Hey guys! So, this is chapter 4 of my TNBC story. Hope you all have been enjoying the story so far!
(Cutting back to the pink and red leafed forest, the door to the St. Patrick's Day door swings open, and the woman in the pink cloak floats out and falls to her knees on the ground in front of the tree, her cloak covered with green clovers.)
Slamming one end of the staff onto the ground, she uses it to lift herself off of the ground, and looks around, before sighing and slumping her shoulders, the clovers on her cloak falling off her.
"I'm never going back to that 'Lucky' land again."
She then pulls out the little book and flips back open to the pages that detail each of the holiday worlds. Landing on the page dedicated to Independence Day, she looks over to the door and sighs again.
"Let's give it a shot"
She walks over and pulls the handle on the door, to which a steam of fireworks shoots out, the colors melting in the wind and wrapping around her, pulling her into the door, which closes behind her.
(Cutting back to the Hinterlands, we see the 7 Holiday's council about to begin)
Santa stands up and clears his throat, saying "Thank you all for joining me today. I'm sure you are all wondering why I decided to call for this council, and I promise to explain. However, I feel we should begin with introductions, so that we may get to know one another."
"Sounds like a good idea to me" The Independence Day leader agreed
"Indeed, I believe that to be a good opening to this council" The woman accompanying the Easter Bunny spoke up
"Agreed" The co-leaders of Thanksgiving replied
"It's no matter to me either way" The St. Patrick's Day leader replied, his arms and legs crossed as he sat on top of his pot of gold.
"A wonderful idea Sandy!" Jack enthusiastically agreed
"Fine, let's get it over with" Cupid replied, still looking at the heart projection from his cuff
"Very well then, I'll start. My name is Santa Claus. I'm the leader of Christmas Town. My holiday is on December 24th and ends on December 25th. My job is to deliver gifts to children all over the world, bringing joy and cheer to them as the end of the year rolls around. This here is my representative, Randolph. He's in charge of toy production." Santa then sits down as the elf then somewhat nervously gets up.
"Hello there. It's nice to meet you all" He says and then sits right back down
Jack then gets up saying, "Hello all, once again I'd like to formally introduce myself. I am Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. My holiday is on October 31st, and my job is to bring spooks, scares, tricks, and treats to all who come out to enjoy the night. This here is my representative and soon to be Pumpkin Queen, Sally." He smiles at the council, the introduces Sally to them
"Pumpkin Queen? Well, congratulations my dear." Santa warmly gave his congrats to Sally, who looked very embarrassed as she stood up.
"Um, thank you. Hello, my name is Sally. It's a pleasure to meet you all. As Jack said, I'm not yet the Pumpkin Queen. But I'm going to be working hard so that the next time we meet, I'll be able to become worthy of the title." She then sits down
The Independence Day leader then stands, saying "And we'll all be rooting for you. Hello everyone, my name is Uncle Sam, the leader of Independence Day Town. My holiday is on July 4th and my job is to serve as a reminder of what all people had to sacrifice in order to gain their own independence. And while my holiday is primarily served in America, my world of Independence Day represents all countries that celebrate the occasion. Like India, who celebrates their independence from Britain on August 15th. This here is my representative, but I'll let her introduce herself." Uncle Sam did his introduction, then sat as the woman stood up.
"Hello, my name is Rosie, otherwise known as Rosie the Riveter. I serve as the embodiment of the female worker, showing that women too can be just as strong as men and that we can hold our own independence from them. I strive to make sure all women in this world understand that even without men, they can be their own person." Rosie had smiled, giving her signature 'We can do it!' pose and then sat back down
"A very worthy goal indeed" Santa smiled as his fingers interlaced with one another
They then look to Cupid, who is still focused on his work, but is now fiddling with heart project, tapping it a couple of times and then twisting a gem that's encrusted on his bracer. Santa gives a subtle cough and says "Cupid", to which he looks up, sighs, turns off the projection and gets up.
"As you are all aware, my name is Cupid. I'm the leader of Valentine's Day Town and the one who rules over the domain of love. My job is to watch over lovers all over the world and try to guide them down the path that would make them the happiest. My holiday is on February 14th and on that day, we celebrate love and all it has to offer. I have no representative with me, as all of my angels are hard at work getting the preparations ready for our big day, which isn't too far away. Thank you."
He then sits back down and turns on the projection of the heart once again, beginning to fiddle with it as the rest of the leaders looked at him with funny looks. The St. Patrick's Day leader then gets up in a huff.
"Well, I guess it's time to introduce me self. Me name is Conor O'Neill, I run things over in St. Patrick's Day Town. We celebrate the Irish way of life and give tribute to Saint Patrick, the man who brought the faith of god to the good people of Ireland. My job is to grant wishes to those who are lucky enough to catch me and me mates, as well as bring luck all who bear the shamrock with pride." Conor then sits right back down, his arms and legs crossed
"I see you also didn't bring a representative with you" Santa remarked
"I'm me own representative. Me mates wouldn't want me speaking for them." Conor remarked, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.
