How Do You Celebrate Christmas?

December 25, 2012

"Quite the relief isn't it?"

Pentecost lifted an eyebrow at Tachibana, pausing with his tea lifted. The room was quiet, with only himself, Miki, and the rest of the Council sitting and taking tea (or vodka, in Gordon's case). The rest of the Dome was surely celebrating the day off in their own ways, but for those at the very top, a moment of calm was all they really desired. "What is, my friend?"

Tachibana smiled and leaned back in his chair, waving his arm vaguely through the air. "Why, that we've survived another year of course."

Stacker smiled as the others shared the sentiment with chuckles or laughs. "I suppose that is a feat to be proud of, in these tumultuous times."

"Proud? Is that all you can say you feel right now Marshall?" Miki said, slyly sipping from her own cup.

"To be sure I don't know what you are referring to my dear," Stacker replied. He pointedly ignored her smug look and drank his tea in silence.

"Don't pretend you aren't enjoying this chance to relax, Stak," Gordon said in his typically blunt manner. "We've had a good month of quiet and I say we should be thankful for it, unexpected as it is. It's give us plenty of time to repair and refit all our mechs, update their armaments, and even get production started on those new Battle Platforms." He smiled, and Stacker noted that he seemed a tad too excited at the prospect.

Ozaki nodded, much more sedate than his fellows. "It's a bit suspicious if you ask me. The mutants have to know they can win if they just try, or at least Xenilla should, since he's not as dumb as the rest of them."

"The reason for his caution is always what has worried me most," Pentecost admitted. "He has been callous and uncaring many times in the past when it comes to causing damage to our cities, but he seems oddly reluctant to risk the lives of his troops even if it would allow for a more certain victory."

Miki shrugged. "Maybe he actually cares somewhat about them?"

"Or he just wants to make sure he has the most powerful force he can at any given time," Tachibana suggested. "After all, we aren't the only threats out there. If he truly wants to dominate the planet, he needs to have a way to fight back against the likes of Ghidorah and the Coalition."

Gordon grunted and took a swig of his glass, immediately reaching for a refill. "It doesn't explain why he is so conservative though. The longer he takes to beat us down, the more we can improve our situation, the stronger the Defenders get, and the more rowdy his forces must become. If he's really as smart as Godzilla thinks he is, then why is he acting like this?"

"I don't know," the Marshall answered, his face grim. "And that's what worries me."

"Well, let's stop worrying then, at least for today," Miki said. She lifted up Gordon's bottle of vodka and multiple glasses, passing out one for each of them. "We're alive, our forces are as prepared as they can be, and everything is safe for the moment, so why not enjoy it?"

"Careful there Miki," Ozaki warned. "If you talk too much about things being peaceful, they're bound to stop being quiet just when you finish talking."

The telepath laughed and twirled her drink around, catching the steaming liquid as if fell out and flowing it right back in with a single motion. "What, you think a Kaiju is going to show up right on the Dome's grounds without explanation just because I say 'it's too quiet'?"

"Don't give the universe ideas!" Tachibana said desperately, causing them all to laugh.

The Marshall joined in with his fellows, deciding that just for today he could let the world's weight fall off his shoulders. What better way to celebrate then taking some time off? The world will still be here tomorrow, along with all the headaches and problems that inhabit it. Perhaps now is the time to simply sit back and enjoy what's most important: the fact that we are still here. Still breathing. Still living.

Thoughts of the war faded away as they laughed and talked the night away.

The rest of the Dome's inhabitants indeed had a very different way of celebrating the holiday, one that was loud, boisterous, and very, very human.

A large crowd was gathered together in the center of the Dome's Jaeger hanger, forming a circle around a grid of tables all set with every assortment of alcoholic drink and substance known to man, including a few that were vaguely illegal. The crowd was egging on the people sitting and drinking at the tables, a mix of Jaeger pilots, hybrids, mechanics, and even the head cook, who was loudly decrying the flavor of every drink he sampled and going on about how he would make it a thousand times better. A few people even believed him.

Down in one corner, Raleigh Becket and Mako Saegusa sat across from the Kaidanovskys, both couples eyeing their competition, searching for weakness. An already large pile of empty shot glasses sat on the table before them, and it was steadily growing larger at a copious rate. Tendo stood over them, keeping the flow of shots coming and shouting a running tally of both sides' scores, to the endless adoration of the crowd. Bets were passed along, arguments were flying, and the cheers were constant.

