Adopt an Angel
An unexpected name pops up on the Adopt an Angel list. What else would Keiko do?
Keiko was sorting through the list of names, carefully scanning for names she knew. It was Christmas time, which meant it was time for her to pick a soldier for the Adopt an Angel program. Some lucky man or woman in uniform would have the blessing (and the funding) of her classes for Christmas presents the normally wouldn't receive... the question was, who to sponsor?
One of Keiko's students, a little redheaded boy by the name of Ray-Archer, looked over her shoulder. "Whoyagonna pick, Mrs. Marxworth?"
"I don't know yet, Ray-Archer, but I'll know when I see it-"
Keiko's words caught in her throat. That name... of all the names, that name...
"Hey!" said Ray-Archer, "He's go-"
Keiko covered his mouth quickly. "I think I've found my angel..."
&&&
Genkimaru hopped onto Shute's bed and kicked him in the back, repeatedly and hard. "SHUTE, WAKE UP! EVERYTHING'S TURNED RED AND GREEN!"
Shute growled and turned over in his bed, throwing Genkimaru onto the floor. "Genkimaru, Captain woke me up late, please leave..."
Without warning, Princess Rele grabbed Shute's arms and pulled him out of bed. "Shute, you have to see this!"
The boy dug his bare heels into the ground. "See what?"
Rele kept pulling. "The huge tree in the Gunperry hangar!"
"Tree?"
Without another word, Rele pulled Shute into the hallway, Genkimaru following at his heels.
The three children weren't the only ones awake. The entire hallway was full of SDG crew members, most of them in there pajamas, and all of them were walking towards the Gunperry hangar.
"Shute!"
"Princess!"
"Genki-kun!"
Each of the children responded to their corresponding Gundam. Shute and Genki ran to Captain and Baku's side, while Princess waited for Zero to come to her. Baku was the first to speak.
"What's going on here?"
"There's a big tree in the Gunperry hangar," Princess explained. "And there are boxes underneath!"
&&&
The Christmas tree was as high as the ceiling, as big as a Gunperry around the bottom. The ornaments were bright; the walls were covered with red and green ribbons. Underneath the tree there lay a mountain of presents, all wrapped in red wrapping paper and ranging in size from miniscule to taller than Chief Haro himself.
Speaking of Chief Haro, he stood at the very front of the crowd of crew members, his arms spread to hold them back. In his head, he was trying to rationalize exactly how and why the hangar had suddenly been Christmas-ized. All that got out of his mouth, however, were multiple "stay back!"s and "no going any further!"s.
He could feel the crowd parting behind him, by couldn't place why. He immediately knew why when a small pair of hands clasped his back and peeked around him.
"Oh... my..."
"Shute, you don't go any farther."
"CHRISTMAS!"
Shute burst forward, starting the stampede that, once over, left Chief Haro a little trampled on the floor.
"Ow..."
&&&
Shute peddled by on his new mountain bike and braked by Genkimaru, who was staring at a tricycle. "You ever seen a tricycle, Genki-kun?"
"A what?" Genki poked the seat of the contraption mistrustingly. "I'm just trying to figure out where the head is on thisdemon horse."
Shute snickered. "Here, I'll show you."
The boy picked up Genkimaru and placed him on the seat, forcibly jamming both feet on the right pedal. "Push your right foot down."
Genki did, whimpering, and the tricycle moved forward an inch. "Hey! It went ahead-"
Without warning him, Shute pushed him from behind. Genkimaru rocketed forward, pedalling automatically. "WOAH! Woah, akuma uma! Akuma uma-" And then his little kid instincts kicked in. "This is AWESOME!"
Shute, grinning proudly, kicked up his kickstand. "Race around the hangar!"
&&&
Captain was following the tricycling Genkimaru through the Christmas presents, crawling on his hands and knees so his head just barely peeked over the top of the wall of presents. It was an amazing feeling; he felt so small, something that he had never been in his entire life, and the feeling of moving through a forest of gifts filled him with a spirit of wonder that he had never known.
With a giggle, he stood up next to a rather large present, at least ten times his size, to see who it was for. "Let's see, where's the tag, where's the tag..."
The tag read:
From: Neotopia
To: Captain Gundam
"Me?"
Captain pulled on one of the ribbon strings, and the box popped open.
"Woah, light?" came a voice from inside.
"He's outside! That's our cue!"
Out of the box shot Guneagle and the Gundivers! "SURPRISE!"
Captain gasped and couldn't speak. His eyes literally lit up with happiness. "I- wh- I- ca- wh-"
Guneagle leaned forward and held out his hand. "Hey, Captain, help us out, we're kinda stuc-"
Gundiver 7 began to shake. "Guneagle, you're tipping the box!"
Gundiver 3 and 5 screamed. The box fell over onto Captain. All of the Gundams laughed. Captain grabbed Gundiver 1 and hugged him, tears falling down his cheeks.
&&&
Zero sifted through the gifts classified as his with a discerning eye. "Let us see now... is there anything here worthy of a knight..."
And then he got that weird feeling of being stared at. Lifting his head, he spied Bakunetsumaru talking to a group of young ladies including Princess and Juli. He pointed at Zero and whispered, and the ladies giggled.
Zero felt very uncomfortable for a moment. The women began to move towards him. "Um... Merry Christmas?"
