Holly Daze
A Teen Titans Christmas Fiction
Summary: The Titans meet a pair of girls and quickly become friends. But there's something special about these girls, and their feuding could cause a major disruption in the city's Christmas celebration! Can the Teen Titans fix the broken bonds of the two girls before it's too late?
Chapter Five
Christmas Eve
Starfire yawned, opening her eyes. Her room was lit by her frosty window. She shivered, noticing it was very cold in the tower, even in her bed. The alien floated to her window, wiping away a layer of frost before seeing a snowy tundra, and the snow was still falling. "Oh dear..." she sighed. She knew it was Christmas Eve, and the snow could ruin many of the city's plans for the holiday. She wondered what the time was, and quietly walked out of her room.
She passed the bedroom of Beastboy, shaking her head at the large mountain of blankets on his bed. Next was the old bedroom of Terra, and she stopped in front of it, her eyebrows rising. The door had been forced open from the power outage, but she wondered who could have possibly needed to go in there. The blankets on the bed were messed up, and it seemed someone had slept in there. Starfire silently floated into the room, her lime green eyes wide. Confusion reigned on her features as she looked for any sign of the person who had been in there, but there was none.
A loud crash downstairs caused her to jump, and leave to room to find the source. Starfire crept around a corner, seeing the metal counterpart of the Titans working at the fuse box. "Cyborg?" her voice was quiet compared to her usual perky one.
The meta-human glanced up, and smiled, "Hey Star. Glad to see you out of your room. What's up?"
"I was walking in the hallway, and I noticed the door formerly belonging to Terra was forced open," she stated.
Cyborg cocked his head to one side, "Terra's door? No one should have been in there..."
"I thought the same thing, but the bed looked as if it had been used," Starfire folded her arms over her chest to keep warm.
"Huh..." Cyborg set down a group of tools and started to head up the stairs. Starfire followed close behind. They reached the room decorated with stars, and Cyborg began to inspect the door. "Looks like it was opened magically. We'll have to ask Raven - she's the only one who could open the door this way."
"Why would Raven wish to go inside Terra's bedroom?" Starfire inquired.
"We'll have to ask her when she wakes up," Cyborg shrugged. "For now, we got to try to fix the power. I might need your help - I can't use too much power or I'll shut down myself."
Starfire nodded, and they walked back down the stairs. She glanced in the living room, seeing a pile of blankets on the sofa. "It seems Holly is a heavy sleeper," she whispered.
"Yeah, I'm surprised she slept through the racket I was making before," Cyborg said as he opened the fuse box again.
Beastboy opened his eyes, a smile creeping across his face as he saw a cloaked figure lying beside him. The early, early morning events raced to his mind, and he gently shook the shoulder of the girl. "Hey Terra," he whispered.
She didn't respond, but stirred a bit.
Smirking, he poked her sides, causing her to squirm.
"Hey!" she laughed, jumping up. She looked at him, and her emerald eyes widened.
Beastboy's jaw dropped, and a dumbfounded expression was plain on his face. "Holly... how did you...?" he stumbled for words.
Holly bit on her lower lip, and seemed to be holding back tears. "I'm sorry," she apologized quietly, and got up. Before he could reply, she ran out of the room.
The changeling leaned against the wall that his bed was against. He didn't know if what he had experienced that night had been a dream, or real.
"We're going to have to defrost the generator," Cyborg said.
Starfire's eyes wandered to the window, "Out... there?" she whispered.
Cyborg nodded, "We don't really have a choice. It's that, or defrost the town. Pick one."
"The generator is smaller, yes?"
"Come on, it won't be too bad," Cyborg chuckled, leading the way outside.
Starfire, now bundled up more than she had been earlier, followed the meta-human. Her eyes wandered across the winter wonderland, the wind blowing fiercely. Teeth chattering, they made their way to the generator outside the 'T' of their home.
Cyborg opened the large box, groaning at the sight. "Have your starbolts ready?" he asked.
"Why?" Starfire questioned.
"Your going to be a human soldering iron," he grinned.
Holly hid under the blankets on the sofa. She had crept down the stairs once Cyborg and Starfire had left.
"Holly?" Beastboy called.
She closed her eyes, listening as his footsteps led him closer to her. She felt the cushions sink as he sat on the sofa.
"Holly..." his voice was dry, humorless.
The girl peeked her head out of the blankets, looking at the changeling. He leaned against the other armrest, his head tilted to one side. "H-hey BB," she tried.
"What happened...?" he asked. His face held confusion.
"I was going to ask you the same thing..." she whispered. Holly didn't meet his gaze, and kept her eyes down.
The green Titan leaned back, "I dunno... I was sleeping... Someone woke me up."