Elsewhere, the pilots of Crimson Typhoon were having a different, but no less impressive competition. Each of the triples was balancing precariously on a tricky surface, one on the back of a chair, another on the legs of an overturned table, and the last swinging slowly on a the head of a vehicle jack. All carried a pair of delicate wine glasses filled to the very top and were slowly but surely trying to sip from them without spilling a drop. The onlookers here were all almost silent, watching with awe and quiet respect at the feats of balance, control, and discipline.

Other, smaller groups were having their own forms of fun and merriment, whether it was talking, playing games, or just enjoying each other's company. Everyone knew that it was for days like today that they slogged and slaved at their work every day of the week for months on end. So that everyone across the world could live and work in peace, free from fear or danger. Their work was endless, difficult, and in many ways unsafe, but they did it anyway, because they knew that someone had to do it. Whether it was risking their lives out on the front lines or planning and working day and night to ensure every facet of the GDF functioned at its best, they gave their all in every instant.

So today, they let loose, forgetting their worries and stresses in favor of enjoying everything they could as much as possible. What better way to celebrate their one (guaranteed) day off each year?

Christmas, it seemed, was everywhere that evening. In the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains, high atop the peaks was a decades-old fallout shelter, one long-since modified into a lovely home. Within this fortress of solitude, two close-knit families were preparing to celebrate Christmas together for the first time.

"How's the wine?" Theodore smiled, topping off Tytanna's glass. The two had finally gotten a moment of privacy for the evening, and he was planning on making the most of it.

"It's delightful," Tya purred, snuggling up close to the smaller human. "Almost as wonderful as the company." She felt relaxed for the first time in ages, her red and gold scales glinting in the firelight, enjoying the peaceful, quiet atmosphere of the vault.

Said peace and quiet rapidly degenerated when their warm blanket suddenly got a whole lot warmer.

"Aaaaah!" Theo roared as he removed himself from the blanket like a scalded puppy, which wasn't far off the mark. "Why'd it suddenly feel like a roasting oven in there!?"

Tya tilted her head at Theo and shrugged. "I don't know what you mean. Just feels warm to me."

"Well yeah, but you're a kaiju so you have a higher… heat tolerance…" Theo facepalmed then pinched his nose at his own stupidity. "I didn't happen to mention that was a thermal blanket did I? One that I designed to actively sense the temperature of the people under it and adjust to make them comfortable. It must have focused on you and gone higher than I had planned for it to."

Tya pouted and clung to the blanket. "Can I still hang on to it?" She molded her face to more child-like proportions to better effect puppy dog eyes.

"If there weren't a chance that it would catch you, the couch, and itself on fire then sure, but since there is…"

Sighing, Tya handed over the blanket to Theo, who grabbed it by the edge and held it out in front of him. "I'll just go and adjust the settings a bit and it should be alright. Be right back." He smiled sadly at her then walked off, wincing a bit as part of the cloth brushed against him when he passed through the door.

"Blocked at every turn," Tya sighed, climbing up from her spot by the fire. "Might as well see what mom's up to..." She sniffed the air to find the pungent scent of burning cookies in the air. "Ooooof course she's trying to cook again."

Leaving the warmth of the living room, the half-human, half-kaiju supersoldier sauntered down the halls, following the potent odor of ruined snacks and the growing screams of three women trying to contain a fire.

"Where's the fire extinguisher!?" came a distinctive shriek. Tytanna moved out of the way as Sal rushed past her with a determined look over an amused grin. Stepping inside, Tya watched in awe as her mom's sugar cookies, something most would find easy to bake, were currently lit ablaze on the tray, with both Tya's mother, Joanne, working with Theo's mother, Tori, to put out the flames using drenched towels.

"... So I guess this means we won't be getting to decorate cookies?"

"We will, dear," Tori said, gasping for air as she leaned back from the smoke. "I made some ahead of time." She turned to Joanne, looking down at the smaller woman with an annoyed glare.

"I know, I know, 'I am henceforth banned from any and all cooking and or cooking equipment.' I know how this rodeo rolls."