&&&
Baku hid behind a box and giggled; he couldn't bare to watch, he would never stop laughing! After a few seconds, Zero stumbled out from the other side of the box in a stupor, face covered with lip prints in various lipstick shades. He grappled Baku's shoulder. "THAT WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!"
"Hehehe!" Baku grinned. "Knew you'd like it."
Zero looked away from Baku's face. "Looks like someone's comin' for you, too."
"Huh?" Confused, Baku stood up and scanned the crowd.
A few gifts away stood four female Gundams. One was short and old, like Britianmaru in that respect, but the other four were young and in their prime.
Zero looked at Bakunetsumaru and saw that his eyes, for no apparent reason, were on the old one. His pupils dilated, and his eyes began to quiver.
The Winged Knight looked at the old Gundamess, then at the three young ones.
It hit him. They all looked alike.
"M-" Baku clenched his fist. "Mom?"
"MY BABY!"
Baku was then bumrushed by his mother and three sisters, who buried themselves in his arms and cried.
&&&
Chief Haro was astounded. "Where on Earth did this all come from?"
Kao Lyn tumbled past, happy as a clam and dressed in a new gi. "It's Christmas, Haro! Wa ha ha hoo! Go with it!"
The Chief rubbed his head. "'Go with it', he says, how am I supposed to 'go with it'-"
"Mom!"
It was Shute's voice that sent Chief Haro's head straight up.
&&&
Keiko took her son into her arms and cuddled him tightly, stroking his hair. "Daijobu desu, Shute. Merii Kurisumasu."
"Mrs. Keiko!"
Keiko welcomed Captain into her arm as well, offering Nana to Shute. "Oh, Captain, look how you've grown! You're so pretty!"
Captain blushed and tucked his flight thrusters into his back, trying to make himself look small. He gripped Keiko's stomach with his hands and whispered, "Thank you."
"Kei- Mrs. Marxworth! Ma'am." Chief Haro gulped. "What- what are you doing here?"
Keiko smiled at Shute and Captain. "Shute, hun, I need to talk to Chief Haro. Will you go find Nana's present?"
Captain and Shute ran off without a second thought.
Keiko gave Chief Haro a wry smile. "You should be careful whose names you put on the Adopt an Angel list, Mr. Mark-"
Chief Haro gasped.
"Matthew-"
Sweat trickled down his temple.
"Marxworth."
Mark leaned into Keiko's ear. "How did you find out?"
"I think I always knew," went Keiko. "Just a little bit."
"I don't believe it..." Mark chuckled underneath the Haro head. "I underestimate you sometimes."
"'Sometimes', dear?"
Mark heard someone clear his throat. He turned to see Zero floating beside the happy couple, his grimacing eyes on. "Shame on you, Chief Haro. She is married." He turned to Keiko. "And you, Madam Keiko. What would your husband say?"
Zero wafted away back to his herd of fangirls, and Keiko giggled. "I guess we'll have to continue this conversation later."
She picked herself up on her tiptoes and whispered into Mark's ear. "In private."
"Oh!" Mark's non-often used "ears" popped out in shock, making Keiko laugh.
"Merry Christmas, honey."
Mark laughed, softly, "Merry Christmas, love."
And the Christmas was very very merry for everyone.
Even the Dark Axis.
&&&
ZAKO, ZAKO, ZAKO!
Zako
Zako
Hour!
Zako Red: Ladies and gentlebots, welcome to the Zako Zako Christmas Hour!
The tiny crowd of Zakos, all wearing Santa hats, cheered in expectation.
Zako Red: Zako zako!
Zako Blue: With us tonight for a special Christmas medley is-
Zako Yellow: Our very own-
Zake Red: You know them and love them!
Zako All: The Dark Axis Head Honchos!
The hosts waddled off the stage, which opened up to reveal Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, Madnug, Sazabi ("What the hey?" went the fangirls), Lord Talgeese ("YEAH!" went the fangirls), Mercerius, Vayete, Kibaomaru, and the Zakobusshi hoard. The intro to Jingle Bells played.
Honchos: Oh!
Jingle Bells! Captain smells!
Zero laid an egg!
Baku thinks the human stinks,
And the princess got away-HEY!
Jingle bells! Don't feel well,
Genkimaru's sick!
Madnug is a techno wizz
Kibaomaru's head is thick! (Kibao: Hey, wait a minute-)
Magnug stepped forward, holding a microphone and posing like Elvis.
Madnug: Jingle Bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!
(Zakos: Rock!)
Madnug: Jingle bell chime in jingle bell time!
Dancin' and prancin', in jingle bell square,
In the frosty air!
Dom knocked Madnug out of the way.
Dom: Da-du da-du, Da-du da-du.
Da-du da-du, Da-du da-du.
Dom and Honchos: Da-du da-du, Da-du da-du.
Da-du da-du, Da-du da-du.
I work for the Dark Axis,
Fight with axes,
Use roc-kets a lot.
Look-at-the-cool-guns-I-go-ot.
Look-at-the-cool-guns-I-go-ot.
(slowing tempo) Bang, there's a gun.
Bang, human gone.
Bang, human gone.
Bang, human gone.
(really slow now) BANG! 'Nother one.
Bang! 'Nother one.
Bang, 'Nother one.
Bang 'No-ther ooooone.
Madnug: I'd like to thank everyone on behalf of the group, and I hope we passed the audition.
Everyone else: (laughs)
Zako Red: And remember everyone! Merry Christmas to all, and-
Everyone else: (same rythmn) To all a good night, YEAH!
DONE!
Man, this was corny.