"Who?" Holly asked.
Beastboy's gaze fell, "I think it was Terra..."
Holly looked up, tilting her head to one side. Inhaling, she spoke, "She..." the girl stared intently at the boy before her, almost searching for words on his person. "She loved you..." she whispered.
The changeling's head snapped up. "What did you say?"
"Terra... she loved you..." Holly said softly.
His dark evergreen eyes held a mix of confusion and anger. "This isn't a game, Holly. What happened?" he demanded.
"I happened," the blonde said quietly. She pulled the blankets tighter around her shoulders, her breath floating in the air in front of her, "I want you to be happy, Beastboy..."
More confusion reigned on his face, "And?"
"I let Terra... see you." Holly sighed, almost as if she was putting the puzzle together herself.
"Will you stop with the riddles?!" Beastboy growled angrily.
"I'm sorry," Holly apologized, shaking her head. "I didn't mean for anything like this to happen. Remember, when I told you the snow was to be blamed on Ivy and I?"
The changeling nodded.
"Well, we have this.. power... It sounds silly, but it's an amazing gift..." Holly looked up, making sure only she and Beastboy were near. "It's called the gift of Christmas cheer--"
"The gift of Christmas cheer?" Beastboy repeated, disbelief on his face.
"I told you it sounds strange. It's like the idea of Santa Clause, Saint Nicholas..." Holly exhaled, "Hundreds of years ago, our ancestors used this power to create the illusion and bring cheer to those on the day of Christ's birth."
"You mean Santa is real?" Beastboy cocked his head to one side, the anger already dissipated.
"Sort of," Holly said. "Ivy and I aren't sisters by blood, but by magic. Ivy's a 'Christmas nymph'..."
"And you?"
Blushing slightly, the blonde replied, "I'm a Christmas angel."
"Ivy...?" Robin knocked on the wall next to the guest bedroom doorway. He had awoken with a start, a recurring nightmare the cause. After the cold sweat had disappeared, he knew he had to move or he'd freeze in the position. Images of the night before flashed in his mind, and he persuaded himself to go see the blonde he had only known for a day. "Ivy?" he called again.
The mass of blankets shifted, and a groan was heard. "Wha...?"
"It's me... Robin!"
"Come in..." her muffled voice came. She peered over the blankets, her hair floating in all directions from static electricity.
Robin stifled a laugh as he saw the blonde's hair, but sat on the bed beside her with a smile on his face.
"So..." Ivy rubbed her head, an odd grin on her face.
"Are you okay?"
"Okay?" the blonde raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"
Robin shrugged. "I thought you might be confused..."
"Confused?" Ivy repeated.
"I am..." he admitted quietly. Robin hung his head, resting his elbows on his knees.
"..About?" Ivy asked, though she already knew.
He shrugged again, "You, I think... You and Star..."
"There's... something you should know about me, Robin..." Ivy heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm not like you guys... I'm a nymph... A Christmas nymph..."
"Found the problem!" Cyborg said with a grin.
Starfire's teeth chattered loudly as she peered over the meta-human's shoulder. "C-can we go i-in now?" she pleaded.
"Just a minute," Cyborg said, fixing a wire.
The alien heard a strange noise behind her, and turned around, gasping. "The power has returned!" she laughed, seeing the 'T' light up.
"Booyah!" Cyborg cried, thrusting a fist in the air.
"That's... fitting," Beastboy grinned sheepishly.
Holly opened her mouth to reply, when the sound of electricity rushing through circuits was heard. The lights turned on, and the furnace kicked in. "The power!" she clapped her hands together.
"Yes!" Beastboy jumped up. He threw his arms around the blonde in an awkward embrace, but moved away quickly.
Holly smiled, standing up. "Look..."
Beastboy turned to face what she was looking at, and smiled, "The sun..."
"Finally..." Holly stretched her arms, groaning slightly.
The two turned to look toward the entrance when a happy shriek announced the arrival of Starfire. "The sun is free from the clouds!" she giggled.
"It's about time too," Cyborg said. He let out a yawn, "Well ya'll, I'm going to recharge for a while..." and left for his room.
The alien walked over to the two, "Is anyone else awake?" she inquired.
The two shrugged, "I haven't seen anyone else yet today," Beastboy said.
"I see," Starfire frowned, "Well, I shall wish our sleeping friends a merry Christmas Eve..." Slowly taking off her jacket, she began to head toward the bedrooms.
"I'm worried, still," sighed Holly. "I think I know why Robin's been so close to Ivy..."
"Why?" Beastboy questioned.
"Nymphs are small, you know. Just like the fairy tales say... And we have this... power that makes us seem... special, as you said last night," Ivy looked up at the masked hero.