"Actually I was going to ask if you were OK."

"Oh…" Joanne said, surprised. "Well-"

"THEN I was going to ban you from cooking."

"Oh," she said, much more dejectedly.

The trio stood in silence for a few moments, only to reflexively duck when Sal returned and began spraying a fire extinguisher wildly. The foam landed everywhere, eventually hitting its target and putting out the flame, as well as the spirits of the three women doused. Once the extinguisher was out Sal took a look at her results, having the grace to look sheepish as she saw the outcome.

"Well, you tried dear." Tori sighed, brushing her eyes and face clean. "Sal? Let's go get Haley and Kumiko, ok? It's almost time for dinner and presents." The elder fae smiled as the two stepped out. Tya bent down and picked her mother up, hoisting the older, yet smaller human into her arms.

"Hey mom, how're ya feeling?"

"Like a moron..." Joanne moaned, hiding her face against her daughter's breast. "I can't do anything right at home..."

"Now mom, don't get started on that attitude. So you can't cook and you get distracted. So what?" She smiled and nuzzled her mother's cheek. "You're still an amazing scientist. And a loving mother, to boot."

Joanne looked up to her child, at first mulling it over in her head, then slowly smiled. "Thanks, sweetie, I needed that." She reached up and hugged Tytanna gently. "Merry Christmas, dear."

"Merry Christmas, momma," she whispered, hugging her mother and giving a kiss on the cheek. Dysfunctional her families may be sometimes, but they were still hers, and she wouldn't give them up for anything.

Xenilla sat alone, as he usually did each day when he wasn't busy with one task or another. He sat on a cleared off ledge he had cut into this mountain during one particularly annoying day, surveying the land below him where his mutants slept or squabled. He sneered at the lot of them, their stupidity and ignorance almost insulting to be witness to. How such 'beasts' had managed to come into being he knew not but he found their existence distasteful nonetheless.

About a mile off he could see a pair of mutants slowly creeping up on one of his own accidental creations, Krystalak, and Xenilla could feel a sense of anticipation growing. He knew what the fools were up to and was eager to see how his 'son' would react. One approached from above the crystal monster, using the cover of a ridge to mask its approach, while the other was being much more open with his movements. From different kaiju Xenilla would have expected this to be a deliberate feint to catch Krystalak off guard, but in this case it was likely the monster genuinely thought he was being sneaky.

It wasn't fooling Xenilla, and it definitely wasn't fooling Krystalak, as the supposed 'victim' swiftly rose up to tower above the crouching mutant and slammed one of his spiked elbows into the mutant's back. The sharp spear pinned the mutant to the ground and caused it to roar in pain, trying and failing to strike back at Krystalak and free itself, the superior monster snarling at his attacker angrily. Up above the other monster finally managed to react to the sudden turn and leaped down from the ridge. Xenilla had to hold back a laugh as he watched Krystalak easily roll out of the way of the failing mutant, leaving the two ambushers to collide with each other in a confused pile of mismatched limbs and growling maws. Krystalak turned to look at the two mutants and sneered at them before tramping off to find a new sleeping spot, flicking his tail like a whip as he left to fling a small cloud of spikes their way. A few other mutants glanced at their fellows trying to disentangle themselves while attempting to not impale themselves on the forest of crystal spires that were growing around them.

Idiots, Xenilla growled, turning his gaze skyward again. All of them simply worthless for anything other than brute force. Whatever twist of evolution resulted in these monstrosities deserves to be crushed into the dirt just as much as they do.

It was frustrating, having to let these things live when they were nothing but a danger and threat to his planet, but getting rid of them would cause more harm than good, leaving aside the fact that he did still need their support for the time being. Not for much longer though, he thought. Soon enough the goal will be reached, and maybe things can finally be changed for the better. He almost smiled at the idea, but he knew there was still too much work to be done to relax just yet.

There was the question of clearing out the last pockets of resistance, building up defenses to make sure the Coalition could never come back, or at least not without suffering, and solidifying his rule to make sure the planet was safe. There was also the question of Destroyah…

A sigh escaped the great reptile as he glanced down at Destroyah's personal vale, a place that none of the other mutants dared to approach. Not after she showed them all just what the cost of disturbing her was. She was undoubtedly the most dangerous and brutal of any of the mutants, but strangely enough she was almost one of the smartest and most stable. He suspected that she knew more of his true goals than she let on, and the fact that she fought for him regardless left him conflicted on his views for her. Dangerous as she was, she might be the only one reasonable enough to be trusted… but that was for another time.

