has been "A Twisted Tennis Tournament". Thank you so much for reading this story. Special thanks to mariobroultimate once again for letting me use his OC Aqua, and to all the other users for their support as well. Stay tuned for more game adaptations and/or original stories in the near future, and this is nintendoscript15 signing out.