Robin shrugged, "You are special... No power makes you that way..."
"You don't get it," Ivy shook her head, unable to look at him anymore. "I might not ever see you again after tomorrow..."
"What?" Robin's eyes widened, and his jaw fell slightly. "Why not?"
Ivy threw her arms up in frustration. "I'm a Christmas nymph! Tomorrow is Christmas! My power will end after that day and you won't understand why you ever liked me!"
Robin tilted his head to one side, confused. He opened his mouth to reply when the sound of electricity ran through the Tower. "The power!"
The blonde fell back, leaning against the headboard. Her emerald eyes glittered, almost teary.
"Ivy..." the Boy Wonder turned to face her, inching closer. "What's wrong?"
Tears fell down her face, and she shook her head slowly, "It isn't fair..."
"Hey..." Robin leaned closer to her, wiping tears from her face with his thumb. He held her chin in his hand, the other gently pushing back her hair. "Nothing's going to take us apart..."
Shaking her head in his hands, she whispered, "I don't want to hurt you..." her eyes wandered past him, and widened in shock. "...or Starfire..."
"Star...?" Robin immediately let go of the girl, but didn't turn around.
Eyes wide with an unknown emotion, the red haired alien stood in the doorway.
Ivy rolled the other way, moving away from Robin. She stood across from the girl, sighing heavily. "Starfire," she said quietly... "I'm..."
"I only came.... to wish you a merry Christmas Eve..." whispered the alien. She didn't bother to move, but just shook her head continuously.
"I don't..." Ivy walked closer to Starfire, "I don't want to steal him from you..."
Starfire shrugged, "I believe it is too late for that." She turned on her heel, walking away.
"Starfire!" Ivy called, her voice pleading. She looked at Robin, "Go talk to her!" she ordered.
"Me?" Robin turned around. "I can't..."
"You're the only one who can," said Raven from the doorway.
The Boy Wonder faced the demonic girl and hung his head as he stood, "What would I say?"
"How you feel," Raven said.
Starfire wandered through the hall, making her way back to her room. She sat on her bed, and her pet, Silkie, crawled up to her immediately for comfort. "Oh Silkie..." she sighed quietly. "Why do I feel like I have been injured inside my skin?"
The worm squealed quietly, either begging to be pet or as a strange answer.
The alien smiled weakly, brushing her hands over the mutant larvae's skin, "Perhaps Robin does not like me as I thought he did..." she glanced at her dresser, seeing the wrapped charm necklace which she had purchased the day before.
"S-Starfire...?"
The redhead looked up, startled by the voice. "Robin...?"
"I...uh..." he stumbled for words, "Can I come in?"
Nodding slowly, Starfire set Silkie on the ground. She sat silently, watching as her friend walked in, standing before her. "Yes?"
"They... told me I was supposed to come in here and tell you how I feel..." Robin scratched the back of his head, nervously looking around.
"How do you feel?" Starfire asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I'm confused..." he admitted. "I don't know how I feel. I woke up today a different person than I was when I woke up yesterday..."
Clasping her hands in her lap, Starfire stated, "You look like the Robin I know..."
"But I'm not," Robin said, shaking his head, "I hurt you..."
Starfire raised one of her eyebrows slightly, "You did not bring any harm to me, Robin. I do not see any wounds on my skin."
"Not on your skin..." Robin said, "I hurt you here," he placed one of his hands over his heart.
"Oh..." Starfire looked down at her hands, "That hurt."
"I'm sorry," apologized Robin. "Ivy is such an amazing girl and--"
"You have gotten to know her quite well in such a short time then?" Starfire persisted.
"That's just it. I haven't." Robin sat on a chair, putting a hand to his head. "There is just something special about her."
"Perhaps it is only in your mind," Starfire suggested.
Robin shrugged, "I don't know..." he stood up. "I need to go talk to Holly..."
Starfire nodded, standing up. She attempted to look like she had found something else to do on her dresser, "Merry Christmas Eve, Robin."
"Robin doesn't know it, but it's like a spell," Holly tried to explain. "Ivy's presence causes him to feel a love-like lust for her. She can't help it..."
"So Robin isn't hurting Star on purpose?" Beastboy asked.
"Right. I think Ivy likes Robin though, so it's a lot more powerful than if he was just any guy."
"What will happen when you two leave?" Beastboy inquired.
Holly sighed, "It will wear off. Robin will be extremely confused and puzzled to why he felt attracted to her and it could cause him to act very strangely."
"And Starfire?" the changeling asked. "She's really hurt..."
"I know... Hopefully she'll be able to forgive him."
The green Titan sighed. "You two have really complicated things, haven't you?"