Xenilla shoved the thoughts away and tried to focus back on building his plans for the next year. Some of the mutants (most really) had chafed at him declaring that this month there would not be any attacks, but he had been firm in his orders and it had been soon enough since the last 'disagreement' that none of them were willing to argue with him about it. For now at least. He knew the arrogant fools would be all too eager to forget how strong their opposition was and go out to fight at the first opportunity, not caring at the risk to themselves. None of them ever seemed to remember just how close they came to death whenever they went up against the likes of the Guardians, or Mothra, or even Ickabrod…

I wonder how he's doing… Is he enjoying the break from the constant combat, or is he worried about things being too quiet? I hope it's the former. He deserves a chance to rest, even if it does make things a bit harder in the long run. A calm smile appeared on Xenilla's face as he leaned back against the mountain, allowing sleep to overtake him.

Can't have him breaking before it's time after all…

Godzilla Junior rarely had a chance at deep, uninterrupted sleep after he assumed the place of his father. There was always a disaster going on somewhere, some new kaiju rampaging through human cities, an alien incursion, or something even stranger that required his attention and often his skill in combat. He knew it was all necessary, as there were few others who were as up to the tasks as him and he could never allow himself to ignore a threat when it appeared, but the constant stress and conflict was tiring, no matter how much sunlight or radiation he absorbed. Sometimes he just wanted a chance to get some sleep, but when he got it these last few weeks he was… perturbed.

What is he up to? Junior asked himself as he gazed off in the direction he knew Xenilla was. The sense was extremely faint at this distance, but Junior could still feel him even from this far away, and that tiny presence was always pestering him even during his deepest rest. Yet despite that, Junior had not only managed to catch up on his sleep, but actually managed to feel something he never knew he hadn't missed. Boredom.

He'd been bored before of course. There were plenty of times during his childhood where he had searched for something to do during the long stretches where his father was busy either fighting or sleeping, but his life had been so busy since he'd grown up that just taking a moment to relax with something other than sleep had been an enigma. Thus, with no dangers being presented to the planet and his rest well and truly achieved, Godzilla was stuck with absolutely nothing to do. And it was bothering him.

I know it is wrong to wish that Xenilla or the mutants would do something just because I'm bored, but still… It's aggravating to just sit here when I know they are still out there, still a threat, but also know I can't do anything about it at the moment. His tail thrashed in agitation, stirring up a cloud of dust behind him.

Still, I guess I should be grateful, since all this quiet means nobody else is being put at risk. He grunted but grinned slightly. That's something at least.

Hey Godzillaaaaaa!

The Kaiju King blinked and turned at the mild roar, finding to his surprise (and hidden excitement) that Zilla was running toward him. Please let him have something for me to do, he mumbled to himself before standing up to meet his younger friend. What's happening Zilla? Is there a problem somewhere?

Zilla skidded to a stop in front of him, the smaller saurian quickly shaking his head in answer. Nope, no issues, just… well see I had this idea that I wanted to run by you. Uh, no pun intended.

An idea you say? Of what sort?

Well… Zilla paused to scratch his chin, apparently contemplating what he wanted to say. First, let me ask you a question. When you were with Azusa, did she ever celebrate any holidays or anything like that with you?

Godzilla raised an eyeridge at the question, caught off guard by the topic. Not really. I was not with her for very long so I suppose we didn't have many chances for any… celebrations.

Oh… drat. Anyway, the reason I ask is because I just got a call from my dad wishing me a Merry Christmas and I was going to go be with them for the holiday when I realized that we've never actually celebrated anything with the rest of the Defenders and that since they're all here cause of the lack of action this would be the perfect time… And you have no idea what I'm talking about do you?

Godzilla shrugged and answered honestly. Not at all. What exactly is this 'Christmas' your father was wishing you to be… merry about?

Zilla's eyes seemed to bug out of his skull. You don't even know what Christmas is?! How… but I mean… Okay, no. We have to fix this right now!