"Very well then." Santa replied
The woman with the Easter Bunny then stood up, straightened her glasses, and began with "Hello all. My name is Susanna Blossom. I'm the representative of Easter Day land. Because our leader, the Easter Bunny, is incapable of actual speech, I will speak for him. Our holiday does not have a fixed date, but instead falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, typically between March and April. His job is to hide eggs for children to find, to bring them a sense of hope and wonder, as well as show them the meaning of new life. I am his representative, who helps to mandate all proceedings with egg making, flower growing, treat distribution, etc. A please to meet you all"
She straightened her glasses once more, then gave a little bow before sitting back down. The Easter Bunny looked to all the people at the table and gave a friendly wave before hoping into his seat, to which the woman smiles and strokes his ears back, which he seems to enjoy. The two leaders of Thanksgiving then get up.
(Okay guys, just like with the St. Patrick's Day leader, I'm going to try very hard to be as accurate as possible when it comes to the Thanksgiving leaders, in particular the Native American leader, because since I'm not that well read on Native American customs and practices, I'm not sure if everything I write for him will be correct. If I'm wrong on something, please forgive me and let me know, because I want to make sure I can represent him good, as well as the Pilgrim leader. Thanks!)
"Good day to all, my name is William Bradford." The Pilgrim leader introduced himself
"Wuneekeesuq. I am called Massasoit." The Native American leader continued
"And we are the leaders of Thanksgiving Day land. Like Easter, we don't have an actual day, but our holiday falls on 4th Thursday of November." William spoke next
"Our job is to help people gather in unity, to teach the young of all they should be thankful for, and to celebrate all of their blessings from long before and for years to come." Massaoit spoke, waving a hand over the table everyone sat at.
"We didn't bring a representative with us because since we are the co-leaders of Thanksgiving, we felt that we were more than enough representation." William finished
As each and every other holiday leader introduced themselves, Jack was giving a look of wonder and amazement at their speeches. He was very interested in the Independence Day world, as he looked to the elderly man with the colorful suit. He had so many questions to ask, but had to reel it in since the others were still talking.
While this was going on, Sally also gave a look of wonder as she listened to each member talk. However, in the corner of her eye, she saw Cupid, the Valentine's Day leader, looking at her. She was surprised at this, since she figured he would be focused on whatever he was doing when he got here. When she turned to look at him, he looked back down, as if he wasn't looking at her. She looked away again, only to feel him look up at her again with the same intensity. Though when she turned to look at him, this time he kept his head up. She gave him a small wave, to which he gave a small smile and a nod, before looking back at his projection without a second glance. This confused her, but she shrugged it off as Santa got up when the Thanksgiving Day leaders finished.
"Alright then. We can now proceed to the next order of business."
(We then slowly cut from Santa's face to later on in the pink and red leafed forest where the woman quickly exits the Independence Day door.)
Shaking off the mustard from her pink cape, the woman got fed up and stomped the staff onto the ground.
"This is ridiculous! It's been almost a week and I still can't find it!"
Looking at the Thanksgiving Day door, she groaned and walked over to it. After pulling it open, she sighed and said, "Cupid help me" Before the autumn leaves enveloped her and sucked her into the door, closing behind her.
(We then cut back to the council, where we find them wrapping this up.)
"Very good. I think this will be the perfect time to end this. Once again, I thank you all for coming out today. I hope we can continue to meet and make this council a tradition for years to come. This concludes the first ever 7 Holidays Council."
Everyone then stands up and applauds one another. They all then leave their seats and begin to chatter with one another. Santa goes up to Jack and Sally, who greet him with a smile.
"Sandy, thank you for inviting us to such a momentous occasion!" Jack happily spoke up
"Of course. What kind of 7 Holidays Council would this be if we were one holiday leader short? Anyways, how have you two been lately?"
"Fantastic! Our theme for this Halloween is 'Night of the Living Dead'. We've already gotten a routine in place; all we really need right now is just daily practice. Soon we'll move on to decorations. Oh, speaking of decorations! Excuse me for a moment Sandy, I simply must speak with Mr. Uncle Sam." Jack then hurries over to Uncle Sam, who was talking to William, the Thanksgiving Day Pilgrim leader.
"He never stops, does he?" Santa asked Sally with a bemused smile
"No, but that's what I…what we of Halloween Town love about him" Sally said, getting a bit shy at almost revealing her love for the skeleton man.
Cocking an eyebrow at her with a smirk, he asks "And how have you been my dear?"
"Oh, I've been well Mr. Sandy Claws. Thank you" She smiled to him
"Please, call me Santa Claus. I know I'll probably never get him to do so, but I'd like for you call me by my actual name." He asked her kindly, indicating to Jack, who is lifting the sleeve of Uncle Sam's jacket, to which Uncle Sam looks a bit unsure of what to do.
"Of course, Santa" She smiles, but then looks down.