"Sorry," Holly apologized.
"I mean..." Beastboy glanced away, "It's just that it's been crazy lately - even for around here... I mean... Terra..."
"I'm sorry I couldn't give you any more time with her..." Holly apologized again.
"It's okay..." the changeling said quietly.
"Holly?" Robin's voice entered.
The blonde looked up, seeing the masked boy walking toward them. "Something wrong?" she asked, guessing by his tone.
"Yeah..." he leaned on the back of the couch, "I need to talk to you alone for a minute."
Beastboy raised an eyebrow, "Okay, okay! I'm going!" he said, wandering away.
Robin walked around, lowering his voice, "Ivy told me about your power. You can create jewelry right?"
"Uh-huh..." Holly crossed her arms, curious to where the conversation was heading.
"I, uh, need your help... You see, we're doing this Secret Santa thing and I got Starfire's name--"
"And you want me to make her something, right?" Holly finished.
"Yeah! So... can you?" Robin asked.
"You haven't gotten her anything yet? It's Christmas Eve!" Holly scolded.
Robin hung his head in shame. "I got sidetracked yesterday--"
"Ivy. I got it." Holly exhaled loudly. "It will take me a while to create something from just magic..."
"Please..." Robin pleaded.
"What exactly do you want?" Holly questioned.
Starfire knocked on the guest room door. It was around three, and the power had been on for quite a few hours, so all the Titans and their guests had changed into regular clothes. The power had been restored to the rest of the city, and the streets had been plowed. Things were looking hopeful for the next day's celebrations.
"Starfire...?" the short blonde, Ivy, said in confusion as she opened the door.
"I was hoping we could talk," the alien explained, "about Robin."
"Oh. Come in," Ivy said, opening the door wider for the girl to enter.
Starfire stood in the middle of the room, looking at the smaller girl who sat on the bed.
"So..." Ivy shrugged, "I guess you probably want an explanation of what's going on..."
The red haired girl nodded eagerly. "I have never seen Robin act this way before..."
Ivy heaved a sigh, and began to explain how she and Holly were different from them. She told how her presence made Robin act the way he did.
"But it will end tomorrow?" Starfire cocked her head to one side.
"Yes." Ivy glanced out the window, "Cyborg is going to drive Holly and I home after she finishes whatever she's working on."
Starfire exhaled, "I hope he will return to normal..."
Ivy smiled, "He already is - I can tell."
"You have not met him when he was around you though; how do you know what normal is?" Starfire questioned.
"He started talking about you earlier. He's breaking the 'spell' on his own," she grinned.
"Well, it's been great!" Holly smiled.
"Thanks a lot for letting us stay here - even though we caused a lot of trouble," Ivy blushed.
"Do you have to go?" pouted Beastboy.
Holly smiled again, embracing the green Titan gently. "We'll see each other again, I promise."
"It was nice meeting you Holly," nodded Raven. The dark girl had spent a lot of Christmas Eve in her own room.
"Goodbye Holly," Starfire wrapped her arms around the girl's neck in a lethal hug.
Holly laughed, pulling away, "You guys sure like to keep people around."
"C'mon, ya'll! I want to get back before too late!" Cyborg said.
"Merry Christmas Robin," Ivy smiled softly, hugging the masked boy.
"Merry Christmas Ivy... Bye..." Robin said.
The four Titans watched as Cyborg and the two mysterious girls piled into the T-Car and drove off into the snowy horizon.
T'was the night before Christmas in a home shaped like a T
Not a creature was stirring, not even Silkie.
All the stockings were hung by the tree with care,
In the hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
An angel and her sister flew through the air,
Wishing Christmas Cheer on all those there.
Their golden hair glittered like the stars, and their eyes were green like trees.
Floating in the frigid air, they stopped over the T.
The nymph looked into the window of a girl with eyes like lime,
Knowing the chance to see her could be the last time.
Magic from her fingers glittered over the home,
Bringing hope to even those who were alone.
The two sisters said silent goodbyes to each Titan,
As the sky began to lighten.
As quickly as they had come, they were out of sight,
And only the early bird heard them call "Merry Christmas Titans, and to all a good night."
A/N: Yeah, I know the Christmas poem was the stupidest thing ever, but I tried! Long update for a change. I will have this finished by next weekend for sure - it's getting late after Christmas. One more chapter! Thanks letter reader4U for the nice reviews. If you guys all want to know something interesting, my first name is Ivy, which makes writing this story strange because although I'm short, I'm not a nymph! (Besides, I wouldn't go for a guy like Robin! XD) I had to put Terra in a little bit that last chapter because I can't write stories without her anymore! LOL. Review on your way out! - Letselina