Fix what? The fact that I am ignorant of human party culture? That doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

Zilla shook his head vehemently. No no no, that's not what I mean at all. Christmas is more than just a reason for humans to party… I mean it is that, but there's other stuff that goes along with it! It's a chance for people to be with their families, celebrate the fact that they're all together and happy and safe after another year.

Hmmm… Godzilla stared down at Zilla quietly for a moment as he mulled over the other kaiju's description. It did sound interesting, and indeed something that his mother would have loved to show him given her tendency to be nice to most people she met. Perhaps she simply never had the chance to do it with him.

Well, it's not like I have anything better to do at the moment, he mused. Maybe I should give this whole thing a chance. He was about to speak up and say so when he realized Zilla had kept on talking without him, and now was talking about something completely undecipherable.

I mean, technically the holidays start several months early with Halloween, which is a completely different thing where you celebrate being scared, which I really didn't get at the time but hey, humans are weird. So next up is Thanksgiving, where-

Um, Zilla, back on topic?

The saurian blinked, then realized Godzilla had missed the last minute of his talking. Oh, right. Sorry.

It's fine. You seem rather excited about this whole thing.

Of course I am! Usually I'm too busy fighting kaiju or something to have a chance to actually hang out with my family for the holidays, but this year not only can I be with them, I can hang out with my extended family too!

Extended family? Godzilla had never heard of that term before.

Yeah, all of you guys count as my larger kaiju family. I mean, we're all kinda in the same boat when it comes to being big, powerful, and protectors of people, so we might as well all be happy being with each other. We're all we've got after all.

Something about that last statement hit Godzilla hard, harder than he ever got hit in most of his fights. For a long time Godzilla had considered his family to be made up of only two beings, his mother and his father. His father was dead, and his mother was forever beyond his reach. His only other relations were a 'sister' that wanted nothing to do with his fight to protect the planet and only tolerated him when he visited, and a 'brother' who represented everything he was fighting against. For him, that had been his reality for years, something he'd had to face day in and day out knowing it was probably never going to change.

To hear of the concept of considering others family, regardless of real relation, was a whole new idea for him. And he found himself liking it.

You know… you actually have a point Zilla.

Zilla looked up at Godzilla in surprise. I… I do?

Yes. Like it or not, we kaiju can only truly rely on each other for certain. As much as I respect humans and their current leadership, I know that in the end they will do what is necessary to protect themselves, even if it comes at our expense. So while we may protect them and work with them, we can't really trust them, at least not right now. For the time being, we Defenders are alone against the world… So perhaps you have a point that we should try to be as close as we can with each other. With that in mind… how does one celebrate this Christmas?

Godzilla almost immediately felt regret for putting forth this idea as he watched Zilla's smile grow unnaturally large, to the point it was almost coming off his face.

Well first off, we're going to need a tree…

Gamera and Yonggary walked beside each other to where they had been called, each mulling over the brief message they had received from Mothra. She had called it an invitation, apparently to a party of some sort that Zilla was setting up. They were celebrating the human holiday of Christmas, which both had heard of but didn't know anything about, but Mothra assured them that wouldn't be a concern. And at the end of the message had been a very clear, albeit confusing, statement that said simply 'Try not to laugh'. Neither Guardian had any idea what that was about, but they were sure that it would be very interesting.

When they arrived at the central plain of Solgell, they found that they were right. All around them the mountains had been covered in small motes of softly burning light, each slowly flashing with different colors in a cascading rainbow. Closer to the center they could see most of the other kaiju sitting together around a huge bonfire, which Rodan appeared to be feeding every few seconds to ensure it stayed bright and strong. But the obvious center point was their 'illustrious' leader standing at the middle of the circle.

Yonggary was completely bewildered, but Gamera sported a small smile and shook his head in amusement.

Is… Is he…

I believe he is.

… Why?

I'm sure the answer is very simple from Zilla's point of view. Though from Godzilla's…

Standing a comfortable distance from the bonfire was Godzilla, who was standing uncomfortably still with a less than happy grimace on his face. His scales were shrouded from sight by a veritable cloud of the same colored lights covering the mountains, with a particular emphasis for lining his spines with ones that shone in the same hue as his radiative power.