"What's the matter my dear?"
"Hm? Oh, it's nothing…" Sally replied
"If you'd like, I can listen to whatever is on your mind. I find that, even if they can't do anything to help, sharing your feelings with someone can help you get a good perspective on whatever is troubling you"
"Well…"
She glances to all the people there. Jack was with Uncle Sam and William Bradford; Rosie the Riveter was speaking with Susanna Blossom and Conor O'Neill, the Easter Bunny was showing his eggs to Massasoit and Randolph, and Cupid was still seated at the council table, monitoring his heart projection with great focus. She then looks back to Santa
"You see. I've been feeling…out of place in Halloween Town."
"Oh? How so?"
"Well, I know Jack introduced me as his soon to be Pumpkin Queen, but I'm worried that I might never be worthy of such a title. Jack is the Pumpkin King because he can scare anyone without even trying. While I can't even scare a cat. He's been giving me scaring lessons, but I don't know if I'm ever going to be as good as him. Or that I'll ever be able to contribute to our holiday." She continued, looking down and holding her hands to her chest.
"I see. While I'm not familiar with the customs of Halloween, I do know one thing is for certain. You were created in Halloween Town and you love everyone there, don't you?"
"Yes, I do, very much so."
"Then that's all you need to worry about. We all sometimes wonder what our destiny is, or when it will come to us. But I can tell you that long as they can feel your sincerity for them, your holiday and your world, then you will never need to feel out of place. Those of your world, while very creepy and spooky, appear to be very supporting of one another, and I believe they will be the same for you."
"…Yes, your right. Thank you, Santa, that really helps." Sally smiled at him after thinking about what he said for a moment
"Of course, my dear, I'm happy to help. And feel free to come visit me in Christmas town should you ever need someone to talk to. But make sure that you come alone. I don't want a repeat of certain events." Santa replied, looking towards Jack with a smirk.
"Are you still angry with him for what happened?" Sally asked, looking at Jack as well
"No, not anymore. While I was out fixing the mess he made, I was thinking to myself 'What would possess him to do such a thing? To kidnap me and take over my holiday.' I then realized, while switching out presents, that he basically was trying to recreate what I do. He was trying to bring joy and happiness to the children, just like me. And I could tell after being rescued by him that being thrown into that dungeon with that walking sack of bugs was not his intention. After coming to that conclusion, I was able to let go of my anger. And while a bit misguided, I feel that, in a way, he succeeded in his efforts. I saw that after things were set right, the children had become much nicer and more grateful for what they had. Thus, I believe that his meddling in my holiday's affairs had its benefits, though that doesn't mean we should do that again." He replied to her, watching the Pumpkin King interacting with the St. Patrick's Day leader.
"I'm glad. I'm sure if he knew that, he'd be very pleased. But you're right, we should probably keep this to ourselves." Sally looked to Santa, and the two chuckled at one another.
Sally then glances back at the others, and notices that Cupid was once again staring intently at her. When their eyes met, she could feel that there was something oddly familiar about him. Like, a part of her knew him, even though the two had never met before. His pink eyes seemed to radiate some kind of knowledge that only he had access to. Sally was tempted to go over to him and talk to him, but before she could, he got up and turned to the door leading to his world. Opening the door, he looked back to her for a moment, before turning back and hoping into the door, disappearing down the hole and the door shutting behind him. Santa had also noticed Cupid's departure.
"That Cupid. Not quite the sociable type, is he?"
"He certainly…seemed very busy"
"Hm, well yes. While I'm not saying that we don't work just as hard as he does, I will admit his job is a lot harder than ours. What he said earlier, that 'Love never stops' was indeed correct. Even after Valentine's Day, people still fall in love every day. And being the one in charge of love, I can only imagine what all he must go through day after day."
Looking at her skeleton love, Sally asked "Do you think he also looks after those who fall in love in other holiday worlds?"
"Yes, I do, and I'm sure he was there to watch over the two of you as you came to love one another" Santa replied, looking at her with a smirk, knowing she was talking about herself and Jack.
Sally couldn't help but look embarrassed at his smirk, then looked back to Jack, who was looking at the Easter Bunny's different colored eggs. The Easter Bunny, while shaking in his presence, was compliant in showing him the basket of eggs. His representative, Susanna Blossom, was standing next to him with a smile, giving the bunny a pat on the head as encouragement.
"Well, it was a pleasure seeing you again. I must be off, got preparations for next Christmas to look over." Santa nodded to her, and then headed off to his holiday door.
"Good to see you too" She replied, waving goodbye to him.
She then stands there, watching as those who remain are still chatting, giving a look that was mix of being unsure and in deep thought.
(We then slowly zoom away from the council, watching her back as we zoom out)
Okay guys, hope you liked chapter 4! See you for the next chapter! And don't worry, the thing with Cupid and Sally isn't some sort of romantic thing between them. As the story continues, you'll see what I mean. Just be assured that Jack is the only one in Sally's un-beating heart