The pair approached the circle and picked out a place for themselves, getting pleasant greetings from the kaiju next to them and returning them gladly.

Does anyone know why exactly our leader is currently dressed up as the Sun? Yon asked, causing a spread of chuckles from those listening.

That's my fault. Mothra flew over to them and settled onto the ground soft enough to not disturb the few trees that still stood standing. Zilla needed help decorating the valley with lights, so I volunteered to set Lantern spells everywhere. They're harmless, and should burn themselves out by tomorrow, but they are surprisingly pretty when set up in sequence like this.

Okay, that explains the lights… Yon said, then nodded at Godzilla, who was still as stiff as a statue, but what about Goji there?

Mothra tittered and lightly flapped her wings as she laughed. Well, one of the traditions Zilla was talking about was something he called a Christmas tree, which is where humans cut down a tree and decorate it with lights to gather around during their celebrations. Our problem was that we didn't have anything big enough to serve as our metaphorical tree… until Zilla happened to look at Junior's spines and…

He thought they looked like a tree? Gamera asked.

Pretty much. Obviously Godzilla wasn't too keen on the idea, but Zilla and I managed to… talk him into it you might say.

Zilla chose that moment to walk by and commented, If by 'talk him into it', you mean brow-beat him with pleading until he gave up, then okay...

Different method, same result, Mothra chirped gleefully.

So, Zilla, tell me, what is the occasion for this celebration? Gamera asked.

Nice rhyme. And honestly? I just thought that we should do things together as a group for once. Something that doesn't involve fighting for our lives or those of others. Just… take a chance to relax and be friends you know?

Yon smiled and said, I can get behind that. Too much of our time is spent worrying about the Xen and his allies and what they're up to, rather than trying to get to know each other. If making the island bright as day time and having Godzilla be made into a light source is how it happens, then I'm all for it.

You aren't the one stuck like this! Godzilla called out, glancing their way.

You know, Mothra said, you can move around if you want, Goji. The lights aren't going to fall off just because you take a step.

I know that. It's just… Godzilla moved slightly then squinted and shook his head heavily. It's disorienting.

Think we should turn them down a tad? Zilla asked as he watched Godzilla slowly and ponderously shift his feet.

Probably. Everyone's already seen them, so they've served their purpose for the moment. Mothra fluttered into the air and hovered over Godzilla, gently flapping her wings as the light sources dimmed so that they were barely noticeable. Better?

Greatly. Godzilla sighed and released the tension from his stance. So, now that everyone is here, what do we do next?

Actually, not quite everyone is here, Zilla said, doing a quick headcount. We're still missing one.

What the Daiei is going on here?

Every kaiju in the circle turned to see Gabara staring at them in bewilderment, the oni standing with his hands on his hips and his head tilted to the side.

We're celebrating Christmas, Mothra said as she floated over to him. You want to join?

Wait what? Christmas? How do any of you guys even know what that is?

Zilla told us, was the immediate answer from everyone.

Yeah that makes sense… Gabara said to himself.

So… do you want to join us? Mothra repeated.

The oni scoffed and shook his head. Yeah, thanks but no thanks. Christmas ain't exactly my cup of tea.

Let me guess, Zilla said, you'd prefer Halloween?

Actually my favorite holiday is April Fools Day. Gabara smirked at Zilla's surprised look. Try and make sense of that one why dontcha. I'll leave you to… whatever this is. Not interested.

The ogre stalked off into the night, and everyone let him go and went back to their conversations. Mothra watched him leave and sighed.

I'd hoped he actually try and engage with everyone for once.

Zilla just shrugged and turned back to the circle. What can you do? The guy's an obvious Grinch. We aren't going to convince him otherwise, so let him be lonely and grumpy if he wants.

Grinch?

Long sto… well technically it's a short story, but I'll tell you it later.

So now what? Godzilla asked. Everybody who cares is here, so what's next?

Um… I guess we just talk about stuff and enjoy ourselves.

Godzilla looked around the circle and asked, Anyone have anything to say?

There some coughs, a few grumbles, and one or two shrugs, but nobody spoke up. Instead, they were all looking at Godzilla as if in expectation of something.

Looks like you're up on the spot their boss, Rodan said.

What spot?

Mothra thrust her wings at Godzilla and said, Just say something Junior.

Why me? Ugh, fine…

Godzilla looked around at the Defenders, friends and allies whom he had been leading in one way or another for years, and realized just how little he knew about most of them. They trusted him to get them through any disaster, yet he rarely took the time to interact with them outside of combat or giving orders. Still, he felt a connection to these beings, these creatures who thought that he, Godzilla, was a leader worth following, even into life-threatening danger. Upon reflection, he found that this knowledge meant a lot to him.

I'm not really sure what to say here, so I guess I'll just say whatever I feel like. Zilla told me that the point of this holiday is to celebrate being with family and the ones you care about. Well, the only family I have are either outside of my reach or dead, so I suppose being with all of you is the next best thing. All of us are here because we decided to work together to protect the planet we call home. When danger appears, we are the ones who step up to face it. But why do we do it? I know why I do it, but what about all of you?

The listeners were surprised at the direction of the speech, but seemed eager to hear what else Godzilla had to say. The King himself paused, trying to find the words to express what he was thinking. Finally, he lifted his gaze and spoke, a new tone entering his voice.

I think I know the reason you do it; it's because you know that if you don't, no one else will. We fight not just because our own lives are at risk, but to say that we care about what happens to this planet. And we care about the planet because we care about each other. In this world we kaiju are the only ones who can support each other, because nobody else can truly understand us. Humans cannot understand what it is like to be as large and powerful as us, while the mutants are so aggressive and violent that they can't understand our desire for peace. The only beings out there who will relate to you are here, sitting beside you. We've been given a rare time of peace and quiet this month, so let's make the most of it.

Godzilla was surprised at how quiet the other kaiju were when he finished speaking, but he could sense that they appreciated his words nonetheless. Everyone started forming their own conversations, talking with more enthusiasm than Godzilla had ever witnessed from them before. He felt a warmth in his heart that he thought probably wasn't due to excess radiation.

Hey Zilla?

Said kaiju turned at being addressed. Yeah G?

Godzilla smiled and clapped the other saurian on the back. This was a good idea. Glad I thought of it.

Zilla blinked slowly at him, then rolled his eyes and nudged Godzilla back. Glad you did too. Merry Christmas Junior.

Merry Christmas to you as well.

At the risk of repeating myself (and the story) a very gay Yuletide to you all! And wouldn't you know it, we had a Christmas miracle happen. What is the miracle you ask? I managed to get this thing done before Chirstmas day was over! Yay to me!

What's that? You're not impressed? Eh, fair enough. Would have been kinda silly to release this after Christmas was over, but hey, what can you do?

Anywho, I have a bit of an announcement to make. Last year I made a resolution that I would release at least one chapter of this story each month, to motivated myself to not fall into a slump. And for the most part I managed it (aside from September, but there were extenuating circumstances there). This year, I have a different resolution: to slow down, take my time, and try to improve my writing now that I have shown that I can actually focus on it. How am I going to do that? By looking at the areas where I am weak and try to get stronger, as well as actually make long term plans and stick to them rather than doing whatever feels right at the moment. It's not going to be easy, but I do have some help for it, so I hope I can actually get better through all this.

Basically, I'm going to try and focus more on character and story over technical proficiency and production rate which I already have down pat. And that includes a large scale rewrite/edit of what I've done up until this point. I'll make sure to list out the changes as best I can once I implement them so you don't have to go tramping back through every word just to find out what's different. Once that is done, I'm going to face forward and plot out my course so I don't get lost again. With my friends helping me, I'm sure it won't be too bumpy a ride. Once again, if you have any critiques or other issues, now is the time to talk about them. I listen to PMs here or on my Fimfic page (Smjames) so be sure to hit me up if you have anything to say. Anything. So long as it's not politics or some stupid crap like that. Nerd stuff is fine thou.

Till next year, this is Blazing Phoenix, signing off.

(2017 edit: ... this has taken far too long. Far, FAR too long. I blame life getting busy with school and money problems. And laziness. Never forget laziness. Still, here we finally are. 4 long months later. The good news is that I am far clearer on what the future of this story is and on how to get there, so progress should be a lot faster from now on. Hopefully. Expect the next real chapter to be up sometime this month. As for the next... 'chapter'... Well, you'll see...)